Aug 25, 2010
Oh-my-awkward politician!
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I’ve mentioned before that I have a hypersensitive sympathetic embarrassment reflex. This mental flaw of mine makes it very difficult to watch videos like the one below.
But I did watch it (not without several pauses to catch my breath and pace around). And now I think you should, too.
Please? So I don’t hyperventilate in the awkwardness all alone?
(via)
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He is certainly memorable now for his serenading. His hair is rather unfortunate, though…
That is really unfortunate… on so many levels.
I tried. I really did.
I just couldn’t keep watching once the music started.
That’s when I took my first break.
Me too. I’m there now. Not sure I can carry on
Me too. Definitely not going to watch the rest. Yikes.
I got to 1:16…. can’t do anymore. Sorry, that’s enough honest awkwardness for me!
Yep, in it with you guys. Got to 1:20 and I just, I’m done. I feel like I need to go into hiding FOR him and his transgression of interviewee etiquette…
Ohhhhhhh my gosh. How awful. I never heard it called that before, a “hypersensitive sympathetic embarrassment reflex” but that’s what I have too! That’s why for the longest time I couldn’t even watch The Office, even though it is pure fiction.
I’m the SAME WAY with the Office. I have a love/hate relationship with it. O_o
I am so thankful to know there are others out there besides me! I change the channel sometimes when a rerun of an episode is on and I know the next part is extremely embarrassing for a certain character
Thanks for naming my condition. “hypersensitive sympathetic embarrassment reflex” .. I have to write that down. I stopped at 1:16, and it’s hard for me to go back. As far as fiction like “The Office” .. I have NOOO problems there! I guess it’s only reality based stuff.
Ok now to try and go back to the video .. maybe I’ll fast forward through the awkward stuff, but by the comments here, it seems all of it is awkward!!!
oh wow. that was crazy. i had to stop and and take a break as well.
It was all I could do to finish that without pausing or skipping forward.
Maybe I share your syndrome.
I skipped most of the song, and am glad I did.
This was so awkward. I felt so sorry for the woman! Think of how awkward she must have felt. Then she had to cut him off and he still wanted to talk about playing for her. “I hope you learned something from it.” Yeah, I think we all did. LOL.
nope, couldn’t do it… once he started singing, I quit.
I regularly break a sweat in embarrassment on other people’s behalf, but that my friends was straight hilarious!
Definition of being on your toes: “that’s a higher pay grade than me, and other people arrange that”…
1st pause 1:05
2nd pause 1:56 – don’t know if this is because you planted the idea but i’m actually a little out of breath
3rd pause 3:00
and done.
it would have been easier to watch if the guy didn’t seem so earnest about it all.
wild turkey foundation–that was awkward!!
I made it 1 minute it…the tape recorder came out and I couldn’t bare to watch. I too share in your syndrome, “hypersensitive sympathetic embarrassment reflex”, probably worse than you. I can’t do this…I CAN’T!!!
aaaaaaaah. that was awful.
brian also has this reflex, he calls it 3PE (third party embarrassment)
3PE. I like that.
He’s staring her down the whole time. I feel awful for her.
I made it to 1:03 and had to stop. Poor guy.
The show’s host was amazingly professional. I wouldn’t have been able to maintain my composure.
Thank you for the opportunity to showcase my commenting on your blog. Maybe I could come back again and comment with my guitarist? How about later this week?
im thinking that’s above abraham’s pay grade but he’ll have to confirm or deny that…
Didn’t I see him audition for American Idol?
oh dear. i couldn’t even look straight at him. i had to watch what i could stomach out of the corner of my eye…can you imagine being that news anchor???
I am the SAME way. With ya on this one!
I’ve already had to push pause twice (to laugh & cringe) and I’m only 59 seconds in. Please, don’t tell me it gets worse!
Oh no!! He starts to sing along with the tape! It’s too awkward, I can’t take it.
Sad is all that comes to mind.
Seasonal Affective Disorder? Huh. I hadn’t thought of that possibility.
The real question is … did he get elected?
That’s what I was wondering!
I might have voted for him – just out of sympathy! It’s sorta like hanging a little kid’s artwork on your fridge. Is it REALLY beautiful – or do you just want to spare their feelings? (lol!)
