I’m just curious as to what y’all have as guilty and / embarassing pleasures. You know what I mean- things that you enjoy that you are a little bit guilty about, or would be (or are) embarrassed slightly if people knew. For example, fois gras is a guilty pleasure (not one of mine, but I can uderstand someone both loving it, and being appalled at how it is produced.) Singing Britney Spears (is she still a thing?) or Katy Perry as loud as you can in the shower, and you are a he-man uber-macho is an embarassing one- again, not mine, but you get the idea.
My guilty pleasure: Chick-Fil-A (NO, DO NOT DISCUSS WHETHER OR NOT I SHOULD EAT IT OR FEEL GUILT ABOUT IT-- THERE ARE PLENTY OF THREADS THAT DO SO: GO FIND ONE OF THEM FOR THAT!) I love the stuff. L O V E it. But, I have many gay friends and family members, and I just can’t eat it. Much. Once a year, max. And when I do, it sends thrills of pleasure down into my toes, and pangs of deep regret everytime I realize that I helped support such deeply anti-gay nonsense (AGAIN, this is not about Chick-Fil-A. I could just as easily said beef (It’s soooo good, but ya gotta kill an animal to get it, and a fairly intelligent one at that- compared to most).
My ‘embarassing’ pleasure? Notting Hill. The movie. I know, I know, it’s a chick-flick romantic comedy, and far from the best example of the genre (which I otherwise cannot stand). I am not dating, I am not a woman, and have been married for at least a third of my entire life. That said, I love this movie. I bough the DVD, then the boxed super-edition when it came out. I watch it every couple of months or so, (director’s commentary, and deleted scenes, too) and cry like a baby.
Trashy true crime novels. So many good books out there by excellent writers … but every once in awhile I indulge in filling my head with sensationalistic crap …
I like hotdogs with that spray on cheese with Hawaiian Punch for my drink. It’s so trashy, especially since I’m kind of a foodie, but about once a year when no one is looking I have me some EZ Cheeze dogs and some HP.
As a guy who likes When Harry Met Sally type of chick flicks, I really like Notting Hill, too. And was totally embarrassed by a pro commercial director who is related to a friend of mine when we were discussing movies and I mentioned it as a well-rendered example of the genre. Always fun to be thoroughly dismissed. But a few years later he mentioned it to me - it was clearly a point where he decided he “got” me - because he was having trouble crossing over from commercials to movies and TV and was realizing the craft that went into NH. I won’t say I had the last laugh - he was still incredibly condescending - but it was interesting to hear him wrap his brain around it…
As a business executive in a leadership position of my company, I deal with BMW-driving, golf-loving, limited-music-knowledge types daily. Trying to mention almost any pop culture phenomenon is a minefield - the fact that I held up *Buffy the Vampire Slayer *as being worthy of discussion as a great series vs. *The Sopranos *has been almost career-limiting in its scope. And Og forbid something like Watchmen. So I am not embarrassed, but I have found myself in situations where folks are really expecting me to be embarrassed if that makes sense…
Romansperson, Anaamika I begrudge no-one their brain-candy or orgasms! At least you’re reading and creating stuff to read.
Speaking of mass-produced ‘cheese products’ and embarassing pleasures… I always have Velveeta in my fridge. I am a foodie, but I grew up on it (parents are NOT foodies, let’s put it this way: growing up, chili was made in my home with ground beef, a large can of kidney beans, a large can of tomato juice, and a teaspoon of years-old chili powder. Mom would even add sugar, " so it wasn’t too spicy." I’m not kidding ) But, Og help me, I really like velveeta grilled cheeses, and on a burger, heaven. Elvis, I understand, did too.
Not exactly a ringing endorsement of food taste, but still!
Home made mac & cheese is definitely better with a combination of cheeses that is at least 1/3 velveeta. I usually just go 1/2 Velveeta, 1/2 grated sharp cheddar.
Damn - now I gotta go boil some macaroni.
At Easter time, I secretly buy and snorf in the parking lot a package of virulent-yellow marshmallow Peeps. A six-pack of them is no big deal, calorie-wise, but everyone I know thinks they’re disgusting and childish. And I just love them.
When I’m alone in the car, I sing along with my mp3 player. Loudly (and, no doubt, off-key).
On the increasingly rare occasion that no one else is home for dinner, I like to have cheddar cheese on crackers with salsa for dinner. We usually have whole-wheat Ritz crackers, so I figure that’s protein, dairy, whole grains, and a vegetable.
I like to watch the really crappy reality programming on cable, too. Shows about bridezillas, modern American Gypsies, hoarders…luckily, I’m rarely alone for long enough to get a dangerous overdose of them.
) But, Og help me, I really like velveeta grilled cheeses, and on a burger, heaven. Elvis, I understand, did too.