Guilty pleasures

[The following post is intended primarily for English-language learners, CEFR levels B1 and above. It includes a vocabulary exercise with the answer key.]

We all enjoy doing, watching or listening to certain things that others find unusual, strange or low-quality. For example, a person might be an accomplished scholar or a top scientist and a lover of cheap paperback romance novels. Or maybe you really enjoy watching B-rated movies with little to no artistic value – but there’s just something very satisfying about them. 

In English, such an activity is known as a “guilty pleasure.” The phrase implies that it’s something you love doing (it’s very pleasing and enjoyable), but at the same time you don’t want others to find out about it because that would be embarrassing. You know others would judge you for it, and you feel they would probably be right: so you feel guilty!

The phrase can also be used in the context of food and drinks: eating or drinking something you know you shouldn’t because it’s bad or harmful can be a guilty pleasure. Eating a packet of crisps just before bedtime or eating an entire container of ice cream in one go…You know such things are bad for you, but sometimes you just can’t resist them.

Guilty pleasures may be embarrassing, but they can also be really good for you. There’s nothing wrong about doing things that bring you joy! People usually find comfort in their guilty pleasures or a helpful distraction from an otherwise stressful life. A guilty pleasure can help you relax and be kinder to yourself. It can also help you become more tolerant and less defined by various rules and commonly accepted norms. 

There’s also a mental health connection, as the feelings of guilt, embarrassment and fear of being judged by others can have a very negative effect on your overall quality of life. By embracing a quirky guilty pleasure you allow yourself to be more authentic and free from some of the social expectations and conventions.

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Let me share with you about one of my guilty pleasures. If you’ve been following my blog, you know I’m an avid reader with a special taste for classical poetry and 19th century literature. But you know what? I also happen to love trashy supermarket tabloids! My fascination with them started over 20 years ago when I stumbled upon an issue of (now defunct) Weekly World News. It was such a wild, crazy and bizarre magazine, I instantly fell in love with it!

From there, my appreciation for tabloids evolved into a truly guilty pleasure of reading the National Enquirer and Globe. I know – yikes! So embarrassing! There’s no journalistic quality there whatsoever, it’s all gossip and sensationalism, but that’s precisely it: they are so bad that they are good! Whenever I’m extremely stressed or agitated, I know what will help – a nice hot cup of tea and a few pages of Globe. For me, it’s really not about the topics they cover, which are usually the royals and pop culture celebrities, but the outrageous way they do it, with the ridiculous wording and the unflattering accompanying photos. It’s very satisfying, which is what guilty pleasures are all about.

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What are some of your guilty pleasures? If you don’t feel too embarrassed, do share about them in the comments section below!

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VOCABULARY EXERCISE

Match the words highlighted in the article with the following definitions / synonyms. To check your answers, click here.

• low-budget and typically low-quality (referring to films; adj.)
• unusual (referring to habit or behaviour; adj.)
• something that prevents you from concentrating; an activity done for pleasure (n.)
• no longer existing; inactive (adj.)
• causing to feel shame (adj.)
• eager, very interested, enthusiastic (adjective)
• a pleasant feeling of being relaxed, free from pain or worry (n.)
• to find or discover something by chance (phr. v.)
• to accept something with enthusiasm (v.) 
• responsible for a crime, sin or something illegal (adj.)
• light chat or talk about other people’s private lives (n.)
• successful, highly skilled (adj.)
• without stopping, all at the same time, in one single action (phr.)

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ADDITIONAL READING

Guilty Pleasures Are Good for Your Brain, Psychologists Say

Guilty Pleasures That Are Good For You

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IMAGE CREDIT

Photo by Szabo Viktor via Unsplash