Definition and explanation
The cringe factor can be used to determine if a TV show is worth watching. It is defined as the number of times a TV show makes you cringe divided by how attractive you find the actors/actresses and how interesting you find them and the plot.
Fc = Nc/(A+I)
Where Fc is the cringe factor, Nc is the number of times you cringe per episode, A is the attractiveness of the actors or actresses and I is how interesting the characters or story are over all. Each of the variables A and I are numbers between 0 and 10 inclusive.
There are hundreds of TV shows to watch today, and not enough time to watch them all or even just the ones you like if you’re a busy person. Thankfully for most people, many shows have such high cringe factors that it is unbearable to watch and can be eliminated from your to-watch list right away. Generally, TV shows with a cringe factor between 0 and .5 are watchable, if the cringe factor goes above 1, then it becomes difficult to sit through a single episode.
Properties of the cringe factor and disclaimer
The cringe factor is not a measure of how good a show is, instead, it is a measure of how watchable it is. A show that doesn’t make you cringe and has mediocre character attractiveness and plot can still have a low cringe factor, but it doesn’t make it a good show.
The cringe factor is subjective and can only be used on an individual basis. Things that make me cringe may not make you cringe, and plots I find interesting may not be interesting to you.
Note that there is no limit to how many times you can cringe per show(Fc), but A and I are bound between 0 and 10. So if a show makes you cringe over 20 times, it cannot be bearable to watch, unless you are masochistic and like making yourself cringe.
Examples of use
The recently released crime drama “Lie to Me” for example is unbearable to watch. The excessive use of the “analysis” of body language to detect lies and presenting it as if it were an exact science makes me cringe. It feels unauthentic because the plot relies on the characters ability to detect lies based on body language flawlessly, and that’s just not possible. From only seeing the first half of the first episode (I couldn’t sit through the entire thing), this show made me cringe 12 times, so double that and Nc = 24. I don’t find the characters very attractive, but the plot was some what interesting. A = 3, I = 7. This gives the show a cringe factor of 2.4. That’s unbearbly bad.
A similar TV show is Numb3rs which uses mathematics to solve crimes. This show may make some people cringe for the same reasons that “Lie to Me” made me cringe. Yet Numb3rs is one of my favorite shows because it I like maths, and it doesn’t over sell the characters special ability to use mathematics to solve crimes as much as “Lie to Me” uses the characters ability to detect lies to solve crimes. On average, it makes me cringe 2 or 3 times per episode. Nc=2.5, A=4, I = 10 which gives it a cringe factor of .18. This show is watchable.
Gossip Girl: Nc = 6, A = 9, I = 6 which gives it a cringe factor of .46. It’s just barely watchable, but a little too high for me.
Scrubs: Nc = 0, A=8, I=10 which gives it a Fc of 0. A perfect score!
Boston Legal: Nc = 3, A = 6, I = 9 => Fc = .2.
You get the idea.
