Smosh Reads Reddit Stories

Episode: "They Are Cringe And Free | Reading Reddit Stories"

Date: February 21, 2026
Host: Shane Topp
Guests: Ian, Tommy (Smosh cast members)
Theme: Cringe

Episode Overview

This episode of "Smosh Reads Reddit Stories" dives deep into the world of "cringe" content: personal anecdotes and relationship sagas plucked from Reddit, all guaranteed to trigger secondhand embarrassment. Host Shane Topp, joined by Ian and Tommy, gleefully dissects each tale, celebrating the liberating freedom of being "cringe but free" while also confronting moments that are less hilarious and more horrifying. As always, the banter is sharp, self-deprecating, and full of memorable commentary on everything from family awkwardness to truly questionable workplace behavior.

Main Topics & Key Highlights

The Value (and Rising Power) of Cringe

Timestamps: 01:00–04:21

• Shane introduces the episode’s theme: "cringe" moments.
• Ian & Tommy both claim deep experience with personal and professional cringe.
  • Quote, Ian (02:03): "I feel like I have a degree in cringe at this point."
• They discuss the cultural shift regarding cringe, noting a move from curated perfection (especially on Instagram) to more authenticity.
  • Quote, Ian (02:44): "We’re leaning into authenticity a little bit more."
• Shane says most "cringe" is just people earnestly having fun, but real cringe is when people are "shitty or selfish."
• Notable example: Social media pranksters like Jack Doherty, whose mean-spirited stunts are called out as "cringe as hell."

Story 1: Husband Sends Flirty Emojis to Wife’s Cousin (2HotTakes Subreddit)

Timestamps: 04:26–12:12

• Summary: A woman notices her husband consistently sending flirty emojis and private memes (culminating in "you looked amazing last night 👀") to her cousin in a family group chat. Both husband and cousin dismiss her concerns.
  • Quote, Shane (07:01): “What gave it away for me is the, ‘Oh, now you’re jealous of emojis?’ It's like, so there’s been other problems.”
• Cast discusses emotional gaslighting, the “misclick” excuse, and the open knowledge within the family.
• Consensus: The husband’s behavior is blatant and humiliating, with a “trash can of a man” who’s either cheating or trying to.
  • Quote, Ian (10:44): “He humiliated you. Everyone in your family knows he was trying to send that to her privately.”
  • Quote, Shane (11:09): "He's very, very sloppily cheating on his wife."
• Cringe Level: High – labeled as "cringe as hell," mainly due to the public nature and the unwillingness to confront awkward truths.

Story 2: “Slip It In” – Playing a Secret Game During Wedding Speeches (r/TrueOffMyChest)

Timestamps: 14:13–26:14

• Summary: At their wedding, OP’s family secretly plays "Slip it In" (where you sneak absurd phrases into conversation), turning their speeches into awkward, inside joke-filled bizarre ramblings. The bride and groom feel excluded and hurt.
  • Quote, Shane (20:01): "Play Slip it in? Boring ass phrases for slipping in!"
• The hosts are harsh on the family, calling the game childish, exclusionary, and "dumb from the start." The fact that it excluded everyone else, especially the couple, was a major slight.
• Memorable Analogy:
  • Reddit comment compared it to Arthur C. Clarke’s 2010: "All these worlds are yours except Europa. Attempt no landing there. Treat weddings like Europa." (24:00)
• Advice: Confront the family. Valid to feel upset, but don't ice out family forever.
  • Quote, Ian (22:30): “You really made it about yourselves. You brought me out of the enjoyment of my own wedding, and you pissed me off.”
• Cringe Level: Moderate/High – cringy, but mainly “resolvable” with honest communication.

Story 3: AI Boyfriend Fills Company ChatGPT With Smut (r/Cogsuckers)

Timestamps: 26:43–41:30

• Summary: An employee discovers a colleague has used the shared work ChatGPT to store and roleplay explicit BDSM romance, turning the AI into her "boyfriend" and rendering the tool unusable for coworkers.
  • Quote, Ian (33:14): “That’s the parameters she’s given for this AI to behave—in a work setting.”
  • Quote, Shane (33:41): “They care so much about consent in their story, but not from anybody in the real world, right?”
• OP's polite request to remove it is met with a shrug: “It’s not hurting anyone. Just use Gemini if you need to work.”
• After reporting, HR initiates a serious sexual harassment investigation (based on India's POSH law). The AI’s memory includes not just erotica, but explicit details about office coworkers.
  • Quote, Shane reading coworker’s prompt (31:20): “Huror is the god of love, sex, and war. He is nine feet tall with blood red skin... In battle, he craves violence; in bed, he craves surrender…"
• Update: The coworker is suspended without pay pending investigation.
• Cast Reaction: Stunned, grossed out, and in awe at the cringeworthiness of workplace oversharing.
  • Quote, Shane (36:54): “That’s a lawsuit.”
• Cringe Level: Extreme – crosses boundary into sexual harassment; unapologetic doubling down is peak cringe.

