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Guilty (and not-so-guilty) Pleasures. We should all be ashamed of ourselves

joshofalltradesjoshofalltrades Class TraitorSmoke-filled roomRegistered User regular
edited August 2011 in Debate and/or Discourse
We've all been there. You go to the movies, watch that flick on a whim without knowing a lot about it beyond the fact that it seems fun, and then you enjoy yourself immensely. You go home, look at the reviews, and the thing got obviously panned by critics, moviegoers, or both. You know you shouldn't have enjoyed it even before looking; this thing was bound to be bad, and honestly it kind of was, but you liked it anyway.

OR -- you liked the movie, and got home only to discover that seemingly nobody liked it except you and a very select few others, but you have no idea why! Maybe you have bad taste, or, just as likely, the thing was aimed at a very specific niche group of people and you just happen to be a part of that niche.

Now, a piece of media that has been vindicated over time or a cult classic is not what I'm talking about here. This is for the games, television shows, movies, art, and other media that makes you suspect you may actually have bad taste, or at least a blind spot with regard to this one piece. For example, this phenomenon has bled into SE++, where Pony Love is now rampant (and, I understand, contagious. Symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea and cosplay). It is a rare example of a large group of people embracing something that is objectively terrible, yet they love it anyway.

Now, I sort of expect the odd person to come in here and defend their love of Ultraviolet. This is okay; we're not here to judge you. Okay, I'm not here to judge you. I can't speak for the rest of them. But if you know it is bad and that is why you love it, that is something else. Any piece of media you wish to defend and discuss should have some sort of quality that you see as good which causes you to enjoy it on its own merits, not on a so-bad-it's-good basis. Troll 2 is not a guilty pleasure; it is the result of Obs and Satan's love.

I'll start things off.

JOHNNY_ENGLISH_(WS).jpg

Johnny English is a movie that has a 33% score on Rotten Tomatoes. It is criticized largely because it is compared to Austin Powers and other spy film spoofs that came out around the same time. But I say who cares about those! I don't watch a movie to compare it to another one. I watch a movie to be entertained, and Rowan Atkinson entertained me in this movie. I know that his brand of humor isn't for everyone, but I was genuinely perplexed at the near-universal panning it got on release. For me, even if the joke is old, a new telling can be made fresh or funny in the way it's told, so I enjoyed myself thoroughly. There's a sequel to this movie coming out, too! I'll probably end up going to see it, even knowing it will be reviewed into the ground.

Please don't make this a poll thread. Defend your guilty pleasures with words! Tell us why you consider it a guilty pleasure, or why you expect to be mocked for liking a thing, or something other than just posting a video game title or a movie poster.

joshofalltrades on
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    JebusUDJebusUD Adventure! Candy IslandRegistered User regular
    I worked at a theater when that came out. I thought it was decently funny.

    and I wonder about my neighbors even though I don't have them
    but they're listening to every word I say
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    joshofalltradesjoshofalltrades Class Traitor Smoke-filled roomRegistered User regular
    Rowan Atkinson had to check himself in for depression because of the critical failure of that movie. No joke. I would've hugged him and told him that I really enjoyed it, and I would've been honest too!

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    ChanusChanus Harbinger of the Spicy Rooster Apocalypse The Flames of a Thousand Collapsed StarsRegistered User regular
    I'm of the opinion that the idea of a "guilty pleasure" as we commonly refer to it is nothing more than cowardice to admit you like something.

    Especially when it's used to refer to something that is enjoyed by literally millions of people.

    A true guilty pleasure would be something along the lines of "I really enjoy murdering the elderly".

    Allegedly a voice of reason.
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    Captain CarrotCaptain Carrot Alexandria, VARegistered User regular
    I like romance novels - good ones, that is, not crap with half-naked people on the cover and/or spine, which means that I find very few that I actually like.

    I'm guessing nobody needs to be reminded why romance novels are a guilty pleasure?

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    KrieghundKrieghund Registered User regular
    Girls watch boy-porn, why can't you read girl-porn?

