Comedy archetype

The Cringe Connoisseur

Comedy from behind a pillow.

You savor the squirm. The longer the silence, the more painful the misstep, the better — discomfort is the whole point and you wouldn't look away for anything.

cringeawkwardsecond-hand embarrassment

Most exemplified by

The sitcom whose joke mix matches The Cringe Connoisseur most closely is The Office.

By the numbers

How concentrated this archetype's signature joke types are in The Office, vs the baseline share across every joke we've scored.

Cringe11%·3.5× the baseline
Awkward silence1%·4.3× below baseline
Dark & subversive3%·2.9× below baseline

Share in The Office Baseline across all jokes

Jokes a Cringe Connoisseur loves

Now your mom and your dad said She moved to Peru But the truth is she died And someday you will too

Phoebe, Friends

My name is George. I'm unemployed, and I live with my parents.

George, Seinfeld

Abbi helps Ilana off the truck; Ilana: 'Let's get married.' Abbi: 'What?' Ilana: 'What? No, you said something.' Abbi: 'No.' Ilana: 'Okay.'

Abbi, Broad City

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The other archetypes