“Mortified SF” by rick (CC BY 2.0)
For years, the Mortified stage show and podcast has brought people together from all walks of life to share their most painfully awkward teenage moments. The concept is simple -- participants open up their diaries to a packed theater and recount their most embarrassing stories, like a failed first kiss, an unrequited love, or a nightmarish prom date.
What would compel someone to reveal their past humiliations to a room full of strangers? Mortified founder Dave Nadelberg says the experience can be both cathartic and validating.