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Guilty Pleasures
The other day, I found myself watching the movie "My Baby is Missing" on the Lifetime channel. The script was bad and the acting was worse, but somehow it was just intriguing enough that I sat on the edge of my bed, procrastinating leaving home while I watched the melodrama.
In the first five minutes, I knew that the woman who was pretending to be a nurse was an imposter, that the new mother would discover the conspiracy that involved the imposter taking the newborn and selling the baby girl to unwitting (but willing) adoptive parents. It was obvious that the single mother and the baby's daddy would reunite, find the baby and that the bad guys would get caught-- all within two hours, including commercials.
And yet, I stayed to watch the show, even while cringing at the lack of acting. What's worse--even when I dragged myself away so I could actually get back to my real life, I recorded the movie so I could watch the conclusion later, which I did.
There are some shows I'm proud to say I watch. There are smart, funny shows like Lie to Me or Glee. There are cult favorites, like Grey's Anatomy or American Idol (at least until next year, sans Simon. Or Ellen.) But others are just guilty pleasures, and I bet you have them too.
These guilty pleasure shows are the ones you can't claim to just be watching because the TV was already on and you couldn't find the remote to change the channel. Like me, you may have even TiVo'd it in advance. Like you've never clicked over when you saw that one of the original episodes of Beverly Hills 90210 was on. Right. Sure.
It's the same with books for me. I'll tell you I read Andre Agassi's autobiography or Janet Evanovich's latest (and why she won't just choose Ranger already, I just don't know), but I probably won't tell you about my secret stash of Harlequins. Oops.
For me, and maybe for you, my guilty pleasures are pretty tame. I like my pleasure ratio to outweigh my guilt by a comfortable margin. And spending time with a TV show or a book that has a guaranteed happy ending, well, that's just the little lift I need to keep going during the day sometimes.
I've confessed mine: now it's your turn. What are some of your guilty pleasures?
Crazy Is My Life
Four kids, two schools, a bazillion sports, a messy house and 90,000 133,000 miles on my four five-year-old van. Need I say more?
Pamela appears Tuesdays on TriangleMom2Mom. Read more about Pamela on her blog Crazy is My Life.
Comments
First of all, I have a friend whose husband is addicted to those Lifetime movies. Seems like a chick thing to us, but it works for him somehow.
We already know that I am snobby about books. Sorry...it's mostly a matter of too many books, too little time.What I do consider guilty pleasures are books like Mennonite in a Little Black Dress, Bitter is the New Black and We're Just Like You, Only Prettier (and pretty much anything else Celia Rivenbark writes).These books require no commitment...not into serious commitments these days...because each chapter is a separate story or vignette. Not short stories. Don't like those. These are the books you can put in your purse and read in waiting rooms...or at long traffic lights (OK...you, behind me, you are now in the genteel, polite land of NC. Don't honk your horn at me! I just have to put my bookmark back in.)
I can be a little snobby about TV as well. I scan the on-screen guide for classic movies on Turner Classic Movies (no commercials) and set my DVR to record them. I rarely watch just whatever is on. But, recently I was sick and my day in bed coincided with a Law & Order marathon. We're talking original, SVU AND Criminal Intent. I have recently learned that there is ALWAYS a Law & Order marathon going on. So I DVR all of them (setting my DVR with a max of 20 episodes per series) and know that I can indulge this guilty pleasure anytime I want.
And here's the big one...The Real Housewives of New Jersey. I feel like I know them! I mean, I detest Danielle like everyone else, but when Kim G. told people something Danielle told her in confidence I was appalled. I gawk at the conspicuous consumption of Teresa's baby's Christening Party...which clearly cost at least 50 times what my wedding cost...but I secretly love her over-the-top-ness and her absolute guiltlessness about it!
Come on...I know there are more of you out there...let's hear it!
Okay, okay, a couple of years ago I watched an entire season of Bret Michaels Rock of Love. Happy?
Di---good ones. Yes, lilybug-- I'm happy. Bret Michaels?
My guilty pleasure is surfing stamping blogs. The time I spend looking at the blogs I could be actually stamping and making cards with all the products I have bought that I complain about not using!! How crazy is that?? And now it looks like I'll be adding Pamela's blog, but at least it's not a stamping blog. lol
Hey, Debbie_B-- When you surf the stamping blogs, you probably never know what creative ideas your brain is picking up that you'll implement later. I'm sure my blog will serve the same purpose. On the other hand, it may give your brain a much needed rest! :) Thanks for reading.
Judge Judy. I love the way she has no time for lazy, deadbeat people.
Mine is the Bachelor/Bacherlorette. Not only have I watched every season, I even read the blogs to find out the spoilers.
I pretty much am a reality TV junkie, but I like to tell myself that the other shows, Survivor, American Idol and Wife Swap, are socially acceptable. There is no way I can make that claim about the Bachelorette, ROFL. And you know, I might be fooling myself about Wife Swap also.
I like these shows cuz I always feel very normal and sane after watching them, LOL. They make me feel good about myself cuz everyone on them is crazy.
And Lillybug, I second Pamela, Brett Michaels? LOL!
HAHA yes, I have no defense on that one. But I did stop watching the season they changed the whole setting to the tour bus. Do I get credit for that?
Yes, you get a little bit of credit, but not a whole lot, ROFL.
I forgot to add that breakfasts from Waffle House are another guilty pleasure. I wait until my husband takes the kids to school, then sneak to Waffle House for a greasy breakfast by myself while reading the paper and then head home. And no one ever knows....
Oh...this might top them all. I naturally watch Glee...of course just to spend more quality time with my daughter. But I am actually "friends" with all the characters on Facebook. Their occasional statuses are LOL funny.
OK Di, the fact that you are friends with the characters on FB puts in the front runner position in my book. But just slightly ahead of Lilly Bug and her Rock of Love Obsession.