Everyone has those guilty pleasure addictions. It’s what one watches after a particularly hard day, when your bed is so cozy and Netflix is calling to you. Whether it’s that trashy reality TV show or the new Disney channel original movie, most of us have some sort of media that we’d rather not mention to our friends or family in fear of being judged. Maybe it has horrible special effects, bad writing, relationships straight out of a soap opera, or a combination of these factors. However, I’m here to say that maybe it’s not such a bad thing to like shows that, by most peoples’ standards, just aren’t that good.
I’ll admit it, I like High School Musical, I’ve watched eight out of nine seasons of Supernatural, and I fell in love with Teen Wolf last summer. Despite the parts of me that thoroughly enjoy foreign films, Oscar nominated movies, and critically acclaimed indie content, I can’t help but also be equally entertained by shows that, in all regards, are really not worth my time. But, with that said, even if these guilty pleasures are not perfect by any standards, they are popular for a reason. They are, above all, fun. They have made me laugh, cry, and forget all about the ongoing stresses in my life. After a long day, watching mindless entertainment with interesting, and yes, often times attractive characters, sounds much nicer than thinking complexly about every aspect of the media I am consuming.
Of course, there are problems in B-movies and low brow television that are concerning. Unfortunately, there are diversity issues, sexist storylines, and annoying character tropes. I’m definitely not saying one should turn a blind eye to problematic content. Instead, I would suggest that one can both enjoy imperfect television and movies, while also realizing and critiquing the good and bad parts of any guilty pleasure narrative.
In the end, enjoy that bad movie that you think is vastly underrated. Don’t feel guilty about liking the new gender bent Twilight novel. Take pleasure in watching the season finale of Pretty Little Liars. They might not be good, but they are interesting, entertaining, and engaging to you. So enjoy the content that you enjoy without needless guilt, but also do so in a manner that is still meaningful and thoughtful. You can both understand its flaws and shamelessly binge watch it at the same time.
