Class, please open your self-yelp books to Chapter 7. Today, we’re going to talk about our dirty little secrets – those things that you hate to admit that you really like.
Get your minds out of the gutters, kids. I’m talking about guilty pleasures.
I’m sure you’ve been there.
via someecards.com
A Miley Cyrus song comes on the radio. If you were alone, you’d sing along into your hairbrush without a second thought. Instead, you sheepishly admit to your friend, “I hate to admit it, but I kind of like this song.”
You go to a Lionel Richie concert by yourself because you can’t find another soul in a fifty-mile radius to admit that they are also a fan of the genius behind “Hello.”
The conversation turns to television. You talk about Mad Men, Breaking Bad, Downton Abbey, and all of those other shows that it’s culturally acceptable to love. You secretly wish that someone would bring up Paradise Hotel so that you could discuss how obsessed you were with that show back in the day.
It’s Oscar season. You want to go watch the serious movies nominated for Best Picture, but instead you find yourself parked in front of the television watching Zoolander for the umpteenth time. You follow that up with a double feature of Daffy Duck movies that are airing on one of your thirty-seven HBO channels.
You’ve got a stack of serious novels piled up on your nightstand that you can’t seem to find time for, but you have no problem setting aside four hours to read the latest popular young adult novel in its entirety the day it comes out.
You write a blog about your dog. When it comes up in conversation, you comment that you’re “kind of a dork” and try to change the subject.
(Full disclosure: the examples above are drawn from the real-life experiences of your instructor. I like romantic comedies, 90210, and the Sookie Stackhouse novels too.)
Someone asks you what you did last night. Do you admit to watching cartoons or having a dance party in your kitchen to the Coyote Ugly soundtrack? Society teaches us that guilty pleasures are something to be ashamed of. Something to apologize for. What’s a gal (or guy) to do?
After observing the habits of my canine life coaches, I finally hit upon the solution. Get rid of those guilty pleasures. Kiss them goodbye.
Now, before you think I’m channeling my inner Tim Gunn to express concern about your taste level, let me explain. We label things as “guilty pleasures” because we feel as though it’s not okay for us to like them. You know who doesn’t have any guilty pleasures? My dogs. They don’t think of things that way. They enjoy what they enjoy – be it following a sunbeam around and napping all afternoon or rolling around in something stinky outside. It’s just a pleasure, and they don’t feel bad about it at all.
Bella enjoys rolling around on her back & admiring portraits of herself.
So, how can you really get rid of your guilty pleasures? Channel your inner pooch and stop feeling so damn guilty about them. A pleasure is a pleasure. There’s no reason to feel bad about it. You like what you like, and you should feel comfortable loving those things wholeheartedly. No apology needed.
I’m an unapologetic goofball, but it’s only been in the past few months that I’ve really come to terms with this whole guilty pleasure situation. If you asked me to list my guilty pleasures, I’d tell you that I don’t have any. I like what I like, and I don’t feel guilty about it at all – not even all the puns. (Especially not the puns.)
I’ll let you in on a little secret – it’s a pretty fun way to live.
Class dismissed.
I will never admit to liking a Miley Cyrus song because that will never happen.
And plenty of YA is better than most of the “serious” s**t published today. Have you ever tried to read Gravity’s Rainbow? DON’T. Stick with Divergent (or Harry Potter.)
As for guilt– you’re right. Give it up. It’s destructive and a denial of your inner self. And even if your inner self proudly wears an “I Refuse To Grow Up” button, let the world see it. Because your authentic self is WAY better than your pretentious self (“Have you read the latest Man Booker prize-winner?”) could be.
one person’s view recently posted..The Pet Blogger Challenge – 2014 Edition
That first part sounds a little Judgy Bear-esque… but I’ll let it slide this time and just secretly hope you one day love a song and then later discover it’s by Miley. If the universe has a sense of humor, that’s totally what’s going to happen. 😉
Also, my authentic self is a weird mishmash of Peter Pan and serious scholar. I like to keep people guessing.
I WILL read Gravity’s Rainbow. I will. Even if it kills me. Grrrr.
Kristine recently posted..Reactive Dog is Reactive, and Kind of an Ass
I knew there were reasons I adored you, and this is one of them! Come to Las Vegas so we can eat pints of ice cream together and go do something that scares us!
houndstooth recently posted..A Winter Adventure
That would be lovely!
LOL! Thanks for the giggles.
Funny enough, my friend Kellie has recommended Paradise Hotel to me. I just haven’t had a chance to watch it yet. 🙂
melf recently posted..Black and White Sunday #72 – Dog Park Patrons
It’s ridiculous and wonderful. A few of my friends and I were obsessed.
