Hidden Guilty Pleasures

Photo by Spencer Imbrock on Unsplash

We all have them. The few movies, series, books or songs we really enjoy, but are too embarrassed to talk to our friends about. We hide our guilty pleasures because we do not want to be ridiculed by others. However, at the same time we do exactly the same to others: ridicule them for their guilty pleasures.

Guilty pleasures not only vary from person to person, but also depend on the region the person lives in and the social status they have. My Tandem partner from Minnesota likes country music, yet she does not tell any of her friends for two reasons. First, country music is looked down upon in region she currently lives in. She lives in the north of the United States and this style of music is from the south. Second, her friends at her university all listen to the same kind of music and think that any other style is less sophisticated. She hides this guilty pleasure to save her reputation and maintain her social status.

The culture we live in dictates what is 'good' and 'bad'. In our culture intelligence and status are prioritized. The movies, books and music we like should reflect both our intelligence and our status. The consequences of this are, firstly, that people hide their guilty pleasures and feel embarrassed when they admit them. Secondly, it divides and even excludes people. If someone likes something that does not fit his or her social status they will most likely be ridiculed. A side effect would be that the people who get to ridicule someone because of a guilty pleasure might feel empowered and better than the other person. On the one hand it works well to maintain order, as this keeps people in their place and status. However, it limits our creativity and open-mindedness.

All in all guilty pleasures are a part of daily life. They serve the purpose to maintain order in society. We should reflect more on our behaviour in regard to guilty pleasures and try to keep an open mind, if we would like to make a change. And my guilty pleasure, in case you are interested, are vampires.