Guilty Pleasures

Yesterday, my away message mentioned Sweet 16. One of my friends came up to me and said, "You watch Sweet 16 too!" I replied, "Well, actually I do, but I was talking about the the college basketball tournament." At this point, one of our friends shook his head in disgust for watching the MTV show about spoiled bratty girls spending tens of thousands of dollars on birthday parties.

My name is Kristina, and I watch bad television.

As sophisticated law students as we try to be, all of us give into temptation sometimes. In fact, I think guilty pleasures are the only things sometimes keeping us sane, not just law students but everyone. I think the fact that guilty pleasures are slightly embarrassing makes the satisfaction of secretly giving into temptation every once in a while all that more satisfying.

After reading a funny list of a columnist's guilty pleasures, here are some of mine:

NY Times Wedding Page & Washington Post Date Lab: I will reiterate again that I am not getting married, nor do I plan on it anytime soon. But like my friend Lauren and Carrie on Sex & The City, I love reading the NY Times wedding page. The stories are just so cute and/or entertaining. I'm part alpha-female, part girly-girl. [I also remembered that my roommate and I love looking at wedding pictures of people we know and judging their bride's maid dresses. I guess I'm also part catty.]

Spam, not the inbox kind: When I coyly admit that I've eaten spam and actually like it, people look at me in sheer horror. Minnesotans love their spam though, and I grew up on it. It's not like it's any more artificial than the processed cheese that we all love.

Cheerleading Competitions: I hope I'm not embarrassing Megan by saying that we loved watching cheerleading competitions on ESPN- she at least was a gymnast who could appreciate that aspect. And I can't even count the number of times I've watched Bring It On (another guilty pleasure).

Journal Reading: I'll admit that I read the blogs/live journals/xangas of people that I rarely or never talk to anymore. Reading about the lives and thoughts of people, even people I'm not friends with, is interesting. I'm sure some people reading this right now could agree.

Nerdy Podcasts: Every week my iPod uploads the newest episodes of Meet the Press, Countdown with Keith Olbermann, Newshour's Supreme Court Watch, CNN's Race to '08, NPR's Wait Wait Don't Tell Me, and Real Time with Bill Maher. You may be rocking out to your cool hip music, but this is probably what I'm listening to. Either that or...

Pop Music: Of all generations. From ABBA to Ace of Base to Christina Aguilera (it must be the name thing) to Kelly Clarkson. As much flak as pop music gets, it wouldn't be so popular if it wasn't so catchy.

My Humidifier: I might feel like an old woman (which, I guess, isn't a new feeling) filling up my humidifier every night, but I get really excited when the vapors start emitting.

And of course, Reality TV: I don't watch much tv, but every once in a while I will indulge myself. Some of these shows are more socially acceptable, some shows people shake their head at (enough people watch it to keep it on air though!). A list of shows I've watched more than once: Project Runway, Top Chef, Top Design, America's Next Top Model, The Apprentice, Real Housewives of OC, Bridezilla, Platinum Weddings, Real World, Extreme Home Makeover, and of course Sweet 16.

What are your guilty pleasures?