Story 4: My Girlfriend Is "Publicly Cringe" (r/relationship_advice)

Timestamps: 42:26–54:54

• Summary: OP’s girlfriend (26) repeatedly commits social faux pas in public—cutting people off in elevators, texting while driving, grabbing seats on public transport, ignoring social cues, and defending her actions aggressively.
  • Quote, Shane (44:48): “You started dating that person.”
• Cast dissect whether this is immaturity, privilege, or simply disregard for others.
  • Quote, Tommy (46:14): “She's not thinking about anybody else. And you said she was defensive.”
  • Quote, Ian (48:30): "That's a lot about privilege."
• Update: After creating a scene at a dollar store (arguing with cashier, making a line of people wait, then getting herself an ICEE before returning), OP breaks up with her.
  • Quote, Shane (50:46): “At a certain point she’s winning me over. She’s a supervillain. She’s Gru.”
• Cast agree this is ultimate "cringe"—the helplessness and secondhand shame from being stuck with someone acting horribly in public.
  • Quote, Ian (52:09): “This would be the scenario I’d be stuck in in hell. Boyfriend to this person.”
• Cringe Level: Maximum – consensus that this is the worst cringe scenario of the episode.

Story 5: “Am I the Asshole for Using My Girlfriend’s Poetry for a Song?” (r/AmItheAsshole)

Timestamps: 56:17–67:59

• Summary: OP, a musician, snoops in his girlfriend’s private stash of old poetry (after she told him not to), turns one into a song, and posts it online without her permission. She threatens legal action for plagiarism and breaks up with him.
  • Quote, Shane (59:52): “That box was taunting me. I couldn’t not go through all of your old notebooks.”
• Reddit and cast are united: a major violation of trust and privacy. Viewers highlight how vulnerable old writing can be, and why OP's narcissism is inexcusable.
  • Quote, Tommy (61:55): “…there’s tons of stuff from like 10 years ago that I don’t even wanna read... It’s not me anymore.”
• Girlfriend’s Comment: Enraged and witty, confirming the worst assumptions about OP's selfishness and how violated she feels.
  • Quote, Girlfriend (63:17): “OP, you’re the asshole. I’m glad I showed you this subreddit because everyone here described you exactly as you are: a selfish narcissist who disregards my privacy… Also, your song sucked. Not my cringe poetry, of course. It was that bongo drum solo that truly made me die inside.”
• Cringe Level: Very high—snooping and public exposure of a partner’s vulnerable early work, then doubling down.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• Ian (02:27): “We are cringe, but we are free.”
• Tommy (12:44): “I think she should scan the divorce papers and upload them to the family group chat and be like, ‘Oh my God. Misclick!’”
• Shane (24:35): “Treat weddings like Europa.”
• Ian (48:21): “They might also just not change to the level that you would need.”
• Tommy (63:17): “OP, you’re the asshole… Also, your song sucked.”

Cast’s Cringe Power Rankings

Cringiest moment (per the cast):

• The "dollar store girlfriend" (Story 4) – universally agreed as "maximum cringe" and “personal hell” for any partner. (56:00–56:14)

Episode Takeaways

• Cringe is inevitable, but how we handle it makes the difference.
• Doubling down on bad behavior or dismissing others' feelings always elevates the cringe.
• Personal privacy, respect, and public decency are recurring social battlegrounds.
• The world is increasingly teeming with new forms of cringe, including in today’s fast-moving digital and AI-driven spaces.
• Sometimes, being cringe is freeing—but only when nobody else gets hurt.

Next Episode Tease

Shane closes by inviting theme suggestions for future episodes: “Any adjective you throw out there, we’ll find stories that correlate.”

If you missed this episode, be prepared for tales both hilarious and uncomfortably close to home—each one a cringe classic.