Does watching people humiliate themselves make you uncomfortable?

[Ban my account ffs!]

Like watching Sarah Palin fumble through her interview with Katie Couric.. or listening to really anything George W. Bush ever said... or listening to Al Gore mumble on about global warming... I often simply have to stop listening because it literally is unbearable to listen to.

I don't know if it's an unbearable pity I feel for them... but I literally have to stop listening sometimes because I can literally get depressed from listening to it.

How about you?

[Хahar 🤔]

It depends on whom and how, but yes, sometimes. Other times, it makes me very happy.

[Mint]

I'm not sure about 'pity' but yes it does feel very awkward.

[Ban my account ffs!]

I'm not sure about 'pity' but yes it does feel very awkward.

Well, I don't know exactly if it is pity or not.  But it's certainly some kind of strong reaction that isn't necessarily negative or positive about the person.  It just is.  Though in the case of George W. Bush, I think it was just extreme disgust and dislike.

[??????????]

I feel bad for Alvin Greene anytime he has an interview. I want to laugh but it just leaves me feeling uncomfortable. I usually have to change the channel, it's embarrassing.

[The Mikado]

I feel bad for Alvin Greene anytime he has an interview. I want to laugh but it just leaves me feeling uncomfortable. I usually have to change the channel, it's embarrassing.

We're in the same boat on that one.

Somehow, it feels unsporting to make fun of him.  Greene is the kid you wouldn't let out of the house without a helmet on grown up and running for Congress.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

We see it here each day, and I'm very Spock-like about it. 

[fezzyfestoon]

Yeah, we call it bubble guts.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

I always felt bad when W did it........and he did it so much I couldn't watch anymore.

[Psychic Octopus]

I'm not sure about 'pity' but yes it does feel very awkward.

Yeah, that is kind of the same feeling I get.

[Tetro Kornbluth]

Extremely. Even in Fiction.

Whenever I watch a film I nearly always look away and close my eyes (or press the pause for a long time if it is a DVD) when something like that happens.

[The Mikado]

Extremely. Even in Fiction.

Whenever I watch a film I nearly always look away and close my eyes (or press the pause for a long time if it is a DVD) when something like that happens.

Have you ever watched Curb Your Enthusiasm?

[Torie]

I have the same reaction exactly Snow, and do in fact have to turn Palin among others off. It is just too painful. She sometimes struggles even with Hannity or O"Reilly talking with her. And I sense her anxiety actually. I hope she slowly fades away.

[useful idiot]

Yeah, I hate seeing it, even when it's people whom I disagree with or dislike.

Whenever I watch a film I nearly always look away and close my eyes (or press the pause for a long time if it is a DVD) when something like that happens.

Same here.

[Free Trade is managed by the invisible hand.]

I'm not sure about 'pity' but yes it does feel very awkward.

The worst is when they don't know it. You kind of did that when you started talking about inflation in that one thread.

[Tetro Kornbluth]

Extremely. Even in Fiction.

Whenever I watch a film I nearly always look away and close my eyes (or press the pause for a long time if it is a DVD) when something like that happens.

Have you ever watched Curb Your Enthusiasm?

No. I'm supposing now that I shouldn't?

[The Mikado]

Extremely. Even in Fiction.

Whenever I watch a film I nearly always look away and close my eyes (or press the pause for a long time if it is a DVD) when something like that happens.

Have you ever watched Curb Your Enthusiasm?

No. I'm supposing now that I shouldn't?

The show's brilliant, but completely made up of those moments.

The show is unscripted: Larry David tells people what he wants to happen in a scene and lets them get there however they want to (no prewritten dialogue).  Fascinating.  Every episode is more uncomfortable than the last, though.

[The Mikado]

Extremely. Even in Fiction.

Whenever I watch a film I nearly always look away and close my eyes (or press the pause for a long time if it is a DVD) when something like that happens.

Have you ever watched Curb Your Enthusiasm?

No. I'm supposing now that I shouldn't?

Sorry for the double post, but watch this clip, then read the first page of Youtube comments.  10 comments, 2 of which are Holocaust-deniers.  What is it about how Youtube commenters are all crazy scumbags?

[Tetro Kornbluth]

Extremely. Even in Fiction.

Whenever I watch a film I nearly always look away and close my eyes (or press the pause for a long time if it is a DVD) when something like that happens.

Have you ever watched Curb Your Enthusiasm?

No. I'm supposing now that I shouldn't?

Sorry for the double post, but watch this clip, then read the first page of Youtube comments.  10 comments, 2 of which are Holocaust-deniers.  What is it about how Youtube commenters are all crazy scumbags?

No I know about the show ("the beloved aunt" thing especially... I guess that was an early season). I just don't have any interest in watching Television (other than football) atm and haven't for a very long time.

[Thomas D]

Yes. It's why I don't watch reality TV. I don't know if this is the same thing but two moments from sports history I can't watch are Greg Louganis hitting his head on the diving board at the '88 Olympics and Steve Bartman interfering with that foul ball in the 2003 playoffs. I just close my eyes when they come on TV.