Did you pick up on that? It was subtle but it was there. Poor Jason’s email got hacked, and as a consequence, he probably sent an email to celebrity hottie Olivia Munn by accident, the horror! This is what comedian and writer for Parks and Recreation, Harris Wittels calls, ‘false humility’. It allows the offender to boast his/her ‘achievements’ without any sense of shame or guilt.
From the, “It’s not a brag, I’m just complaining” humble brag to the, “this isn’t a brag I’m just being self-deprecating” humble brag, the universe is vast and the number of offenders, seemingly limitless. These offences are all brilliantly captured on one cheeky Twitter handle, @humblebrag, an account that has quickly amassed a following of nearly 60,000 people.
Full credit to my friend @TwitchieRich for turning me on to this. Last night the Sifter went through the @humblebrag feed and pulled together 50 of the funnier humble brags that met the criteria above. Be sure to follow @humblebrag for continued hilarity!
THE HUMBLE BRAG
What made you start it?
It was originally something I would just silently stew over. Then it became something I would joke around about. Then I was like, OK I’m just gonna do it. I was really worried about people getting mad about it, and I almost shut down the account on the first night. But, people have been really good sports about it, at least to my face. There’s also a chance I am widely hated.
What is particularly annoying about a humble brag?
I think bragging sucks, don’t get me wrong, but I get it. What I hate about a humble brag is that people try to come off like they aren’t bragging. It’s people not being honest about their intention. Just tell us you are at an exclusive party. Don’t hide it behind a complaint about your dress not fitting.
Why do you think so many people humbly brag?
That is a question I constantly ask myself after reading a really good humble brag. It’s people wanting other people to envy them. I have realized that people do most things so they can tell other people about it. It’s all validation.
What has been your favorite humble brag?
Actor LeVar Burton had my all time favorite. The tweet was “It’s a good night for natural light in LA” and then he posted a picture of his fireplace, but on the mantle above it were like 20 Emmy awards. A masterpiece! He did a follow-up one three days after Christmas where he tweeted “Stockings still hung…” and attached a picture of his family’s stockings all hung on his Emmys. That guy really seems to want us to know he won a bunch of Emmys for “Reading Rainbow.”
SOURCE: WALL STREET JOURNAL INTERVIEW WITH HARRIS WITTELS
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