Based Camp with Simone & Malcolm Collins | The Death of Cringe (LOL Cows are Boomer) @SimoneandMalcolm | Uploaded May 2024 | Updated October 2024, 1 hour ago.
In this thought-provoking episode, Malcolm and Simone explore the shifting landscape of internet culture, focusing on the decline of "lolcows" and the concept of cringe. They discuss how the politicization of online spaces has changed the way people engage with and mock individuals who deviate from social norms. Malcolm argues that cringe is now seen as a "boomer" or "Gen X" phenomenon, with younger generations finding it distasteful to laugh at those with mental health issues or who are perceived as weaker. The couple also delves into the idea that one must pass through the "valley of cringe" to become truly based, using examples like the Tiger King and Donald Trump. They contrast this with figures like Carole Baskin and Hillary Clinton, who represent a desperate attempt to fit mainstream societal expectations. Throughout the conversation, Malcolm and Simone ponder the future of internet culture and the emergence of a new type of "lolcow" – those who come from privilege but fail to achieve happiness by adhering to the status quo.
Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction: A fan's comment sparks a reflection on lolcows and cringe
01:30 Defining lolcows and horror cows
03:20 The emotional subsets triggered by engaging with lolcows
04:40 The generational shift away from cringe and lolcows
06:30 The impact of politicization on online status hierarchies and moral codes
09:15 The Hayes community as an acceptable target for mockery
10:50 The lack of spaces that elevate lolcow content in the current internet landscape
11:30 Simone's theory: The shift from cringe-watching to hate-watching and love-watching
13:30 The perceived acceptability of mocking politically opposed lolcows
15:10 The need for lolcows to violate specific community norms rather than societal norms
16:40 Predicting the future targets of internet mockery: apostates and deconverts
17:50 The idea that one cannot be based without being cringe
20:00 The Tiger King as an example of a post-cringe, based individual
21:30 Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders: Contrasting examples of passing through the valley of cringe
22:50 Harry and Meghan as the quintessential new lolcows
24:30 Society's desire for a real "Addams Family" in an age of nihilism and failed expectations
In this thought-provoking episode, Malcolm and Simone explore the shifting landscape of internet culture, focusing on the decline of "lolcows" and the concept of cringe. They discuss how the politicization of online spaces has changed the way people engage with and mock individuals who deviate from social norms. Malcolm argues that cringe is now seen as a "boomer" or "Gen X" phenomenon, with younger generations finding it distasteful to laugh at those with mental health issues or who are perceived as weaker. The couple also delves into the idea that one must pass through the "valley of cringe" to become truly based, using examples like the Tiger King and Donald Trump. They contrast this with figures like Carole Baskin and Hillary Clinton, who represent a desperate attempt to fit mainstream societal expectations. Throughout the conversation, Malcolm and Simone ponder the future of internet culture and the emergence of a new type of "lolcow" – those who come from privilege but fail to achieve happiness by adhering to the status quo.
Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction: A fan's comment sparks a reflection on lolcows and cringe
01:30 Defining lolcows and horror cows
03:20 The emotional subsets triggered by engaging with lolcows
04:40 The generational shift away from cringe and lolcows
06:30 The impact of politicization on online status hierarchies and moral codes
09:15 The Hayes community as an acceptable target for mockery
10:50 The lack of spaces that elevate lolcow content in the current internet landscape
11:30 Simone's theory: The shift from cringe-watching to hate-watching and love-watching
13:30 The perceived acceptability of mocking politically opposed lolcows
15:10 The need for lolcows to violate specific community norms rather than societal norms
16:40 Predicting the future targets of internet mockery: apostates and deconverts
17:50 The idea that one cannot be based without being cringe
20:00 The Tiger King as an example of a post-cringe, based individual
21:30 Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders: Contrasting examples of passing through the valley of cringe
22:50 Harry and Meghan as the quintessential new lolcows
24:30 Society's desire for a real "Addams Family" in an age of nihilism and failed expectations
