Guilty Pleasures
November 4, 2008, by Group Post
Bollywood Steps, photo by David Ashby via Flickr
Our Fifty is the New contributors were asked to name one guilty pleasure—a way to escape or distract from the hubbub and stress of the election and other things. In this context, a “guilty pleasure” is something you really enjoy, but feel a wee bit embarrassed about admitting.
Read what they have to say, then add your own guilty pleasure!
Prudence: Googling ex-boyfriends to see if they’re dead yet. If only I could remember the name of the one I called “Plaid Shirt Guy.”
Cathy: Watching Showbiz India, a combination of Bollywood excerpts and Entertainment Tonight-type “news” on Saturday mornings. I love the music videos, replete with colorful costumes, bejeweled beauties, hilarious choreography, melodrama and chaste romance.
Melissa: Reading People magazine, cover-to-cover, in one sitting on a Friday evening.
Christie: Watching the worst soap opera ever… Eastenders. Late on Friday nights will find me in front of the telly breathlessly anticipating the antics of the most desperate group of whinging losers ever created. Love it!
Carine: Okay, I’m going to say it. My guilty pleasure is harmless gossip, if there is such a thing. Stupid stuff about people in the news, like Sarah Palin; and, people who look like they just had cosmetic surgery, as in frozen smiles, boobs that look like they’re going to pop, and bad hair plugs; and, how the ass on that woman who came on to your husband looks like the back of a bus these days. There, I said it.
Connie: Eating a big, honkin’ bowl of ice cream and not answering the phone.
What’s your guilty pleasure? Share by commenting below.
November 4th, 2008 at 6:22 am
Omigod! I subscribe to all of the above! (I’ll have to check out Eastenders and Showbiz India, but I’m sure they’re as addicting as Desperate Housewives, one of my former guilty pleasures.) The challenge with gossiping about bad cosmetic surgery here in Vermont is that no one here has had any. Seriously. I never thought that I’d have faux personna withdrawl, but getting used to people going au naturel has been an unexpected culture shock. At first, I thought everyone was 20 years older than me, but then I realized these grey-haired, sober-faced folks are my age — and younger. But I digress — which is the point of this fabulous column. Thanks for taking my mind off the election — it’s driven me crazy over the past 18 months.
November 4th, 2008 at 7:34 am
bollywood is great and so is indian pop music, makes me happy, checking out and eating my sons sweets is also a great pleasure!!!!!!!
November 4th, 2008 at 7:39 am
Yikes. I google ex-boyfriends (I wish I could forget their names); read People Magazine; gossip harmlessly and in lieu of Showbiz India I sometimes watch (gasp) TMZ. Truthfully, I long to live in place where people are authentic and have not had any plastic surgery…lucky (I’m gonna gossip harmlessly about YOU!). Personally, I think Eastenders is pretty high end, if that’s the worst thing you do you’re a saint. You’ve got nothing to feel guilty about. I really can’t utter things I’ve said and thought about Sarah Palin. I wish she would….
November 4th, 2008 at 8:33 am
Shopping. Shopping. Shopping. Retail therapy has been known to be a helpful albeit guilty pleasure. Well, actually I’m only guilty when I pay retail. When I find a good bargain I actually feel virtuous. Thanks for the great escape! Phew, I needed it. Couldn’t sleep all night. As Carly Simon once sang…anticipation is making me wait. So, I think I’ll go shopping.
November 4th, 2008 at 10:37 am
Playing Poker on the Internet
November 4th, 2008 at 2:22 pm
Ah, Googling exes. The first, and perhaps best, use of the Internet.
November 5th, 2008 at 6:03 pm
I was prompted to respond to this article (against my wishes) by bloggers who will not be named……hmmmmmm, who could that be?
I’m a guy and a slut. In addition to “googling”, I would track down those past lovers and make my presence clear. Since that isn’t going to happen, I’m going to the Casino Buffet and have some Prime Rib…..Hey, I qualify for the Senior Discount.
Props to Obama…..now that we have elected a Black President, we should try to elect a Gay President. Anyone with me?
November 5th, 2008 at 7:04 pm
Jeff, I would LOVE a “First Dude” in the White House, as long as it isn’t Todd Palin!
November 6th, 2008 at 9:00 am
Jeff, how about a Jewish lesbian for president? With Obama the doors have blown open, who knows… But first we have to repeal Prop 8!
November 7th, 2008 at 3:56 pm
While Obama has shown that, in theory, “anyone can become President”, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Obama was the right person at the right time, and to a certain extent, the lesser of two evils. Until the American public relaxes it’s opinions of stereotypes, I believe that most of us will not see a woman, a gay, or even a Jewish President in our lifetime (that assumption is that most of us are into our 50′s). While my racist Grandmother is probably rolling over in her grave, my more understanding 80 year old father admits he could never have seen a black President in his time, but has no problem with it if he does the job. We’ve made some progress, but we have a LONG WAY TO GO. As Dr Leo Marvin said…..”Baby steps Bob”. Let’s accept what we’ve done, and work harder to improve on the future. And let’s face it, if California can’t pass a gay marriage law, we definitely have a lot of work to do.