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    joshofalltradesjoshofalltrades Class Traitor Smoke-filled roomRegistered User regular
    Chanus wrote:
    I'm of the opinion that the idea of a "guilty pleasure" as we commonly refer to it is nothing more than cowardice to admit you like something.

    Especially when it's used to refer to something that is enjoyed by literally millions of people.

    But if you are afraid to admit you like something, there must be a sizable-enough group to make you fear the admission. I don't really think it's cowardice; it's more like an awareness that you may be part of a small minority that likes something, and you don't want to be judged because of it.

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    ChanusChanus Harbinger of the Spicy Rooster Apocalypse The Flames of a Thousand Collapsed StarsRegistered User regular
    Chanus wrote:
    I'm of the opinion that the idea of a "guilty pleasure" as we commonly refer to it is nothing more than cowardice to admit you like something.

    Especially when it's used to refer to something that is enjoyed by literally millions of people.

    But if you are afraid to admit you like something, there must be a sizable-enough group to make you fear the admission. I don't really think it's cowardice; it's more like an awareness that you may be part of a small minority that likes something, and you don't want to be judged because of it.

    Not wanting to be judged for your opinions amounts to cowardice.


    In the interest of not thread-shitting, I fucking love a capella bands.

    Yes, like the shitty college fad from around 1998-2002.

    Love that shit with all my heart.

    Allegedly a voice of reason.
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    joshofalltradesjoshofalltrades Class Traitor Smoke-filled roomRegistered User regular
    I like romance novels - good ones, that is, not crap with half-naked people on the cover and/or spine, which means that I find very few that I actually like.

    I'm guessing nobody needs to be reminded why romance novels are a guilty pleasure?

    I've never read romance novels, but I have to imagine there are good ones. My friend who used to work at Half-Price Books with me used to stock the romance novel section, though, and he used to toss the funniest-looking ones over the shelf to land next to me. Titles like, "Erotic Invitation" and "Faking It".

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    joshofalltradesjoshofalltrades Class Traitor Smoke-filled roomRegistered User regular
    edited August 2011
    Chanus wrote:
    Not wanting to be judged for your opinions amounts to cowardice.

    I don't think you're threadshitting, but I also disagree. Oh well. :)

    To elaborate, I guess I also don't think people who don't go around making sure everybody knows their exact political stances are cowards either. Sometimes you have to get along with people, and inviting ridicule or derision isn't always something we want to do.

    joshofalltrades on
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    dbrock270dbrock270 Registered User regular
    I thought Johnny English was funny. Better than all of the Austin Powers films in my opinion.

    I though Somebody to Love and Never Say Never by Justin Bieber were good songs.

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    DestinyamberDestinyamber Registered User regular
    My guilty pleasures are fan-service Anime, and reading erotica. There's always a limit for me, but as long as either of them stays tasteful, then I usually secretly enjoy it.

    Also, I really enjoyed Sucker Punch which Rotten Tomatoes did not like.

    nicolefosterdesigns.com -- web, print, and marketing services
    Steam: FallenDestiny *** XBL: xDestinyx3
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    JebusUDJebusUD Adventure! Candy IslandRegistered User regular
    dbrock270 wrote:
    I thought Johnny English was funny. Better than all of the Austin Powers films in my opinion.

    I though Somebody to Love and Never Say Never by Justin Bieber were good songs.

    Got me like baby baby bay OH!.

    I don't know if that is either of those songs but stab my ears out.

    and I wonder about my neighbors even though I don't have them
    but they're listening to every word I say
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    OrganichuOrganichu poops peesRegistered User, Moderator mod
    I don't really consider any of my likes (that I can think of) to be guilty pleasures. I love pop music. I think Rihanna is fantastic, and I will say that to anyone. I also like Harry Potter.

    hatersgonna...jpg

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    dbrock270dbrock270 Registered User regular
    edited August 2011
    @Organichu I love Rihanna. I own Good Girls Gone Bad, Rated R and Loud.

