Impractical Jokers: Most Cringeworthy Punishments, Ranked

Ever since debuting nearly a decade ago in 2011, truTV’s Impractical Jokers has become the network’s flagship series. Blending improv comedy with the format of a hidden camera prank show, the series is refreshingly simple and accessible, each episode managing to land at least a couple of genuine belly laughs from the absurdity of it all.

The show’s lighthearted brand of cringe comedy has always been the selling point, a constant that is always on display best in each episode’s closing “punishment” segment. When the episode’s scores are added up and a loser is revealed, the other Jokers get the pleasure of tormenting the loser for our comedic delight. Here are the 10 cringe-iest punishments in the series thus far.

10 “It’s An Exposè”

Joe is notoriously hard to punish due to his lack of shame and general good-natured energy. However, his fellow Jokers were able to get the de-facto leader when they forced him to play the role of a reporter doing an exposè on a biker gang who insist they are not a gang.

The bikers look less than amused by the unbearably stupid line of questions that Joe is forced to ask them, his only excuse for himself being an insistence that “it’s an exposè,” before following it up with an even dumber question. It ends with a grown man getting a wedgie, which is cringy enough to end up on the list.

9 Sal Goes Golfing

Many of Sal’s punishments revolve around putting him in the most socially awkward situations conceivable and letting his many neuroses take over from there. One such punishment involved the three men making Sal sabotage a number of golf rounds at a prestigious course filled with elderly wealthy people looking to hit a ball around in peace.

Sal’s antics are as hard to watch as they are hilarious, namely when he is told to dump a whole bucket of golf balls on the green, while an angry and confused party of golfers protest.

8 Sal Cowell

Once again, Sal Vulcano is put in a sweat-inducing scenario made worse by the fact that there are children involved. Sal is told to participate in a talent show for kids as the mean judge.

Though the children were in on the joke, the audience of uncomfortable parents and relatives are not, leading to some seriously cringy moments where Sal must insult the kids and deride their talents, all while insisting to an invisible staff member that he has grown impatient waiting for an order of chicken wings.

7 Murr The Cigarette Bandit

If you’ve ever known a heavy smoker, you will know that going up to them and knocking a cigarette out of their hand mid-smoke is a surefire way to ensure confrontation. That’s exactly what Murr must do in this punishment.

Essentially, all Murr has to do is walk up to people who are smoking and take the thing right out of their hands. The immediate awkwardness of the concept is pushed to its limits as people begin to grow angry with the bald lung crusader.

6 A Toast From The Worst Man

Constantly finding new ways to embarrass the hell out of Sal, this punishment was a stroke of cruel genius. Utilizing the universally relatable awkwardness of a wedding toast from a stranger, Sal is forced to read a pre-written toast to a couple, the only people in the room that know what’s up.

Soon the endearing tension gives way to genuine mass confusion and frustration as Sal stumbles his way through a series of bad jokes and even worse puns. It is horrendous to watch fall apart in real-time.

5 Murr Takes A Dive

This classic punishment is only as cringey as it is because of Murr’s crippling fear of heights. One man’s reward is another man’s punishment, as a sobbing and trembling Murr is taken up thousands of feet in an airplane to skydive.

The sheer terror on the man’s face is what makes this such a memorable punishment, as well as the hilarious footage of his wailing on his plummet to earth. Of course, Murr’s descent would go on to be immortalized on his own body with the equally infamous tattoo punishment.

4 Q Is That Dad

Q is often made to make himself out to be a complete ass in front of crowds. Naturally, that template leads to some seriously unbearable situations over the run of the show. One of the best/worst examples came when Q was ordered to pretend he had a daughter in a little league softball game.

Of course, the next command was to be the dictionary definition of an obnoxiously overcritical father in front of the fellow parents. Soon, an entire army of moms and dads are shaming Q and running him out of the park. Oof.

3 Just Say ‘No’

Only slightly worse than the previous entry was when Q was given the simple task of saying nothing except the word “no.” He was then sent out into a large baseball stadium, center field, to receive his punishment. A beautiful woman approaches, the jumbotron focusing on her radiant face. She proclaims her love for Q before asking him to marry her. And all he can say is “no.”

The attending crowd can’t seem to believe their eyes and ears, which only worsens as Q is forced to insist that he does not want to marry the woman, who storms off in tears leaving him to stew in his humiliation.

2 “Bingo!”

One thing to take away from this punishment is that some people really take their Bingo seriously. Like many of the best segments, the comedic genius of this punishment lies in its simplicity. All Sal must do is repeatedly call out “Bingo!” until the room of chain-smoking Bingo players revolt completely.

Sal’s shrinking violet demeanor throughout is what sells the scene. The tension is palpable as Sal continues halting the game until security hauls him out. One of the funniest and horrifying moments in the entire show.

1 Art Class Saboteur

There is no doubt that the single most cringe-inducing punishment ever served on the show combined all the elements of the show into one evil cocktail.  Q, posing as the instructor of a parent-child painting class, must work his way around the room consisting of eight pairs and paint a huge red ‘X’ on each canvas.

The sheer slow pace and air-sucking silence of the affair make it almost too hard to watch more than once, and it marks the most uncomfortable Q has ever been on the show.

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