This is why the word “Yeesh” was invented. For such a time as this.
Yeah, that hurt. I had to pause and go get my wife… just to have some support through the ordeal.
I had my face in my hands….laughing….groaning….laughing again.
Until he invited himself back to the show with his band.
now my glasses are off, and my head won’t stop shaking side, to side.
I’m trying to decide if (newly dubbed) ’3PE’ is worse in person or on YouTube. That anchor handled herself amazingly well. Her 3PE-meter had to have been off the chart.
So who wants to bet on when the autotune version will be coming?
LOVE IT! Guy’s using a political platform to try to further his REAL dream of being a professional musician (and he got 2 minutes of free TV time)–haha. He’ll go far, though maybe not in politics.
Rest assured, no light in my study was needed, for the flame of my Zippo lighter app illumined the room.
I definitely learned something…I have a sympathetic embarrassment reflex and didn’t know it. Wow. But that host was awesome. Smoother than the back of his head.
Well… I’m interning in a choir program at a local high school right now (for my major), so I hear this kind of singing from 80% of my students in my 1st period beginning men’s choir. So even though I also have a highly sensitive sympathetic embarrassment reflex, it doesn’t bother me as much as most. Though it should, since it’s on tv…
Abraham,
I love you for posting this. That dude needs to repent.
z
I watched the whole thing straight through, and kept thinking he must have thought he was on Public TV instead of Fox. And as it progressed, I was more & more thankful he’s on the other team.
He looks like a chubbier Steven Seagal.
Have you watched the original British version of the Office? I know it’s not real, but I still can’t help but have the same, dying inside, sympathetic embarrassment reaction.
Oh – it’s still going on while I’m typing this. Now he’s offering to make a date to come back with his band… Too much! Too much! I wonder if he has a YouTube channel? I hope you learned something from it – well? Did you? Did you?
wow – this totally made my day! thanks for posting it. saturday night live couldn’t have done it better. Mr. Young’s look and mannerisms remind me of Chris Farley in the old “Chris Farley Show” skit, except he’s the interviewer instead of the interviewee.
Dude, his band could play on inauguration day and totally rock Providence.
And everybody would learn something!
The woman deserves a higher pay grade for putting up with that!
Wow. She is a PRO!
I wonder how she sat through that without bursting out laughing. Can I predict he doesn’t win the election?
I couldn’t make it past the first three words. Sorry!
Don’t you think he could be for real? I mean, obviously it means enough to him to do this.
I don’t know whether he had to work up the courage to do so or whether it comes natural for him, but it does seem to me that he wants to get something across. After all, he does sing about salvation through Jesus, and that in a place where you would not hear it.
Although I can imagine it must not have been easy for the anchorwoman, I appreciate the fact that he did not sing about some goofy stuff but about this, at its core, very serious issue. “Are you lost?” And it seems to me that he would have wished this woman would have asked herself that question.
(For the record: I am not being sarcastic.)
As far as I can tell, he is most definitely for real.
Pretty sad, but I have definitely heard worse. You should hear some of the CDs that people bring in to the radio station where I work. Yikes! My sympathetic reflex kicks in when I’m listening to talk radio and the host has to cut someone off who is rambling on and on …. I feel sorry for both of them.
I heard this on a local radio station this morning. (Friday) They reported that at the end of the debate of the candidates in which this guy was participating, he asked his girlfriend to marry him! Just goes from bad to worse.
I refuse Abraham.
I will not be pulled into your awkward watching black hole!
I refuse!
O, Simon Cowell, where were you when we needed you most.
We made it to 1:27.
Abraham-
If you haven’t already, you may want to check out yo yo master Kenny “K-Strass” Strasser on youtube. I’m pretty sure he knows what he’s doing–the tv station hosts don’t.
Stopped at 1:55 min. Can’t go on!
I’m reading these comments as relief – although I can still hear…
I love her frantic glances at the producer around 2:22-2:50.
This hurts me.
This is so uncomfortable I almost think it was done as a joke.
this is just pure awesomeness. I think every political candidate should have to answer at least one interview question like this. Or at least during a presidential debate? Years ago a friend gave me a CD of rejected submissions to WORD records. You think THIS guy is bad… I don’t even have 3PE to the degree you all do, and that made me guffaw while cringing
*Twitch*