    Also I think people hate Harry Potter because they secretly want Lord of the Rings to be the books that all the kids love.

    dbrock270 on
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    joshofalltradesjoshofalltrades Class Traitor Smoke-filled roomRegistered User regular
    edited August 2011
    I used to listen to Savage Garden in my car. Like, a lot. Pop music can be fun! I get tired of listening to lo-fi indie bands sometimes and just want something bubblegummy to keep me singing along.

    joshofalltrades on
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    ChanusChanus Harbinger of the Spicy Rooster Apocalypse The Flames of a Thousand Collapsed StarsRegistered User regular
    Chanus wrote:
    Not wanting to be judged for your opinions amounts to cowardice.

    I don't think you're threadshitting, but I also disagree. Oh well. :)

    To elaborate, I guess I also don't think people who don't go around making sure everybody knows their exact political stances are cowards either. Sometimes you have to get along with people, and inviting ridicule or derision isn't always something we want to do.

    I guess I'm drawing a line between keeping your possibly unfavorable opinions to yourself and presenting them with some mitigating factor so it makes it seem like you hold your opinions ironically.

    I also think that anyone who seriously ridicules you for your opinion on what's enjoyable art should be kicked in the taint.

    Allegedly a voice of reason.
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    ChanusChanus Harbinger of the Spicy Rooster Apocalypse The Flames of a Thousand Collapsed StarsRegistered User regular
    I used to listen to Savage Garden in my car. Like, a lot. Pop music can be fun! I get tired of listening to lo-fi indie bands sometimes and just want something bubblegummy to keep me singing along.

    Okay... I take back what I said about serious ridicule... SAVAGE GARDEN? :P

    :bz

    Allegedly a voice of reason.
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    DestinyamberDestinyamber Registered User regular
    Chanus wrote:
    I also think that anyone who seriously ridicules you for your opinion on what's enjoyable art should be kicked in the taint.

    +1 on that.

    nicolefosterdesigns.com -- web, print, and marketing services
    Steam: FallenDestiny *** XBL: xDestinyx3
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    Captain CarrotCaptain Carrot Alexandria, VARegistered User regular
    I like romance novels - good ones, that is, not crap with half-naked people on the cover and/or spine, which means that I find very few that I actually like.

    I'm guessing nobody needs to be reminded why romance novels are a guilty pleasure?

    I've never read romance novels, but I have to imagine there are good ones. My friend who used to work at Half-Price Books with me used to stock the romance novel section, though, and he used to toss the funniest-looking ones over the shelf to land next to me. Titles like, "Erotic Invitation" and "Faking It".

    "The Italian Duke's Virgin Mistress"
    "The Billionaire's Bride"

    I have seen those at Kroger, and I have never bought any of their books.

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    JebusUDJebusUD Adventure! Candy IslandRegistered User regular
    I like romance novels - good ones, that is, not crap with half-naked people on the cover and/or spine, which means that I find very few that I actually like.

    I'm guessing nobody needs to be reminded why romance novels are a guilty pleasure?

    I've never read romance novels, but I have to imagine there are good ones. My friend who used to work at Half-Price Books with me used to stock the romance novel section, though, and he used to toss the funniest-looking ones over the shelf to land next to me. Titles like, "Erotic Invitation" and "Faking It".

    "The Italian Duke's Virgin Mistress"
    "The Billionaire's Bride"

    I have seen those at Kroger, and I have never bought any of their books.

    Kroger must be your guilty pleasure.

    Ever since I left MI for MN grocery stores got significantly less rat infested.

    and I wonder about my neighbors even though I don't have them
    but they're listening to every word I say
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    L|amaL|ama Registered User regular
    being ashamed of something you enjoy is almost always very silly

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    JuliusJulius Captain of Serenity on my shipRegistered User regular
    I like romance novels - good ones, that is, not crap with half-naked people on the cover and/or spine, which means that I find very few that I actually like.

    I'm guessing nobody needs to be reminded why romance novels are a guilty pleasure?

    I like romance novels too, don't read them much if at all though but that's more because I read so many other books than any ill will towards the genre.

