We are living in a golden era of TV. There has quite literally never been a more consistent stream of good television since the boob tube first came into existence.
That said, it isn’t always Shakespeare. Sometimes to appreciate the good, you need to be reminded of the bad. So with that said, here are 10+ TV show lines that make fans cringe.
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“That means you haven’t known the triumphs and defeats, the epic highs and lows of high school football.”
Who could forget this most cringeworthy Archie speech from Riverdale ? Pump the breaks Arch, you’re no Peyton Manning.
“We fight like siblings but we [expletive] like champions.”
True Blood could have its own list of cringe dialogue. But talk about your paradoxical imagery on this one, Eric. The thought is just disturbing.
“You have fruit punch mouth!”
You know those moments when you can tell that a show is really trying to be serious, but they just come off as comical?
Yeah, that’s pretty much exactly what happened here on Buffy the Vampire Slayer .
“I’m so excited! I’m so excited! I’m so…scared!”
Give Saved By The Bell points for trying. Tackling a topic such as addiction is never easy.
But when Jessie broke out into song, that was just too much.
“Did you flip a switch and erase me from your memory? It took you a year – a YEAR – to get over your ex…”
Who remembers this gem from Degrassi ?
Clare loses it at the most public of places and totally ends up looking ridiculous.
“You want a good girl but you need the bad [expletive].”
They say context is everything.
While this was an admittedly odd exchange in Game of Thrones , it’s very much in-keeping with Tyene’s character.
“When I first moved to New York and I was totally broke, sometimes I would buy *Vogue* instead of dinner. I felt it fed me more.”
I’m going to come right out and call BS on that one.
I’m not sure what the writers of Sex and the City were hoping to accomplish here, but they just made Carrie look silly.
“Shiver me timbers.”
We all react differently the first time we’re kissed.
If you’re Dawn from Buffy the Vampire Slayer , apparently it causes you to think you’re a pirate.
“Because we’re endgame, Archie.”
Groan. Where’s Thanos when you need him?
I wish we could snap our fingers and make this scene from Riverdale vanish from existence.
“Saving people, hunting things. The family business!”
Cards on the table: I love the Winchester brothers.
But it still doesn’t make this classic line from Supernatural any less cringeworthy.
“I have a master’s degree in American literature. There’s nothing I can’t handle!”
Hemingway himself would have rolled over laughing in his grave upon hearing this torturous line from Pretty Little Liars .
“My gold stars are a metaphor for me being a star.”
This regrettable piece of dialogue from Glee just might be the worst character introduction that’s ever taken place on television.
Was the goal to make us hate Rachel right from the beginning?
“Pick me. Choose me. Love me.”
Yuck. If that isn’t the most pathetic attempt to forge a loving relationship.
Desperation is a stinky perfume, Meredith. Grey’s Anatomy really outdid themselves with this.
“Darlin’.”
There isn’t just one instance of Jax using the word “darlin'” in Sons of Anarchy , it’s rampant throughout.
Every time I hear it, it makes me want to boil my ears.
“Hashtag burn. Hashtag duck tie slams. Hashtag Stinson rocks.”
I love Barney Stinson. But this running catchphrase from How I Met Your Mother got old fast.
You can tell they were aiming for funny but landed on annoying.
“In case you haven’t noticed, I’m weird. I’m a weirdo. I don’t fit in and I don’t wanna fit in. Have you ever seen me without this stupid hat on? That’s weird.”
We get it, Jughead – you’re weird. You don’t need to beat us over the head with it. This whole speech was incredibly painful and off-putting.
It just made Riverdale as a whole look even more ridiculous.
“I don’t know what I think anymore. I did not invite you up here, you came up here on your own!”
Remember when Jess was painfully and awkwardly trying to pressure Rory into having sex with him on Gilmore Girls ?
While the core message of the scene is valuable, the dialogue was vomit-inducing.
“I haven’t had sex in a very long time.”
Just because a line is cringeworthy, doesn’t mean that it can’t also be hilarious.
When Ross said this after trying to kiss his cousin during a particularly memorable episode of Friends , I nearly died.
“It’s like blue balls…in your heart.”
It’s really sad how fast True Detective spiraled into nothingness.
By the end, it was clear that neither the writers nor the actors cared very much, as was on full display when Vince Vaughn uttered this Shakespearean simile.
“Because you’re all minorities. You’re in the Glee Club.”
Wow. That’s a pretty ballsy statement there, Mr. Schue. It doesn’t at all reveal your ignorance and privilege.
To even suggest that being in the Glee Club is akin to understanding the struggles of minorities is offensive.
“You’ll notice I didn’t have anyone be an Arab. I thought that would be too explosive. No pun intended.”
In my opinion, The Office is on the short-list as one of the greatest TV shows that’s ever been made.
I will admit, however, the race humor in the first season is a bit much at times.
“How you doin’?”
I think it’s fair to say that this one slices both ways: you either love this classic Joey line from Friends or it makes you think of nails on the chalkboard.
“Will you pretend to be my wife for an insurance scam, but then we fall in love for real?”
Oh, John Ralphio, I think I miss you most of all.
It seemed like every time this Parks & Rec favorite would open his mouth, an even greater, more offensive absurdity would come stumbling out.
“Prepare to Phil the agony of Dunpheat!”
Phil Dunphy is the best part of Modern Family . He’s also an artist when it comes to “dad jokes” and puns.
But this one just seemed like a big reach, even for Phil.
“I’m too good for this crap, like when I sang at that children’s hospital.”
You never knew what Jenna was going to say next. That’s part of what made watching 30 Rock so enjoyable!
But when you’re making jokes about sick kids, that’s taking things too far.
“You know, look Erica, I’m not going to lie to you. I farted. This is one of those weird cases where you smelt it but I’m the one who dealt it.”
Will Forte has made an entire career out of making people cringe and The Last Man on Earth is no exception.
He’s got it down to a science.
“Somebody knows something. It’s just a matter of asking the right people the right questions in the right tone of voice.”
The only thing more painful than having to watch Foggy Nelson in Daredevil at any given moment, is when we’re forced to have to watch him try and be intimidating.
It just doesn’t work.
“Zoinks!”
There’s nothing worse than when a show tries to force-feed a ridiculous catchphrase.
Still, it certainly didn’t stop Saved By The Bell from beating us over the head with it.
“Did I do that?”
While we’re on the topic of abhorrent catchphrases, let’s take a moment to discuss Family Matters , shall we?
While this famous line by Steve Urkel had charm at the start, it definitely ran out by the end.
“Lindsay, are you forgetting that I was a professional twice over? An analyst and a therapist: the world’s first analrapist!”
This isn’t even the worst thing that Tobias ever said on Arrested Development . Every word he utters is a homosexual innuendo.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s absolutely hilarious but that doesn’t mean it still doesn’t make you want to rip off your ears.
