Why is second-hand embarrassment so much worse??

[VladmirsPoutine]

Maybe it's just something wrong with me. But earlier last week in a cafe the cashier/server was French and the man in front of me decided to speak French to order but he just really couldn't and she ended up speaking to him in English and said "look what do you want" he looked like a whole idiot. My French is reasonably okay so when he initially tried, she spoke back expecting him to understand. It was just so embarrassing.

“ a whole idiot”. Lol that made me chuckle

I had a friend who did this, we were actually in France for a long weekend. He was adamant his french was excellent, kept saying he couldn’t wait to speak it again properly. but it’s a long time since he was at school. He honestly couldn’t get one word right and the poor waiter who he was trying to make conversation with was flummoxed. It went on for a cringe worthy ten mins. Neither could understand the other.

My french is shit, but I can get by so I had to step in eventually and say in french to the waiter what my friend had been saying. He was furious. But it was ten mins of cringe worthy toe curlingly embarrassing convo about the locality and I couldn’t take it any more. Proper male ego dent occured.

So I get what you mean it just feels totally and utterly cringe. 😂

Many years ago I worked in a Building Society & 2 Frenchmen came in wanting to exchange francs for pounds. This was before we handled foreign currency.

The cashier was trying to explain that we couldn't do it when our very pompous manager butted in saying "I speak fluent French so I'll handle this". He then said very slowly & very loudly in English "We no bank we building society".

Well that cleared things up 🤦🏻‍♀️ they left looking totally bemused while the rest of us died of embarrassment.

My dad, when in Spain, shouts at everybody and sticks an 'o' at the end of everything - uno beero please-o 😂

@OldTinHat

My dad, when in Spain, shouts at everybody and sticks an 'o' at the end of everything - uno beero please-o 😂

That isn't funny. He sounds like a twat.

This is why I can never watch any of the Borat films

Me too! My daughter's the same. Just can't watch it. Same with the candid camera/gotcha stuff. It's so not funny and almost cruel. Wonder why some find it hilarious, yet I just can't bear to watch.

Anytime anyone on the Apprentice does a pitch! I physically can't watch some of them!

The Apprentice is excruciating. Watching them try and flog a new snack to a group of uncomfortable supermarket buyers.

Actual torture.

I understand you OP, even if I wouldn't feel particularly embarrassed in the situation you described. If something embarrassing happens to me I can usually laugh it off or rationalise it in my head, but when i witness it happening To someone else it bothers me more than it should. If I see someone make a faux pas I will replay it in my mind, probably long after they've stopped thinking about it themselves!

@Nandakanda

My friend went up to the ticket window in a French railway station and tried to buy a ticket speaking English in a French accent - seriously.

I have so many English speakers doing that in various countries... ideally speaking loudly on top of it.