    I usually make a half-hearted attempt to be icked by rom-coms but man I love a good one. I went to the movies with a friend last week and we accidentally sat in the wrong theatre and a bunch of trailers for romance movies came on and I went "yeah, I'd probably watch all those". Not without a girl though, not because of my manliness but because it would make me feel sad :(

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    JebusUDJebusUD Adventure! Candy IslandRegistered User regular
    L|ama wrote:
    being ashamed of something you enjoy is almost always very silly

    Still, it's one thing to like something because it is entertaining in some way and another to know that it has some kind of objective value. I could love XXX with Vin Diesel, but that doesn't make it any "good". At least not in every possible sense.

    and I wonder about my neighbors even though I don't have them
    but they're listening to every word I say
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    JustinSane07JustinSane07 Really, stupid? Brockton__BANNED USERS regular
    I play The Sims like a 13 year old girl with braces and a training bra.

    Obsessively

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    JuliusJulius Captain of Serenity on my shipRegistered User regular
    JebusUD wrote:
    L|ama wrote:
    being ashamed of something you enjoy is almost always very silly

    Still, it's one thing to like something because it is entertaining in some way and another to know that it has some kind of objective value. I could love XXX with Vin Diesel, but that doesn't make it any "good". At least not in every possible sense.

    I love XXX with Vin Diesel, matter of fact anything with Vin Diesel.

    Also Steven Seagal but neither of those are guilty pleasures.


    I think it's more that guilty pleasures are things that go against what you think is your image you broadcast to the rest of the world.

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    matt has a problemmatt has a problem Points to 'off' Points to 'on'Registered User regular
    I love Totino's pizza. Love. I'm not a fatty, (6'4, 200 pounds), I just love them. Whenever my wife goes out of town, I'll literally eat them for lunch and dinner (my wife hates them). Throw two on a cookie sheet, bake until they're crispy, then cut them into quarters. Whatever I don't eat for dinner I'll eat for breakfast the next morning...

    nibXTE7.png
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    ChanusChanus Harbinger of the Spicy Rooster Apocalypse The Flames of a Thousand Collapsed StarsRegistered User regular
    edited August 2011
    I love Totino's pizza. Love. I'm not a fatty, (6'4, 200 pounds), I just love them. Whenever my wife goes out of town, I'll literally eat them for lunch and dinner (my wife hates them). Throw two on a cookie sheet, bake until they're crispy, then cut them into quarters. Whatever I don't eat for dinner I'll eat for breakfast the next morning...

    I like to cook them just enough to be done, then roll them up like a burrito.

    Probably why I weigh like 15lbs more than you. :P

    Chanus on
    Allegedly a voice of reason.
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    joshofalltradesjoshofalltrades Class Traitor Smoke-filled roomRegistered User regular
    I'm a skinny goose (137 lbs) but I love toaster strudel. I can eat a whole package of them in one morning. Yet I understand that a lot of people really don't like it and prefer Pop-Tarts!

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    DestinyamberDestinyamber Registered User regular
    I play The Sims like a 13 year old girl with braces and a training bra.

    Obsessively

    Sims is addictive. I completely understand you.

    nicolefosterdesigns.com -- web, print, and marketing services
    Steam: FallenDestiny *** XBL: xDestinyx3
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    Caveman PawsCaveman Paws Registered User regular
    M*A*S*H* reruns. I've seen them all countless times, I haven't laughed aloud during one in years, yet I still watch.

    Highlander the tv series. You can't hide a sword under a hoody! Yet I cannot look away!



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    NocrenNocren Lt Futz, Back in Action North CarolinaRegistered User regular
    You'll be happy to know that Johnny English is getting a sequel.

    And... I don't know if I have any guilty pleasures. Mainly because I dont feel guilty about anything I enjoy.

    newSig.jpg
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    ChanusChanus Harbinger of the Spicy Rooster Apocalypse The Flames of a Thousand Collapsed StarsRegistered User regular
    M*A*S*H* reruns. I've seen them all countless times, I haven't laughed aloud during one in years, yet I still watch.

    Highlander the tv series. You can't hide a sword under a hoody! Yet I cannot look away!

    You are aware M*A*S*H is a critically-acclaimed television series, generally regarded as the epitome of the genre by nearly everyone with an opinion on the subject?

    Guilty pleasures : InigoMontoya.jpg


    Highlander, however... I can see that. The sped-up swordfight scenes were pretty great/bad. Like the one with Richard Moll.

