In “This is Awkward” Alexandra Plakias explores the feeling and phenomena of awkwardness, studying social behavior. Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s Crashing is a British comedy limited series based around a group of building guardians. The show follows the complicated lives of the hospitals unique tenants and the interesting dynamics between them.
Plakias states that awkwardness arises from the breakdown of ‘social scripts.’ People rely on these ‘scrips’ as a ‘significant source of social guidance.’ When these ‘scripts’ are ‘absent or unclear’ situations become more complicated and ‘we have to improvise the speed of social interaction.’ Crashing leans into these scriptless moments, the series allows its audience to observe how characters react to the breakdown of social convention and watch as they humorously try and cope without these ‘scripts’. The shows whole premise sets up for awkwardness. The characters have to negotiate communal living and lack of privacy and personal boundaries that comes with that. Their unconventional living situation also results in unique relationship strains and tensions due to their close ‘proxemics.’ Where the series thrives is during ensemble scenes. With Waller-Bridge’s relatable comedy and the casts full committed characterization, scenes where all the main characters clash are the most memorable. ‘Awkwardness can be the result of novel or unfamiliar social situations, but it also arises in the course of relatively mundane activities.’ The series utilizes the socially difficult but realistic social scenario of a dinner party. A dinner party comes with a lot of different hidden social rules like table manners and off the table conversation topics. The characters in Crashing break all of these rules, they discuss ‘awkward topics like relationship issues, mental health, and sex,’ Waller-Bridge’s character drinks far too much wine and the scene ends with the food all over the floor and the guests. We see characters discuss social norms and struggle when encouraged to go against them. During a discussion about what accents are acceptable to imitate, a character is peer pressured into breaking the social ‘script’ and imitate a Indian accent, which is generally believed as a racially charged act. The character is distressed by going against the social ‘script’ she usually follows and the whole group is left with a feeling of awkwardness. By making all of these social faux pas, the characters go against the social ‘script’ of the mundane situation and things get awkward.’ However the creators encourage us as an audience to find humor within the awkwardness of ‘everyday life.’ Crashing explores complex social dynamics whilst dramatizing the phenomena of awkwardness.
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=3675875212466934
Crashing (Phoebe Waller-Bridge, UK, 2016)
Alexandra Plakias, “This is Awkward,” A Theory of Awkwardness (Oxford: Oxford University, 2024), 7-37.
This scene is awkward both because of the accent itself, and the deviation from the social script of censorship. In the standard following of a script, this accent would be considered racist and moved on from. The double downing on the Indian accent that the other members of the party participate in alleviates the awkwardness of Lulu being called out, but it returns with the accent being decidedly racist in the end. It is obvious that the agitation with the accent comes from a deeper unspoken reason.