Misery is a huge component of the genre. The first of the Four Noble Truths of Buddhism is “existence is suffering” and cringe comedy embraces, and often celebrates the suffering that is the human condition.
“That’s really what cringe is about; it’s so true and so honest; it’s cringe-worthy,” says Italia.
Probably the most visible and misery-filled comedian of the genre is Jim Norton. He is best known for his scathing, self-deprecating humor and his brutal honesty onstage. Norton candidly discusses a myriad his vices including his frequenting of prostitutes and his penchant for yellow discipline, a sex act in which one is urinated upon by another.
Norton, a New York Times best-selling author, is the “third mic” on The Opie and Anthony Show, and has appeared on numerous television programs, and in many films, most notably Spiderman.
Norton’s comedy is not easily defined, as it morphs between the obvious jokes with a punch line filled with pure ire and the shockingly confessional and vulnerable rants that he has come to be notorious for in the comedy world.
Here is a taste of his highly unorthodox sense of humor:
“God, do I hate my little fat tits. You ever pinch your little meat tits and wish you were dead? You ever just stand naked in the mirror. “You little fat-titted mediocre failure!” You ever do that for three hours on New Year’s Eve?”
At the Comedy Cabaret, Coleman speaks of Norton as if he knows him. “It’s very David Sedaris. You feel like you know the guy.”
But Norton’s fan rabidity is easily explainable. The very nature of Norton’s is act is anecdotally based and much of it so unabashedly smutty, it would make Redd Foxx blush. Naturally, his fans feel like they know Norton because, for intents and purposes, they do.
“If you keep going through Jim Norton’s stand-up, through the years you will start learning why he does those things and what lives deep inside him. It’s a body of work, you just can’t go to one Jim Norton show and learn everything there is to know about him,” says Italia.
Italia continues, “If you watch his act and the progression over 15 years, that’s why his fans are so hardcore. They feel like they know him because he has revealed his inner most thoughts. It’s a really intimate and personal touch that cringe comedians have. That’s why they haves such a strong and hardcore fan base.”
But the comics who draw legions of fans aren’t necessarily the favorites of those who love cringe comedy.