CRINGE DEBUT 2021

We are thrilled to bring you the debut of Cringe: a magazine exploring shame and self-consciousness through writing and art. In this age of IRL mass surveillance and URL self-consciousness, we wanted to interrogate what it means to cringe at others and ourselves. Why do we feel second-hand embarrassment when witnessing someone else breaking a social norm? How can we use the self-awareness that comes with cringing at our past selves to find compassion for ourselves today? Could we even use self-conscious feelings such as shame, guilt and cringe in a way that’s helpful for society, and what happens when it’s used in its most destructive form? These are some of the questions we’ve asked ourselves in this issue. Across the pages of this magazine, you will also find poetry and artwork that grapples with other uncomfortable feelings such as cringing at the prospect of failure, while also leaning into the joy that comes with being our unapologetic selves through the art of raving. Expressed through the intimate and vibrant work of Courteney Frisby, the photographer behind Cringe’s first cover, we showcase that vulnerable spaces that expose who we are at our core are fun precisely because they are transgressive, honest, and norm-breaking. We hope that you’ll feel more in touch with your own cringe after flicking through this issue, and perhaps even agree that being and accepting cringe is not only human, but ultimately liberating.