Matt Yglesias muses re: the curious need of Americans
to feel guilty about lightweight pleasure:
I know it’s just a turn of phrase, but I think the whole conceptual framework of “guilty pleasures” speaks to some weird underlying puritanical elements in American life. Despite the whole “life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness” thing in the Declaration of Independence, our public culture is very resistant to the idea that people should try to spend more time doing things they enjoy or that producing enjoyment for others is a good thing to do in life.
In my mind Yglesias is being too generous, as I've always thought people using the phrase "guilty pleasure" is a signal, trying to convey
how brilliant they usually are:
I hate people that claim a certain song or tv show is their "guilty pleasure." MMM-Bop comes on the radio and they're dancing to it sheepishly and say "oh man, I hate this music but this song is my one guilty pleasure." Yes. Cause I'm sure normally you're in your room listening to Bach's Das Wohltemperierte Clavier. And you take a break from your Masterpiece Theatre marathons for Real World/Road Rules Challenge, your "guilty pleasure." If you like MMM-Bop just fucking say you like the song; the only people that will judge you is some douchebag like TA-DA!.... you!
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