Walk of shame

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The walk of shame refers to a phenomenon in which a person must walk past strangers or peers for an embarrassing reason before reaching a place of privacy. Most commonly, it occurs the morning after a night out at a bar, dance club, or party. People undertaking the walk of shame are understood to have spent the night at the house, apartment, or dorm of a sexual partner (or perceived sexual partner), particularly a one night stand. Due to this, he or she can be recognized by the fact that he or she is still wearing the clothes that he or she wore the night before, has disheveled "bed head" hair or "sex hair." He or she may also smell like cigarettes and/or alcohol, and may suffer from a hangover due to excessive alcohol or drug intake from the previous night. A woman might have smudged makeup on her face.

In the television programs The Weakest Link and Survivor, the walk of shame is the walk from the podium or Tribal Council, to an area offstage, where the contestant gives his or her final thoughts.

In football (soccer), the walk of shame refers to when a player gets a red card, which is a suspension of the game. The walk they take off the field and out of the stadium is referred to the walk of shame due to the embarrassment they must endure as they are banned from the game.

[edit] See also

Perp walk

[edit] Further reading

The walk of shame. Regretful Morning (2008). — We laugh at your misfortune.
Widboom, Nate. "The walk of shame", The Badger Herald, 2004-04-14. — Widboom describes the hairstyles and etiquette of the Walk of Shame.
Robin Anderton and Jay Desario (2005-10-25). The Walk of Shame : A Survival Guide. Chamberlain Bros. ISBN 1-59609-047-2.
Lube. "Walk of shame no longer embarrasses; embrace morning-after", Independent Florida Alligator, 2005-09-01. — Lube asserts that the phrase is a "misnomer" because "shame is so rarely involved".
Rice, Kate. "The Wednesday Hump: Strutting With Pride: The Walk of Shame Need Not Be So Shameful", Daily Nexus, 2004-05-19. — Rice provides tips on how to avoid appearing as if one is on the walk of shame, but concludes by asserting that there is nothing to be ashamed of, asking "What is so damn wrong with getting your freak on and waiting until morning to venture back home?".