Recently saw a video that had the line
"cringe is the inevitable byproduct of sincerity"
And it is.
That was so much of why sites like somethingawful chose many of the targets they did. They masqueraded as "edgy iconoclasts" but the main focus of their targets was "they do not fit in, they are too loud, they are too queer and/or autistic"
"they are too weird"
How DARE THEY be sincere and enthusiastic about the shit they are into
How dare they not have irony layers
Reposting this article from Soatok
Authenticity and enthusiasm, caring was seen as the worst sinone could perform online.
Vulnerability was for, uh, the weak and pathetic.
Authenticity and joy were seen as signs of weakness
They masqueraded as "edgy iconoclasts" but the main focus of their targets was "they do not fit in, they are too loud, they are too queer and/or autistic"
"they are too weird"
"They are too weird to be allowed to exist"
They claimed "safari rules"
The Weekend Web
The Awful Link Of The Day
It was not just looking and pointing at to laugh.
There was active harassment. Because of course there was.
"See these weirdos, they are not like us, we are better, because we are shielded by layers of irony, sarcasm, we don't actually care"
Oh, there was care.
They cared so much to cover themselves in "irony" to prevent ever looking authentic or vulnerable.