Whitney Crinklaw

Sports Editor

A guilty pleasure is defined by google as, “Something, such as a movie, television program, or piece of music that one enjoys despite feeling that it is not generally held in high regard.”

In an article titled “Psychology: Why does guilt increase pleasure?” published by BBC news, we learn of what psychologists have found when researching guilty pleasures. The text reads, “One idea is that guilty forms of pleasure have been so ingrained in our psyche that feelings of sin and remorse actually trigger thoughts of desire in the brain. In other words, our vices are so tempting partly because we know they are bad for us.”

However, guilty pleasures not only have an affect on a person mentally, but physically as well. In an article, “What Your Brain Looks Like After A Netflix Binge” we learn of the effects on one’s body after many hours of excessive TV watching.

In the text, we read about what just five hours of watching your favorite show can do. “Lounging slows circulation and metabolism, making you feel sluggish.” What happens when your show ends?  “Your emotional state at the end of a show is also affected by how you felt when you queued it up.”

Bridgewater State College made a list of the “Top Ten Guilty Pleasures for College Students.” The top ten listed were “YouTube, Twilight, American Idol auditions, ABC family original TV series or movies, sweatpants, 80’s/90’s bubble gum pop music, “creeping” on Facebook, trashy reality TV, sleeping until noon, and iced coffee.”

We all have some type of guilty pleasure. What is yours?

Watching Younger

Starring Sutton Foster and Hillary Duff, Younger is a TV show on the TV Land network about a 40-year-old passing as a 26-year-old woman in order to obtain a job in publishing. Meanwhile, the noble motive to get a job amidst age discrimination leads to constant deception, lies and near-disaster, especially when love interests become involved. Why do I like it? The publishing industry interests me especially since the characters are working in marketing and editing for new books. There’s a certain excitement of a double life and the tension and quick wit required to avoid her secret being discovered.

Latonia Bailey, Advisor

What your guilty pleasure says about you:

I feel as though someone who watches the TV show Younger is unique in his/her own way. Younger is an American Comedy Series centered around a single mom who is trying to re-enter the working world at the age of 40. She decides to make a big decision and pass herself off as someone of a younger age. Therefore, I feel as though people who enjoy the show are ones who are both spontaneous and young at heart. He/she may also have spunk or style and miss certain things about his/her past.

Whitney Crinklaw, Sports Editor

 

Games with punishing difficulty

My guilty pleasure is insanely punishing games like Dark Souls, or even XCOM. Something about being seconds away from failure and having to plan multiple moves ahead is an adrenaline rush, and gives me a sense of accomplishment.

Christopher Franklin, Multimedia Producer

What your guilty pleasure means about you:

People who play videogames, I think, are very creative, but somewhat disorganized. In D&D terms, gamers are “chaotic neutrals.” Although there is nothing intrinsically wrong with playing video games, being sedentary for long periods of time, whether slaying zombies or binging on them via Netflix, may have adverse side effects on health.

Sofia Sanchez Salcedo, Editor-in-Chief

 

Reading poetry books

When it comes to guilty pleasures of mine, the list could probably be never ending. There are so many things that I love to fill my time with (Netflix, where you at?). However, one of my guilty pleasures that is probably less common for the average college student would have to be my obsession with reading poetry. This guilty pleasure is a more recent one. I was in Books-A-Million when I came across a book that had been put in the wrong section. It was Chasers of the Light by Tyler Knott Gregson. I started flipping through the pages and I instantly fell in love. It opened up a whole new world to me. I really enjoy poetry books because they make me reminisce, give me a feeling of nostalgia, make me long for the future and so much more. When I read the poems, which are typically about love (I’m cliché, I’m fully aware), it makes me want the kind of love that is worth writing about. The way that the poets talk about love and relationships just really grabs my attention and makes me want whatever they must have had to write such amazing things. Even though most poems aren’t the happiest, they still make me feel some type of way that leaves me wanting to read more. Have I made a Pinterest board full of poetry now? Yes, yes I have. I’m pretty happy I stumbled across that book because you never know where your next guilty pleasure could be.

                                                                Kerrigan Arnold, Social Media Editor

What your guilty pleasure means about you:

Reading poetry shows not only a deep intellect but also a longing to connect with emotions. Feelings can be expressed through poetry in a classical, beautiful manner that has been lost in our crass society.  Consider the classic love poem by Elizabeth Barrett Browning “How do I love thee? Let me count the ways…” versus “Hey, want to hook up?”

Latonia Bailey, Advisor

Watching American Horror Story

I enjoy watching American Horror Story because I enjoy watching Evan Peters act. Also, I love the story of each season, because they pull true occurrences from history and apply them to the show. It’s creepy, awesome, and it is interesting to make connections between the show and real life.

Kaitlyn Welch, Photo Editor

What your guilty pleasure means about you:

I personally don’t think it says really anything important about someone’s character if they enjoy American Horror Story, or any show for that matter. I enjoy violent horror films and games as an example, but I don’t desire to commit violence in real life. People should enjoy what they enjoy.

Daniel Garcia, Entertainment Editor

Buffalo Wild Wings

Buffalo Wild Wings is my guilty pleasure because even though it’s unhealthy to eat 20 pieces of greasy wings, they are so delicious. My favorite Buffalo Wild Wings sauce is Garlic Parmesan. Food is great, but Buffalo Wild Wings is the best kind of food: delicious and unhealthy.

