What's a word for something like embarrasingly silly or amusing, especially in a nostalgic way? Like when you look back at the 80s and think how silly it was. Or better yet, a word that describes when something's easy to make fun off.

well, frivolous could be a good word.. but not nostalgia specifically.

absurd

rediculous

Hmm, you're getting the idea I think. Frivolous implies unimportance though, which I'm not necessarily trying to imply. The others aren't right either. 'Amusing' might work fine, actually. Oh maybe 'laughable,' in the way that it means embarrassing. Does that sound like what I mean? Unless anyone has any other ideas, I think I'll go with that. Thanks for the help, Sher.

jejune, puerile

Nah, not childish. It's not necessarily negative. Thanks, though.

How about spoony?

1. Enamored in a silly or sentimental way.
2. Feebly sentimental; gushy.

'Spoony' is more to do with sloppy romance, isn't it?

I remember seeing a Victorian cartoon (an old 'Punch' one) the hilarious point of which was that 'a spoon' could also mean 'a boyfriend'.

How about 'corny'?

Yes, 'corny' is better.

'Risible'?

comical, absurd, ludicrous (I am thinking of Bob Laz's 1970s wardrobe)

Ah, corny works pretty well. And risible is good. I think that's the closest. But they aren't good enough to dettach me from 'laughable.' Even though I think risible got the same idea. Thanks for the excellent help, guys.

I trot out ridiculous at times like that.

But it fails to meet the requirement:

quote:

embarrasingly silly or amusing ... especially in a nostalgic way ... a word that describes when something's easy to make fun off.

Ridiculous means a/c M.W. "rousing or deserving [mockery or laughter] : ABSURD, PREPOSTEROUS". The old definition (O.U.D.) includes as synonyms "exciting derisive laughter; comical; laughable".

But it misses the sense of nostalgia that you were looking for.

Maybe you're looking for a word that doesn't exist yet? You'll have to invent one. Like
- archesilly
- sentimawkish
- ludischmaltzy

(Please stop me, someone, before I do it again!)

Maybe ridiculous does work better than I thought, in the deserving laughter way. It might be able to get a sense of nostalgia if you talk about it looking back. I think the only problem when ridiculous is that it might throw people off, thinking it implies more negativity than I mean. And I like ludischmaltzy the most.

How about "cringeworthy"?

Yeah, that would work actually. Thanks, Colin. It's tough to pick the best sounding one now.