Why you should own your guilty pleasures!

Great British Bake Off, vintage Hannah Montana songs, re-runs of Gilmore Girls… we all have something that we deem our “guilty pleasure.”

Sometimes, there’s nothing more satisfying than turning down a night on the town for a Friday evening in with a DVD copy of Legally Blonde and a Dominos Meal Deal for Two (for one). If we get so much enjoyment out of such things though, why do we feel the need to let everyone know that they’re just our guilty pleasures? Should we really be embarrassed to like something just because it’s not exactly socially acceptable?

Pleasure is pleasure. As long as it’s not harming others, there should be no shame in doing whatever the hell it is that you like. By referring to something as guilt-worthy, we’re just accepting the silly boundaries of what is thought of as normal and acceptable.

It’s something most of us do all the time. When I ploughed my way through the Hunger Games books in under a week, I felt I almost had to defend myself a little. “Oh, they’re just so addictive, I had to!” I shouldn’t have worried though – the series is now one of the biggest movie franchises of the decade and it is well within the realms of being a very acceptable pleasure.

Other guilty pleasures of mine include Bon Jovi, excessive use of Snapchat, every Disney movie ever, and of course, eating Nutella with a spoon. Much as I’d love to shout from the rooftops that I’m an huge fan of Livin’ On a Prayer, I admit I’m a little wary of the reaction that would receive. These are things that there is really no shame in enjoying, but that I fear might seem a little bit “uncool” to the outside world. But really, why should I worry?

It’s time we started owning our guilty pleasures, once and for all. There should be no need to defend, no matter how weakly, the things that you love doing. Next time you feel like binge-watching Keeping Up With The Kardashians for 6 hours, do it with your head held high. Whose place is it to judge you? Certainly not mine. Now, excuse me while I go root out my Lion King DVD…