Guilty Pleasure?

I don't feel guilty in any pleasure I enjoy.

Having said that, I thoroughly enjoy Metal music. About 9 out of 10 people are rather shocked when I tell them and they immediately look at me different as if I'm a serial killer or something. It's really more of a shock factor I think, I'm generally in more ritzy social situations dressed up and look sharp. I'm not a typical metalhead...I don't color my hair, paint my nails (as some men do), don't have piercings or tattoos, don't wear typical clothes a metalhead would, etc. But then I soften the blow by telling them I really enjoy Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin.

Maybe I live a boring life, but I don't have anything that I would qualify as "guilty pleasures"

I like a wide variety of music, and have other interest, if I like it, I do it.

Speaking of music, I guess you'd say Trance. I have a ton of it and no one I know likes it. It more or less regarded as dumb or stupid "rave" music.

Their loss. More music for me!

Star Trek. But I can guess by my username that you all could guess that one.

Music: I Hate rap, but I like listening to eminem on rare occasion
Movies: I cried during the opening sequence of Disney's Tarzan.
Books: I enjoyed James Patterson's romance novels, "Suzanne's Diary for Nicolas" and "Sam's Letters to Jennifer"

I'm exposed now. Laugh.

Jazz and listening to NPR.

Jessica Lares said:

Jazz and listening to NPR.

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Why does that make you feel guilty?

Watching any movie with Mickey Rourke in it.

He's so nuts, with the hair, and the hats, and the goofy mannerisms...and I can't take my eyes off him.

Terrible...but there it is...

mobilehaathi said:

Why does that make you feel guilty?

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Because I'm 25.

Chuck Klosterman wrote an awesome sum up of what a Guilty Pleasure is in Killing Yourself to Live. It was something along the lines of, "a guilty pleasure is something you pretend to like ironically, but actually just like".

That resonated a lot with me, and so I make no bones about what I like anymore.

So I love my Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Dragon Ball Z, Twisted Sister songs from my youth, Gilmore Girls, the movie Blood Sport, the first 4 Rocky movies and Rambo, and a whole lot more. None of it is a guilty pleasure. Just things I like.

I think "guilty pleasure" is properly defined as liking something that is intellectually or culturally "uncool" - and yet that still achieves a level of excellence in its own right.

I guess my "guilty pleasures" include things like the music of Karen Carpenter and the novels of Bernard Cornwell. Nobody is going to mistake them for high art, or the height of arriviste fashion. But they are, IMHO, very well done, immensely enjoyable. And I don't give a hoot what other people think of them - since I can usually enjoy them on my own, without inflicting them on anyone else.

To restate this: Guilty Pleasures don't have to be hip. They do have to be good. This means its OK to like Steven King novels. But the Boondock Saints movies? They are just outright garbage.

Jessica Lares said:

Because I'm 25.

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I still fail to understand your logic here. Oh well.

mobilehaathi said:

I still fail to understand your logic here. Oh well.

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It's because NPR and jazz are, apparently, old fart stuff. Both require a modicum concentration not endemic to the "younger" crowd whose idea of an extended and analytical news story is anything beyond 140 characters, or 30 seconds, long.

And jazz requires one to actually listen and (gasp) sometimes even think.

Apparently the poster feels that most 25 year olds don't do that...

What does the premise of "guilty pleasures" mean anyway? Is that like taking pleasure in something that is illegal, or even immoral or maybe unhealthy?

Regardless, I've never thought of anything in my life in those terms. But I have a passion for good movies, great food and um, there is something else I think..... What is it? ........Hmmmmmmm..................... Oh! I remember now! I also like coffee. ☕

SandboxGeneral said:

What does the premise of "guilty pleasures" mean anyway?

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I’d say this user nailed it:

vrDrew said:

I think "guilty pleasure" is properly defined as liking something that is intellectually or culturally "uncool" - and yet that still achieves a level of excellence in its own right.

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SandboxGeneral said:

What does the premise of "guilty pleasures" mean anyway? Is that like taking pleasure in something that is illegal, or even immoral or maybe unhealthy?

Regardless, I've never thought of anything in my life in those terms. But I have a passion for good movies, great food and um, there is something else I think..... What is it? ........Hmmmmmmm..................... Oh! I remember now! I also like coffee. ☕

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See Post# 9 for a guilty pleasure. Mickey Rourke is so bad most folks avoid his stuff like the plague. If I had any taste at all...I would ,too. That's what makes it a guilty pleasure.

Shrink said:

It's because NPR and jazz are, apparently, old fart stuff. Both require a modicum concentration not endemic to the "younger" crowd whose idea of an extended and analytical news story is anything beyond 140 characters, or 30 seconds, long.

And jazz requires one to actually listen and (gasp) sometimes even think.

Apparently the poster feels that most 25 year olds don't do that...

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Sure, but why feel guilty about it? Most 25 year olds can sod off...

mobilehaathi said:

Sure, but why feel guilty about it? Most 25 year olds can sod off...

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Absolutely agree..

Now, I have every right to feel guilty (see post# 9).

D.T. said:

I’d say this user nailed it:

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Shrink said:

See Post# 9 for a guilty pleasure. Mickey Rourke is so bad most folks avoid his stuff like the plague. If I had any taste at all...I would ,too. That's what makes it a guilty pleasure.

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Well, in that case, I'd have to go with liking "geeky stuff." That, generally, isn't much of an issue around here on MR, but my friends and co-workers think I'm a dork for liking a bunch of science-fiction stuff.

Shrink said:

Absolutely agree..

Now, I have every right to feel guilty (see post# 9).

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Yes, well, Mickey Rourke........

You should feel most ashamed, indeed!

Mine would have to be listening to CarTalk. I have no idea what I get out of it, but I like listening to it. Currently have a back log of 300+ episodes to go through. That and reading Wikipedia in droves for hours on end (at work of course).

SandboxGeneral said:

What does the premise of "guilty pleasures" mean anyway? Is that like taking pleasure in something that is illegal, or even immoral or maybe unhealthy?

Regardless, I've never thought of anything in my life in those terms. But I have a passion for good movies, great food and um, there is something else I think..... What is it? ........Hmmmmmmm..................... Oh! I remember now! I also like coffee. ☕

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I've always interpreted it that "I love it, but I probably shouldn't" such as someone who's trying to lose weight eat a piece of cake. Or liking a particular artist / movie....so maybe there's some real buff biker out there with tattoos, piercings, and enjoys listening to Madonna when he's alone.

palmerc2 said:

I've always interpreted it that "I love it, but I probably shouldn't" such as someone who's trying to lose weight eat a piece of cake. Or liking a particular artist / movie....so maybe there's some real buff biker out there with tattoos, piercings, and enjoys listening to Madonna when he's alone.

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Now that's a good and funny example!

mobilehaathi said:

Yes, well, Mickey Rourke........

You should feel most ashamed, indeed!

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I do, indeed!

I just can't help it...he's just so amazingly into himself...I can't resist.

Shameful...