Guilty Pleasures Shouldn't Feel So Guilty

I've come to realise over the years that there's nothing wrong with me enjoying activities or media others might (key word being might) find utterly preposterous or a waste of time. As long as I don't do anything dangerous or develop potentially harmful addictions, there's no reason why I can't at least keep myself pleased if I somehow fear no one else wants to join the club. It just has to make sense to me, right?

With that in mind, I don't understand why people are ashamed of certain passions, but then celebrate their shame only because YouTubers made it cool to do so. In other words, I don't get why "guilty pleasures" are still a thing.

Maybe people want to come across as fun and relatable, but then I don't see any difference with simply discussing their supposedly "out-there" interests and not sticking the "guilty pleasure" label on them. Besides, that just seems more natural and authentic to me, because they're not afraid to show off other interesting aspects of their personalities and aren't seeking validation from anyone else for their sense of self.

I guess what I'm saying is that if people want others to take them seriously—or at least, not be as overly judgmental as we all tend to be—this is not a goal they should try to achieve consciously. As soon as you become too self-aware, it turns into a mission of tiring justifications instead of a nice talk with someone you consider a friend. You end up coming across as defensive and insecure, rather than celebratory and inviting.

As with most things that shouldn't be a big deal, like what educational credentials we have or which way we swing respectively, we need to start normalizing what we publicly reveal about ourselves as far as our dainty cups of tea go. You're not suddenly stupid and unworthy of attention if you admit to liking a song that just happens to contain shallow lyrics or a movie with a nonsensical plot. You could have many reasons for supporting what you do.

Maybe there's irony or even hidden intelligence you appreciate or find entertaining if you're viewing the given subject from another angle. Maybe there's something else about it you like and so you're able to tolerate its whole. For example, in the case of songs, it'll normally be the catchy music. In the case of movies, it'll perhaps be certain actors' performances you felt brought at least some sort of merit to the picture. Or, frankly, it simply gets a good laugh out of you after a long day.

But even then, none of that should define or take away from your quality as an individual. At most, your rationale could be further proof of your insightfulness or intrigue. However, there's so much more to you than the extent of you being capable of confidently explaining away your inner passions that it should really have no bearing on how people will perceive you overall (assuming the opinion is anything but positive). If anyone does have a problem with your unapologetic delights and proceeds to shun you for them, then it's a reflection of their character and values, not yours.

It's perfectly normal to want to keep your critical faculties intact when consuming anything. After all, even our favourite creations warrant discussion and critique. But it's never worth it to stress over something that's ultimately meant for your personal enjoyment. As I've stated multiple times in my more recent posts, life is already doing a great job at trying to throw stressors at us from every which way. So, can we please use these not-so-guilty pleasures for their intended purpose for once—to relax?