Why Guilty Pleasures Should Not Exist
Guilty pleasures are something most people have. One might feel embarrassed about listening to boy bands or watching a certain reality TV show. However, people should not have to feel bad about enjoying an activity and society should learn to not shame others for their harmless interests.
The term “guilty pleasure” is often rooted in misogyny. It is common for activities that are popular among young girls to be “cringy” or seen as something to be embarrassed about. For example, Taylor Swift and One Direction have music that is generally listened to by young girls, so they are looked down upon by many. Some other traditionally feminine activities that are deemed as inferior by society include reading romance novels, listening to pop music by female artists, watching romantic comedy movies, and more. By shaming those who participate in “girly” activities and by calling these “guilty pleasures,” society is indirectly saying that women and things associated with women are inferior.
Guilty pleasures are harmless, so they should not have such a stigma. Guilt should only be associated with doing something wrong or something that hurts others. These activities only provide joy to a person, so it is unfair to shame them when they have done nothing wrong. The term “guilty pleasures” can also promote toxic productivity, by implying that one must spend all of their time engaging in intellectually challenging pursuits. People should realize that it’s okay to give their brains a break sometimes and to watch a mindless TV show that they find entertaining.
People often feel like they have to hide things they enjoy out of fear of judgement from others, but those who judge others for liking harmless activities are not people one should be associated with. People should avoid these kinds of toxic and judgemental people and instead surround themselves with those who will uplift them and support their interests. Shedding the mindset that there is something wrong with liking certain things will help people enjoy those experiences even more and promote a more accepting society.
The term “guilty pleasures'' should not exist because it only shames people for participating in harmless activities that bring them joy and promotes negative ideas like toxic productivity and misogyny. Instead of “guilty pleasures,” they should just be called “pleasures!”
