There are some things that you just wouldn’t want to admit to doing, but when in the privacy of your home … boy do you indulge. Such things are known as guilty pleasures, because you’d hate anyone to find out that you like them. But we all have our secrets …
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‘Ah … the guilty pleasure that is Supertramp’ ran one comment on Youtube. Quite. I love Supertramp! Though there aren't many people I'd admit it to … ahem, can I edit this post?
Jeremy Kyle (for the Brits) and Jerry Springer (in the US). What’s wrong with kicking back and watching some totally undemanding, non-intellectual TV once in a while? I’m all for education, but I don’t want to be preached at all the time. Sometimes I want to relax and watch something fun.
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I would never, ever buy one. But I love the chance to flick through a celebrity magazine. Never would I be desperate enough to read 'Hello' though – even a practitioner of guilty pleasures must have some standards …
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Now I consider this a dietary essential, but there are people who, for some strange reason, feel guilty about eating it. So I'm including it for their benefit, although I think it’s better to just relax and enjoy …
This is one guilty pleasure that shouldn't be abused. Use in extreme moderation, and make sure that you can't be caught. If you've called your boss and explained that you can't come in because you've got a contagious ailment or your granny passed away, you're going to look a little bit mendacious if said boss then spots you on live TV, in the stadium, watching a game, in the company of both grannies …
Photo Credit: Tattooed JJ
Yes yes, we all know about balanced food groups and eating our five a day. Sometimes, though, you just can't be bothered to cook. Or maybe you just fancy eating pizza with your feet up in front of the TV. So go ahead and eat that junk food. I won’t tell on you.
Oh, the joy of a bad horror movie! I love films where you can comment all the way through because you know exactly what’s going to happen. That’s the fun of it – seeing how they observe all the conventions. I like a serious film too, but sometimes I just want to be entertained by something that wasn’t good enough to bother a cinema screen.
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So the romance novels will never win any literary prizes. What’s wrong with reading something daft and formulaic? To balance the guilt, simply borrow from the library (in disguise).
Perhaps the guiltiest of all pleasures, we’re just not supposed to do it. But who can honestly say they haven’t made a catty comment about another woman, laughed at the misfortunes of celebrities they dislike, or generally been rather politically incorrect?
So which guilty pleasures will you confess to? I’m sure there are many more than those on this short list …
Top Photo Credit: Gabriela Camerotti