OBSESSED. 😉
Yay for guilty pleasures, like cat naps, Sun puddles and blanket caves. 🙂
chris recently posted..Pet Product Reviews: Da Bird Cat Toy
Love, love, love this post 🙂
Sue recently posted..Berry Good Dog Treat Recipe | Tasty Tuesday
True, you humans are always hiding things for fear of what others will think. Who cares, do what makes you happy, it doesn’t matter what others think.
emma recently posted..A Dog, A Cat, and Uh Oh, Wabbit What? | GBGV | Tasty Tuesday
Great post! My girls never feel bad about eating one more treat, or their favorite guilty pleasures of rolling in smelly things and eating cat poo – they continue to do it all without a second thought!
Tori recently posted..Liebster Award!
I love this post AJ. I need to stop making apologies for things I love!
Jodi recently posted..My Dog is a Giant Ass Clown
Love this post! I am starting to learn to just not care about the little stuff anymore- meaning, not sweat the small stuff! Life is just too short not to enjoy another scoop of pb right from the jar. I don’t want to regret not enjoying anything later in life! And my ‘guilty’ pleasure- watching the Bachelor. It is so bad, I basically make fun of everything the whole time with Matt laughs.
Krista @ Tiny n Fit recently posted..Snow Ice Cream
Yay for the over-dramatic Bachelor! Hahaha! it fills the void left by Dancing With the Stars! : )
M. K. Clinton recently posted..May I Have The Envelope Please?
Oh, yes… there’s nothing better than watching bad TV and making fun of it. 🙂
Young adult novels are awesome. I admit I felt guilty for spending my Christmas holidays reading the Divergent series but you have helped me get over this.
Maybe one day I will also get over my guilt for loving Britney Spears’ “Toxic” but I am unsure…
Kristine recently posted..Reactive Dog is Reactive, and Kind of an Ass
Considering my love for the Divergent series, I deem this an excellent way to spend the holidays. (The movie comes out next month… eek!)
I’m a Britney fan. Embrace your “Toxic” love. 😉
Vote # 3 here for Toxic!
Jen K recently posted..What To Do If You Get Bit by a Strange Dog
So, what you’re saying is, I can eat those candies the geese leave for me in the field and NOT feel guilty? Yahoo! Finally!
Love and licks,
Cupcake
I gave up guilt a few years ago. If it feels good and makes you happy, do it! Thanks for a great post and laugh!
M. K. Clinton recently posted..May I Have The Envelope Please?
Yup, enjoy those pleasures as they come! We like “the walking dead” and “shameless” right now and are watching the series “Bomb Girls” on netflix!
Ryker recently posted..What do you have planned for St. Valentine’s Day?
All of the guilty pleasures you mentioned are quite popular. So obviously many of us share the same ones
jan recently posted..It’s called skeleton…
Fantastic post! I’m over here on the other side of the computer screen nodding my head saying, “I do that!” (of course, I’m not saying which! Okay…I sing to Miley’s songs…I do. They’re catchy!) I love it…be more like my dogs and not worry about guilty pleasure. Got it! Love it!
FiveSibesMom recently posted..A Word About Woolies…
Some of her songs are insanely catchy – I just can’t help myself.
It’s very true!!
Love this! Definitely guilty of brushing off the dog blogging as a nerdy-boredom-endeavour or not talking about it at all. And I was just having a conversation with a friend about that moment you’re signing along to a catchy top 40 song on the radio and then the DJ says who it is and you’re suddenly filled with deep shame.
My TV preferences, however, probably should be shameful. Sure, I like the stuff I’m supposed to on HBO and Showcase, and socially acceptable sitcoms like New Girl, but I also have a hearty affliction for bad reality TV. So what if I’m looking forward to the next season of Survivor? I don’t feel guilty about it… but maybe I should?
One thing I refuse EVER to feel guilty about is the dumb stuff women are saddled with due to ridiculous stereotypes and expectations of gender.
Example:
If someone puts cookies in the kitchen at work, I am not going to stand around musing over how it will “go straight to my hips” or “these are calorie-free right? ha-ha” or break one in half because “I’ve been ‘good’ all week” or “deserve a treat”. That’s all some major horse-manure if you ask me. If you want a cookie, eat a damn cookie. I will. If you don’t want one, don’t. But there’s no reason that should be an emotional decision – or even an out-loud justified decision – at all. Drives me crazy.
I have a similar rant on clothing choices.
Jen K recently posted..What To Do If You Get Bit by a Strange Dog
Amen! I second that rant.
Oooh, I’ve been schooled. 🙂
So I don’t have to feel bad about liking comic books? And not just the smart ones but fascistic Frank Miller and Batman?
And I’m allowed to admit that I adore the Vacation movies?
And that I’d rather eat tater tots than lobster? And that I love Big Macs. And that I read and reread the James Herriot stories.
What hath Pup Fan wrought? 🙂
Pamela recently posted..Don’t Take Your Dog Personally
I would worry about you if you didn’t like the Vacation movies. Especially the original and the Christmas one. 😉