What's your guilty pleasure?
There is a huge difference between TV shows that tried something grand and failed, and those which didn't try hard enough and are seemingly unaware that they're simply bad. Nonetheless, both examples could easily be someone's guilty pleasure.
It's interesting to think that when we talk about guilty pleasures we usually mean consuming food or questionable culture. Many things have changed since the XVIII Century, when the phrase 'guilty pleasure' was created to describe actual transgression against established moral codes. Still today, the pleasure would fade quickly but the guilt would not!
Especially if we're talking about that second piece of chocolate cake.
The question is: does the pleasure cause the guilt? Or does it actually come from it?
To answer this pungent matter I would like to come clean and relate the topic to a guilty pleasure of mine. The Kardashians.
I can see your faces in disbelief. Don't flip your desk, just stick with me for now. Okay?
So, we can all agree that 'Keeping up with the Kardashians' is not trying at all to be good and yet generates more spin-offs than bunnies. Would I still watch it if it wasn't bad? Probably not. Real stories that end up on TV tend to have at least something to tell, and I much prefer politically incorrect jokes that should never be told in real life.
Oh wait, I forgot about Honey Boo-Boo.
Maybe my guilt comes from the fact that I am not feeling any guilt watching it. I know it's socially criticised and that its intrinsic value is low, that's why I tend not to mention this 'guilty pleasure' of mine too often. But I always thought that if you took one still shot from it, and judged purely the image, you would be left with an aesthetically pleasing shot. Despite being a parade of luxury and gossip.
My feeling of guilt mainly comes from the social stigma upon the Kardashians, and from the tears shed by my diploma hung on the wall.
Still didn't stop me from watching 13 + seasons of Kardashians.
I felt a similar love-hate relationship with some music decades. The 80's in particular. The very cheesy songs that are never gonna to let you down. Never gonna run around and desert you. And one day from musical guilty pleasure they became one of my official favourite kinds of music. It's like the guilt was only caused by my liking it, not by the music itself. I simply embraced it!
Don't worry, it won't happen with the Kardashians. That's where I set the limit.
Image: via
It's interesting to think that when we talk about guilty pleasures we usually mean consuming food or questionable culture. Many things have changed since the XVIII Century, when the phrase 'guilty pleasure' was created to describe actual transgression against established moral codes. Still today, the pleasure would fade quickly but the guilt would not!
Especially if we're talking about that second piece of chocolate cake.
The question is: does the pleasure cause the guilt? Or does it actually come from it?
To answer this pungent matter I would like to come clean and relate the topic to a guilty pleasure of mine. The Kardashians.
I can see your faces in disbelief. Don't flip your desk, just stick with me for now. Okay?
So, we can all agree that 'Keeping up with the Kardashians' is not trying at all to be good and yet generates more spin-offs than bunnies. Would I still watch it if it wasn't bad? Probably not. Real stories that end up on TV tend to have at least something to tell, and I much prefer politically incorrect jokes that should never be told in real life.
Oh wait, I forgot about Honey Boo-Boo.
Maybe my guilt comes from the fact that I am not feeling any guilt watching it. I know it's socially criticised and that its intrinsic value is low, that's why I tend not to mention this 'guilty pleasure' of mine too often. But I always thought that if you took one still shot from it, and judged purely the image, you would be left with an aesthetically pleasing shot. Despite being a parade of luxury and gossip.
My feeling of guilt mainly comes from the social stigma upon the Kardashians, and from the tears shed by my diploma hung on the wall.
Still didn't stop me from watching 13 + seasons of Kardashians.
I felt a similar love-hate relationship with some music decades. The 80's in particular. The very cheesy songs that are never gonna to let you down. Never gonna run around and desert you. And one day from musical guilty pleasure they became one of my official favourite kinds of music. It's like the guilt was only caused by my liking it, not by the music itself. I simply embraced it!
Don't worry, it won't happen with the Kardashians. That's where I set the limit.
Image: via
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