A guilty pleasure is defined as something that one enjoys
despite knowing that he or she might be ridiculed for their enjoyment.
Sometimes it is something that people might think someone shouldn’t like it
because its 1) so bad it isn’t worth it or 2) someone is “too old” for it or
it’s considered for children. In the words of British actor Tom Hiddleston, “What’s
my guilty pleasure? The thing is I never feel guilty for my pleasures.” I don’t
like calling a few of my pleasures guilty ones because I don’t feel guilty
enjoying them. However, the following TV shows, music, movies, and books would
probably fall into this category in which I have chosen three.
TV shows can be the most popular within the guilty pleasure
category. First, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, and it’s spin off,
The Equestria Girls. I started watching this program with my, then 3-year-old,
daughter, and now I enjoy watching it as much as she does, sometimes more. It’s
fun and engaging with life lessons about embracing our differences as the spice
of life and being friends. It is currently in its ninth and final season.
Second, Catfish (2012-present) is a MTV show based on the 2010
documentary of the same name. The show follows hosts, Nev Schulman and Max
Joseph, as they help individuals confront others who catfished them. Catfishing
is when a person creates a fake personal profile on social media sites, usually
using fake pictures and false biographical information. The intention for the
catfisher is usually to trick an unsuspecting person into falling love or have
some form of online relationship with no physical contact. I usually don’t
watch a lot of reality tv, but this show captured my attention and I couldn’t
help but watch. I was always interested in how people were fooled, what tipped
them off that something wasn’t right and how they end up confronting the
individual in real life. Viewers can usually learn what not to do when it comes
to online contact and signs to be weary of. Third, I love the TLC reality
shows, Say Yes to the Dress and Say Yes to the Dress: Atlanta.
The drama surrounding weddings is inevitable and its fun to see who causes
what. And they usually have a tear-jerking, heart tugging, survival against all
odds stories too.
When most people think of guilty pleasures, I think they
think of music. Sometimes we like music we probably feel we should not be
listening to or even like because it is beyond our age demographic or it isn’t
our usual genres. However, a great song is still a great song. First, I love
listening to Miley Cyrus’ Wrecking Ball (2013). Disturbing video aside,
the song is quite catchy and relates to a relationship falling apart. Even
though the song specifically references a romantic relationship, I think that the
deterioration of some friendships can relate to the song. Two lyrics stand out
to me, “Don’t you even say I just walked away” and “I never meant to start a
war.” Second, Eminem’s Lose Yourself from the 2002 movie, 8 Mile.
The song won the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 2003 and it’s the
first (and possibly only) rap song to do so. While I’m not a big rap fan, and
I’ve read online that some people don’t even consider this song rap, I enjoy
the rhythms of the song. As well as its message of never giving up, never
letting an opportunity to follow your dream pass by. Third, Wake Me Up
Before you Go Go by Wham! Was a hit in 1984. Although I was only 4 years
old when the song was released, it is one of my favorite 80s songs. I will
always crank it up and sing along when it comes on the radio, which is quite
often considering the stations I listen to in the car. I never get tired of
hearing it.
Movies are often a common guilty pleasure too. Movies
usually so bad that most people wouldn’t give it another thought. First, I love
the Fantastic Four (2005) and Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver
Surfer (2007). I love Chris Evans as Johnny Storm. He was funny, sarcastic
and the banter between Johnny and Ben Grimm (played by Michael Chiklis) is
great. While the movies themselves are campy and overall poorly done, I have a
special place in my heart for Rise of the Silver Surfer as it was the
movie my husband and I saw on our first date. Second, Never Been Kissed (1999)
is one of my favorite Drew Barrymore movies. I could relate to her character,
Josie, although I wasn’t as socially awkward as she was, I can relate to being
smart and not really a part of the popular crowd. And I didn’t receive my first
kiss until I was in my late 20s (and it was special that I wouldn’t want it any
other way. I love the song, The Beach Boys’ 1964 Don’t Worry Baby, which
plays as Josie receives her first kiss on the baseball diamond. Third, Nacho
Libre (2006) is a corny comedy which my husband introduced me too when we
were dating. Jack Black plays Ignacio aka Nacho, a man who was orphaned as a
boy and becomes a monk at the orphanage. He gets the idea to wrestle as a
masked luchador in order to buy better food and other provisions for the orphans.
It is a fun nonsense movie to watch for pure entertainment. It has mild rude
humor with wrestling action/violence but there is no excessive cussing, if
there is cussing at all.
Normally books are not a guilty pleasure for me. However,
there is one series that is so outside of the usual books I read that its fun
to call it a guilty pleasure and a little forbidden. It is the Highland Series
by Karen Marie Moning. It is a series of 8 books, although I have only read 7
of them. I stopped reading the series after the 7th book when I felt
the quality of the author’s writing had fallen. The books are a mixture of
modern, historical, and mythological. It figures time travel, magic, dangerous
fairies and, of course, erotic love scenes. The characters are typical for
romance novels. The handsome hunky hero and the sassy heroine who resists the
hero’s advances until she can’t anymore. The Scottish Highlands has become a
very popular setting for romance novels. Some authors use the setting well and
others use it because it’s popular. Ms. Moning using the Highlands mystic and
the Celtic culture and imagery to her advantage and does it well. This series
remains one of my favorites. Books that I can keep up for a fast read to kill
time or just to get a fix of the fantastical.
In conclusion, I enjoy all the TV shows, music, movies and
books without any real guilty. They are a fun way to sit back and be
entertained. Honestly, we shouldn’t feel guilty for the things we enjoy. I
don’t like watching TV shows or movies or listen to music or read a book
similar because it’s popular. Sometimes the hidden gems are in the ones that
most people would reject. We never too old to enjoy children’s tv or movies. If
we are entertained by TV shows, movies, music and even books, who’s to say we
must feel guilty? What are some your “guilty pleasures”?
No comments:
Post a Comment