    Allegedly a voice of reason.
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    joshofalltradesjoshofalltrades Class Traitor Smoke-filled roomRegistered User regular
    Nocren wrote:
    You'll be happy to know that Johnny English is getting a sequel.

    I'm hoping it doesn't pull an Ace Ventura, but if it does, oh well. It's not supposed to be high art.

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    Caveman PawsCaveman Paws Registered User regular
    Chanus wrote:
    M*A*S*H* reruns. I've seen them all countless times, I haven't laughed aloud during one in years, yet I still watch.

    Highlander the tv series. You can't hide a sword under a hoody! Yet I cannot look away!

    You are aware M*A*S*H is a critically-acclaimed television series, generally regarded as the epitome of the genre by nearly everyone with an opinion on the subject?

    Guilty pleasures : InigoMontoya.jpg


    Highlander, however... I can see that. The sped-up swordfight scenes were pretty great/bad. Like the one with Richard Moll.

    I was expecting the reverse response (mash bad highlander good). I'll try harder next time!

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    ChanusChanus Harbinger of the Spicy Rooster Apocalypse The Flames of a Thousand Collapsed StarsRegistered User regular
    Chanus wrote:
    M*A*S*H* reruns. I've seen them all countless times, I haven't laughed aloud during one in years, yet I still watch.

    Highlander the tv series. You can't hide a sword under a hoody! Yet I cannot look away!

    You are aware M*A*S*H is a critically-acclaimed television series, generally regarded as the epitome of the genre by nearly everyone with an opinion on the subject?

    Guilty pleasures : InigoMontoya.jpg


    Highlander, however... I can see that. The sped-up swordfight scenes were pretty great/bad. Like the one with Richard Moll.

    I was expecting the reverse response (mash bad highlander good). I'll try harder next time!

    Maybe it's different in Canadian. :P

    Allegedly a voice of reason.
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    KalTorakKalTorak One way or another, they all end up in the Undercity.Registered User regular
    Particularly degrading porn is a guilty pleasure of mine.

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    VoodooVVoodooV Registered User regular
    America's Next Top Model....well at least when it first came out...now I'm slowly getting sick of it because it's the same damned thing over and over. Same drama, just different people.

    But yeah, one day I was just flipping through the channels and I come across this show with a bunch of lovely ladies on it so of course I stopped. It did make me appreciate that there is some aspect of skill and thinking involved with modeling..at least at the top.

    The two J's are just simply awesome though.

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    enlightenedbumenlightenedbum Registered User regular
    Mine is the Real World/Road Rules Challenge. This is mostly because when I was growing up my parents would have these parties with their college friends, who would bring their kids. One of these kids was a girl I had an outrageous crush on, and part of our later friendship is based on making fun of stupid people. Thus the RWRR Challenge, which we would mock relentlessly while the other kids who didn't quite share our taste were very confused. Including the considerably older ones we were probably corrupting. Oh well! We'll still watch it when we are (rarely) in the same place, but never when we're by ourselves.

    Self-righteousness is incompatible with coalition building.
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    KageraKagera Imitating the worst people. Since 2004Registered User regular
    Kung Pow: Enter the Chicken.

    It is horrible and stupid, and I love it.

    LOVE. IT.

    My neck, my back, my FUPA and my crack.
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    LoveIsUnityLoveIsUnity Registered User regular
    Chanus wrote:
    M*A*S*H* reruns. I've seen them all countless times, I haven't laughed aloud during one in years, yet I still watch.

    Highlander the tv series. You can't hide a sword under a hoody! Yet I cannot look away!

    You are aware M*A*S*H is a critically-acclaimed television series, generally regarded as the epitome of the genre by nearly everyone with an opinion on the subject?

    Guilty pleasures : InigoMontoya.jpg


    Highlander, however... I can see that. The sped-up swordfight scenes were pretty great/bad. Like the one with Richard Moll.

    I went to the IMDB page for Highlander once, and there were people arguing about the mechanics behind hiding a sword in a coat. A popular theory is that the swords are essentially sheathed in a bag of holding and don't take up the actual amount of space they would in "real life." It was fucking bizarre.

    steam_sig.png
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