 

Whitney Crinklaw, Sports Editor

What your guilty pleasure means about you:

The fact you enjoy Buffalo wings so much tells me you are not the sort of person who wants to stay home on Friday or Saturday night. You enjoy going out and having a good time. Most likely, if you like wings, you are going with friends to a sports bar where you watch games or meet other people. You probably also enjoy hanging out with friends at home to watch sporting events like the Super Bowl or the World Series. You no doubt have a number of friends you like to be around. You enjoy good conversation and being around people.

Steve Chapman, Executive Media Editor

Playing Call of Duty franchise

I enjoy the Call of Duty video game series. I think the gameplay is mindless but entertaining, and I even enjoy the campaign modes. I know it’s dumb but it fully embraces its dumbness, which I find enjoyable.

Daniel Garcia, Entertainment Editor

What your guilty pleasure means about you:

There are certain stereotypes for those who play any of the games in the Call of Duty (CoD) franchise, and none of them are really great. The stereotype in question is that the player is a twelve year old boy who likes to spam the chat with unnecessary insults to various players. There are some players, I’m sure, that fit that description to a T, but there are also people who genuinely enjoy the games. So, either they are an inappropriate twelve year old boy, or they’re a person who really does not care about being stereotyped and just want to play a game that they like.

Clara Brodeur, Feature Editor

Listening to podcasts

I like podcasts because they let me disconnect from the real world and connect with information that I might not otherwise be able to read or get. Some of my favorite podcasts are “Sawbones,” ‘Stuff you Missed in History Class,” “Lore,” and “Oh No! Ross and Carrie.”

Sofia Sanchez Salcedo, Editor-in-Chief

What your guilty pleasure means about you:

I think that anyone who will watch podcasts as a guilty pleasure probably tend to be very knowledgeable people. I think that they know a lot of what is going on in the world around them. They are observant and understand how many things work. Also, they enjoy learning new things and don’t have a narrow mind.

Kaitlyn Welch, Photo Editor

Watching Grey’s Anatomy

Grey’s Anatomy is a television show in which many people watch for the drama, comedy, medical, and relationship-teetering settings. It is very creative, informational, as well as dramatic with relationship related events that most people can relate to. Grey’s Anatomy is one of those shows that when people watch it, they have to binge watch it. Every episode leads into the next with cliffhangers on every episode. It’s super addicting and fun to be a part of.

Kaylee Starks, News Editor

What your guilty pleasure says about you:

Grey’s Anatomy is definitely for people either with strong stomachs, or for people who don’t care to hold down whatever they ate for dinner. Of course, with all the surgeries, and internal organs that regularly make an appearance on the show, it might be said that the target audience would be those in that very line of work. One might wonder just exactly how much of the drama in the show actually exists in that aspect of the medical profession, such as the relationship drama, personal issues, and the like. Grey’s Anatomy is definitely not a show for the faint of heart.

Christopher Franklin, Multimedia Producer

Getting tattoos

As far as guilty pleasures go, getting tattoos is probably one of the more expensive ones. I currently only have a few. I have plans for many more, but lack the funds. I like it because when I’m getting it done, yeah it hurts, but it is a piece of art on your body forever. There’s another outlet to express yourself, other than temporary things like changing your hair or even a different style of clothing that you like to wear. Someone told me that when you get your first taste of ink, you just keep coming back. I really think that’s true. I can’t really explain why I like enduring pain for extended periods of time for something that I “might regret later in life”, but for those of you who have ink, I’m sure you understand.

Clara Brodeur, Feature Editor

What your guilty pleasure means about you:

When it comes to those who have tattoos, there is an abundance of thoughts that go through my head. There are definitely different types of people who rock tattoos; you have those that look like they did some time in the slammer and then there are those who look graceful and their tattoos look super tasteful. I’m not going to lie to you, when I see someone with like neck and face tattoos, I’m a bit nervous yet intrigued. Questions like, “Why did you get that tattoo? Why did you choose that specific spot? What’s the story and meaning of it?” all run through my head. I also think people who get tattoos are pretty tough (to an extent) because I really want to get a tattoo myself but I’m a total chicken and scared of the pain. So when I see someone with tattoos, I think that they’re probably an interesting person with some good stories to tell.

Kerrigan Arnold, Social Media Editor

Playing point & click puzzle games

My guilty pleasure is playing the Submachine games created by Mateusz Skutnik, a Polish game developer. I love the mental challenge his games pose, as well as experiencing the compelling story line of the main characters, Murtaugh and Elizabeth. Since I first discovered them in 2008, I have played them faithfully. The last three games I waited for faithfully (It takes a couple of years for him to create each one) and have never been disappointed. The last game, Submachine 10, came out last December, which was a great Christmas present for me. I can lose myself for hours while trying to solve a game.

Steve Chapman, Executive Media Editor

What your guilty pleasure means about you:

I think people who have this ability to solve problems and challenges in the game are more likely to have a great common sense of the world around them. They know how to solve problems efficiently in a timely manner. Games like these, I think, help people better understand how to solve life’s challenges and trials.

Kaylee Starks, News Editor

Speak Your Mind: What is your guilty pleasure?

Compiled by Clara Brodeur and Christopher Franklin

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