Friday 22 October 2010

Guilty Pleasures

For centuries, guilt and pleasure have been spoken in the same sentence. I know this may sound like an oxymoron, but human nature actually desires guilty pleasures whether they are hidden snacks in a closet or secretly fulfilled fantasies in a club bathroom. So, what makes something a guilty pleasure?

”A guilty pleasure is defined as something that would ruin us if our friends knew about it.”-MissKendy

A guilty pleasure focuses on this indulgence of something

that is detrimental to our health, well being, assets or all of the above. Then, because it is something we know we shouldn’t do or don’t need, we tend to hide or downplay our indulgence in front of the people we know, thus the guilt.

“A guilty pleasure is something you enjoy even though you know it’s bad for you.”-Stephen Wong

Pleasure is the other half of this idiom because it is something that either we enjoy or is an escape from our ‘normal life’. An enjoyable escape is a pleasure.

Guilty pleasures are the little things that make life feel just a wee b

it better. Of course, they're also the things you're not supposed to do or like. But, if these pleasures make us happy, what do we have to be guilty about? The indulgence or the inconsistency?

Sometimes a guilty pleasure can create a balance in your life to help keep you sane. At times, giving in to guilty pleasures without recourse may ruin elements of your life. With the former situation you can enjoy and escape with the pleasure, yet the coinciding guilt will act as a buffer to keep you sensible and in touch with reality. Take for instance, the person who indulges in a whole tub of ice cream or 3 double cheeseburgers because they are having a bad day. Is it healthy? Not at all. Do they do it every day? No! The guilt of this inconsistency of indulgence is what keeps them in check. In the latter situation of what a guilty pleasure can do to you; you can either be overcome by the guilt or by the pleasure and lose your soundness of mind.

There is an endless list of possibilities that could be guilty pleasures. Some, indulging in fattening desserts, lying around for a whole week doing nothing but sleeping, others, playing video games when you should be doing something more productive. Depending on an individual’s morals and standards, something that is a guilty pleasure for one might not be a guilty pleasure for another. However, the factors that define a guilty pleasure are as follows; anything that you enjoy and use as an escape from reality but that is unnecessary and possibly harmful to health, assets and/or well being.

They’re the things you shouldn't like, but like anyway. Something that you love to do, but you just cannot admit that you do it. A usually secretive, sick and twisted activity/hobby that someone does, and knows they shouldn't and feel downright ashamed for. Sadly, we all have them, including me.

Here’s a list of my top 10 guilty pleasures (Don't Judge Me):

1. Britney Spears- I would rock out to her any day, bald, va jay jay spread or carrying a python around her neck.

2. Lauren Conrad- I find here inspiring and want to read her Hollywood gossip books someday.

3. McDonalds Cheeseburgers when I'm lazy, running late, or just hungover.

4. Tween Novels: The Twilight Saga, and Harry Potter

5. Disney Movies, I’m such a sucker for them, but how can you blame me, fish that can sing, and hyenas that can dance, it doesn’t get better than that.

6. Pop Culture: I hate to admit it but I’m a sucker for Hollywood gossip. I’m always down for the juice! Plus it’s always nice to know they buy Cheetos and fast food like you too!

7. Dancing and Singing in front of the mirror, sometimes it’s ok to laugh at yourself when you pretend to be a rockstar!

8. Spending hours looking at celebrity street style, it inspires my wardrobe: Fav's Lindsay Lohan, Taylor Momsen, Nicole Richie, and the Olsen Twins.

9. Chick Flicks: Titanic is a classic as far as I’m concerned, perfect rainy day movie of all time, and I don’t mind a little Leo.

10. Being a complete dude: cracking open a cold beer and unbuckling my pants after a long day at work, who says ladies aren’t aloud to be a little vulgar??

I know trash television isn’t on my list but honestly I’m not a big fan of shows like Jersey Shore or Teen Mom, but I know a lot of you are…

I dished my dirt and I want to know about yours.

What are your guilty pleasures and do they really make you feel guilty for enjoying them? Share your favorite secrets!



-Inspiration from Buckytat-

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

i like cheese

Unknown said...

mmmm i die for cheese!!

Sara C. said...

Shopping... I'm so bad I regularly go shopping and leave my cart so I can get the feeling of shopping and not spend the money... that's me now and I have gotten MUCH better.

Also, I cry at nearly everything (like shows and books)

and I constantly make decisions based on making sure I do not become simple or commonplace.

Unknown said...

I think shopping is a guilty pleasure of every girl!! Mine is terrible too, especially online shopping.

I feel so silly when I cry at stupid stuff like watching someone win a cooking show!

Thanks for the input!