I’m always the most awkward around new people. I feel the need to point out every personal flaw I have, which usually reverts back to my horrible taste in just about everything. It typically goes like this: “Um, hi, so … yeah, I wanted to tell you something. I, um, I like The Dixie Chicks. And uh, yeah, that’s probably a dealbreaker for most people so why don’t you just get it over with and stop hanging out with me now, k? Oh, and my favorite movie is Mars Attacks. Seriously, just don’t be my friend.”
But I began to wonder why I was worried about what others thought about me. Why did I consider some things about myself to be shameful? I don’t like admitting to people that one time I watched all five seasons of Say Yes to the Dress on Netflix. Why? I enjoyed it. I enjoyed the hell out of watching those brides choose those dresses. And I don't want to be judged for it. For too long my guilty pleasures have hidden in the confines of my room. No more, children, no more.
We spend far too much of our lives being embarrassed about the things we genuinely find amusing. Why is it that most things considered to have merit have to be serious (or, more often, depressing) in tone? What happened to fun? “Critically Acclaimed” and “Fun, Friday Night” don’t really seem to be running in the same circles these days. If you can honestly watch The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert and tell me you had more Fun–with–a–capital–F while watching Citizen Kane then congratulations, you are a miserable person. That’s my litmus test for friendship, and you failed. Good day, sir.
I’m supposed to like a lot of things. I’m supposed to like Lana Del Rey, but I’ve never been more bored than while listening to her. Give me ABBA any day. I wish people didn’t have to feel self–conscious about being interested in something that critics deem “less than significant.” Then again, I also wish I could bake a cake filled with rainbows and smiles and everyone would eat it and be happy, but I don’t think that’s happening anytime soon.
I have many guilty pleasures because the things I like are usually considered tacky. But I don’t really understand why liking anything should be considered guilty in the first place (unless it’s illegal, that is). I’m going to try to be more open about the things I like from now on, even if most people would consider them embarrassing. So, to start … I love reading High School Musical fan fiction. And I want the entire world to know it.
