Guilty Pleasures

I, like many, like to consider myself a consumer of smart, savvy, thought-provoking entertainment. I like reading challenging books, watching culturally rich movies, and listen to educational pod casts. I'm not necessarily a snob about it, but I do like to think of myself as 'too smart' or 'too informed' to enjoy the entertainment for the masses. That is, until I get over myself and indulge in something that is not thought-provoking, lacks serious educational content, and is just plain fun.

Here are a few of my television guilty pleasures:

Food Network's Food Challenge

Seriously, who doesn't want to watch someone build a Simpson's cake with a phallic Marge on top of a huge doughnut? Guilty Pleasure Points: 5 (out of a possible 10)

MTV's America's Best Dance Crew
Okay, I don't watch 'Dancing with the Stars,' 'American Idol,' or any other "call in to vote for your favorite" shows. This one, however, is amazing! These kids can seriously move. I stop short at calling in to vote, though. I have my pride, you know. Guilty Pleasure Points: 8

Food Network's Ace of Cakes
Okay, I know that Duff's laugh is annoying and he makes some pretty stupid jokes, but this is a great show. I don't know what it is about sugar, cake, and fondant that relax me so much. Guilty Pleasure Points: 6

CMT's My Big Redneck Wedding

This has to be, by far, the guiltiest of my pleasures. Educational value: none. Culture: very, very little (unless you are looking at it from a social science perspective, and in that case: huge amounts of Rural American) Ability to provoke thought: zip. Hilarity: vast. Guilty Pleasure Points: 10

All in all, I am proud of my guilty pleasures. Sharing them with the world is freeing in a way. Now, if I get a phone call during one of these shows, I can be like "Hey, can I call you back, I'm watching America's Best Dance Crew," instead of my usual white lie response of "I'm getting to a really good part in this 3-part PBS Special on French Impressionist Painters." Ahhh, honesty. It is really the best policy. Oh, gotta go, I think there's a show on about the history of complex cell biology and it's contribution to twentieth century medicine and the subsequent cultural response....wink, wink.