Internet slang is a vast and confusing arena. People throw around quick quips to react to something, to categorize it, to attach a meaning to the fleeting moments caught on a Twitch stream. Two of these reactions are “based” and “cringe.”
These two words are important because they represent a dichotomy. On one side, cringe: something that you find icky, uncomfortable, disagreeable, annoying, cringey. On the other, based: simply the opposite of cringe. These two words cannot exist at once. They exist in the absence of the other, in order to displace the other.
For example, I could say that the Toike Oike is cringe. It has bad humour, and it makes jokes that make me feel uncomfy in that I do not see the point and do not find them funny. I could then say that Stranded is a based humour section. This is good. Stranded is regarded as having good value. It is funny.
But indeed, I will not say these things because both “cringe” and “based” are cringe. Indeed, these terms originate from 4Chan, the cringiest place known to humankind. What is more cringe than white supremacists, incels, homophobes, and transphobes who are probably tired, despicable and hateful human beings protected by internet anonymity? The answer? Nothing. It is simply cringe to label something as either “cringe” or “based.” Simple reactions such as that do not capture the true essence of life. It is cringe. It is all cringe.
sneed
Cringe
Cringepilled article
cringe
article subverts expectations and is post-ironically based. ignore all cringe hunters.
Cringe
Cringegasm at the end.
Is that world famous leading man actor rich evans? Based.
Based
this article is cringe because it it misses so much and is based in garbage
James Hannay buddy, this article is cringe. – Based God
Based