• Awoo [she/her]@hexbear.netEnglish
    26·
    2 days ago

    Calling things “cringe” is a tool social enforcement of anyone that doesn’t fit inside a certain behavioural box. If we don’t think marginalised groups should be marginalised then we shouldn’t use a tool of marginalisation.

    Become the cringe. It’s ok. Be a cringe accelerationist. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cH-uB_eaLvM

    • purpleworm [none/use name]@hexbear.netEnglish
      11·
      2 days ago

      I don’t think this is a line consistently held by the site, see nerd It would be cool if it was, but I think there are some really fundamental issues with the site culture that the user you are responding to is presenting a mild symptom of.

      • Awoo [she/her]@hexbear.netEnglish
        15·
        2 days ago

        There’s definitely a contingent of people that feel viscerally repulsed by “cringe”. They can’t handle it.

        They need exposure therapy, we should be cringier.

        • purpleworm [none/use name]@hexbear.netEnglish
          10·
          2 days ago

          I don’t think it can be corrected with exposure therapy as the main instrument. There’s a deeper element of reactionary sentiment that extends far past the ability to address indirectly for most people. It needs to be fought directly.

          • Awoo [she/her]@hexbear.netEnglish
            6·
            2 days ago

            Yeah you’re probably right. In that case there’s either yelling at them or calmly explaining to them why it’s reactionary. I lean towards yelling more often than being calm but both can be useful depending on circumstances. Yelling is probably less useful if we want to like not make people leave because it’s always a bad experience here or whatever.

            • purpleworm [none/use name]@hexbear.netEnglish
              4·
              2 days ago

              I agree that not yelling is generally better, but my stance is that it can’t just be dealt with reactively, it should be brought up as its own subject and discussed with the user base so we can make a policy and deliberate effort toward altering the culture of the site.

              And remove some emojis.

    • yunqihao [comrade/them]@hexbear.netEnglish
      3·
      2 days ago

      If we don’t think marginalised groups should be marginalised then we shouldn’t use a tool of marginalisation.

      Is it a crazy take to say their are groups and actions that deserve to be marginalised as cringe. I’m thinking of groups like the liberal who arrogantly spouts off on a topic they only know of through vibes, reactionaries of all stripes, and being an “apolitical” centrist etc. People who fall into categories such as these deserves to be marginalised as cringe imo for the good of society (and to a point honestly themselves).

      • purpleworm [none/use name]@hexbear.netEnglish
        7·
        2 days ago

        We can reject behaviors on a basis other than vague aestheticized social pressure, because that rejection should be for a reason that isn’t just “vibes” or something happening to be or not be convention.

        I think it’s quite easy to tell someone not to spout off about shit they are ignorant about with authoritative confidence, but I can just tell them as much (or “No investigation, no right to speak”) without needing to resort to a concept like “cringe”.

        • Salah [ey/em]@hexbear.netEnglish
          4·
          2 days ago

          I want to say I really appreciate how you explain things and call out issues in the site culture. When I see your name above a comment I know it will be a good one 👍

          • purpleworm [none/use name]@hexbear.netEnglish
            4·
            2 days ago

            Thanks, I really appreciate it. Almost all I do on this site is compulsively argue with people, so my interactions are overwhelmingly negative or at least a bit unpleasant, and it’s nice to hear that it’s in some way positive for someone.

        • yunqihao [comrade/them]@hexbear.netEnglish
          41·
          2 days ago

          That’s fair. As I said elsewhere I suppose I was thinking of cringe more like a tool similar to the state. One that at current through much of the world is wielded by reactionary forces to further their aims however that once seized would remain a useful tool simply working for different ends. That in a socialist society it isn’t and shouldn’t be acceptable to act as liberals do now and the enforcement of social standards generally manifests through cringe and marginalisation.

      • Awoo [she/her]@hexbear.netEnglish
        6·
        2 days ago

        You could take the position those actions are cringe from the perspective of a socialist sure, but I don’t know if it’s useful to address the phenomena I’m criticising which is that “cringe” is almost exclusively targeted at queer and socially odd or neurodiverse people.

        I would use a different word entirely to describe those reactionary behaviours purely because I want to reduce the targeting of these groups the “cringe” is almost always used to attack.

        I 100% get where you’re coming from though and you’re not wrong, my point is mainly about strategy.

        • yunqihao [comrade/them]@hexbear.netEnglish
          4·
          2 days ago

          That’s completely fair. I suppose my thoughts when approaching it was to look at it the same way I do the state for example, in that at current through most of the world it’s an oppressive and reactionary force. However it remains a useful tool when seized from the hands of the current liberal hegemonic order that rules over not only the bodies but the minds of much of the people of the world.