Start page News Call for Papers – Special Panel: Cringe Culture in Politics

Call for Papers – Special Panel: Cringe Culture in Politics

Call for Papers – Special Panel: Cringe Culture in Politics

Cringe Culture in Politics: Exploring Humour, Vulnerability, and Ridicule in the Digital Age

Gabriella Szabó (HUN-REN TK PTI) and Lenka Vochocová (Charles University, Prague) are organising a panel discussion for the upcoming ECREA conference titled “Cringe Culture in Politics: Exploring Humour, Vulnerability, and Ridicule in the Digital Age.” The organisers are accepting applications for the panel discussion until March 14, 2025.

The original call can be read below:

Convenors:

  • Gabriella Szabó, HUN-REN Centre for Social Sciences, Budapest, Hungary

  • Lenka Vochocová, Charles University in Prague

Event: ECREA PolCom Section Interim konference in Innsbruck (September 4-5, 2025)

Cringe is the new cool. It has emerged as a key cultural phenomenon, particularly within the digital realm, where it embodies satirical humiliation, vulnerability, and exposure to emotions such as embarrassment, shame, disgust, and amusement. The term often describes content that provokes discomfort or disapproval in viewers, typically stemming from actions perceived as awkward, laughable, or deplorable (Dahl, 2018; Brody, 2022). While some individuals intentionally share cringe content to humorously showcase imperfection, much of it spreads on social media without the consent of those involved, often amplified by bystanders’ commentary.

Although closely associated with Generation Z’s social media habits, cringe also resonates with Deleuze’s (1992) concept of a society of control, contributing to the internalized regulation of behaviour deemed socially unacceptable. Its spread is facilitated by incivility, nihilism, polarization, and opinion-driven media, which extend cringe culture into political discourse. For instance, dedicated online spaces mock protestors and activists, framing progressive claims as laughable or overly sensitive (Lewis et al., 2021). Despite its prominence, the interplay of degradation, humour, vulnerability, and ridicule in digital politics remains underexplored.

This panel seeks to unravel the role of cringe in political culture, examining practices such as digital cringe rituals, mocking expressions, and their political consequences across diverse contexts. Key areas of inquiry include:

  1. Cultural Practices and Emotional Dynamics: How does cringe shape political attitudes, values, and behaviours? How do emotions like embarrassment, shame, schadenfreude, and ressentiment operate within collective cringe culture?

  2. Political Impacts: What are the implications of cringe culture for personal reputation, decision-making, and public policies, including privacy regulations and social norms?

  3. Public Responses and Counter-Narratives: How do individuals and groups respond to elite and user-generated cringe? What counter-actions emerge to address ridicule and belittling?

  4. Cringe Entrepreneurs and AI in Politics: How do populist figures and other actors leverage cringe for political gain? What roles do big data and AI play in detecting, amplifying, or mitigating cringe content?

We invite submissions that provide theoretical and empirical insights into the role of cringe in European political contexts. Comparative analyses, case studies, and big data approaches are particularly encouraged. Contributions examining how policymakers and institutions respond to cringe culture or exploring its roots and consequences in public life are also welcome. This panel aims to shed light on the sociocultural and emotional complexities of cringe and its influence on contemporary political discourse.

Submissions deadline and format: 

Please send your submissions of approx. 250 words no later than by March 14, 2025, to the following e-mail addresses: 

Selected authors will be asked to present final paper abstracts of no more than 150 words (conference rule), but we will appreciate longer abstracts at this point to give us a clearer understanding of each presentation.

Bibliography:

Brody, C. (2022). ‘Cringe’content in a society of control. Pitt Sociology Review, Spring 2022, 24-32.

Dahl, M. (2018). Cringeworthy: A theory of awkwardness. Penguin.

Deleuze, G. (1992). “Postscript on the Societies of Control.” The MIT Press 59: 3-7.

Lewis, R., Marwick, A. E., & Partin, W. C. (2021). “We Dissect Stupidity and Respond to It”: Response Videos and Networked Harassment on YouTube. American Behavioral Scientist, 65(5), 735-756.