how i embraced cringe and started memeing everything
stopped caring about being cringe and just meme'd my way through life, and honestly it rules
how i stopped caring about being cringe and just memed my way through life
yo so i was in this deep relationship with cringe content. like research papers level. i was devouring guides titled 'the art of NOT being cringe' like they were sacred texts. my whole identity was wrapped up in appearing just right. whatever that means in 2023.
anyway one day i'm sitting in maccas (because where else) scrolling through tiktok at 2am and i see this video of a guy roasting arby's for being arby's. simple concept, but he called them "cardboard cinnamon stick soldiers." absolute GENIUS. i laughed so hard i snorted milk juice everywhere. suddenly the thought struck me—wait. why am i even trying to not be cringe? cringe is so... free. cringe is the real me.
so the next day i made the executive decision to memey everything. my lunch order? memed. my boss's email signature? memed. the entire conversation i had with my cat (named crescendo btw)? completely off the rails with references to cult classics and absolute bangers. my cat was not impressed. but i was.
here's what happened: heaps of laughs, because who doesn't love a good meme? no regrets, because once you lean into the cringe, there's no room for regret—you're already there. and honestly? life's easier when you're not trying to curate your perfect social media persona. just exist and meme.
people started noticing. my friends got concerned, but like... they don't understand the freedom of the memetic lifestyle. i was living my truth and also deleting all the cringe drafts i had stored (those were rough, anyway). on the internet... i was unstoppable. pushed a few too many memes into group chats where they didn't belong (sorry about that, jamie), but overall solid.
flipped a switch in my brain where i stopped caring about being "appropriate." social media now is just vibe check at this point. i'm posting memes at 3am and if someone doesn't like it—that's a THEM problem, not a me problem. paradoxically, people respect the authenticity?? like, they see you're just being real (cringe and all) and that builds community. or something. psychology's not my thing, i'm just winging it.
anyway, long story short: stop caring about being cringe. meme your way through life. it’s not even rebellious anymore—it's just basic human decency to laugh freely and not take yourself THAT seriously. unless you're a serial killer, then maybe seek help first. but for everyone else: go nuts.
burnt out, but this rules now. crikey, what a ride.