What are your guilty pleasures, huh?

It is called a a guilty pleasure. A guilty pleasure is an aspect of our lives in which we find a certain amount of joy or comfort, but that we don't want to brag about for fear of what others might think of us, in terms of refinement of taste and basic values. An example would be the true fact that eccentric piano genius Glen Gould was besotted with pop songstress Petulia Clark. So, I don't mean guilt in the sense of something disgusting or potentially illegal that you might favor in your very private moments, but just a thing, attitude, or preference that might take from the public impression that you have so carefully honed so that you might be seen as an enlightened, even exalted human being to whom others cannot help but look to in an upward fashion. I didn't invent the idea of guilty pleasures, but it is one that sort of tickled me when I first ran across it a few years ago. So, what I am about to do is lay myself bare (metaphorically speaking) and offer you some of mine. I would be delighted to hear some of yours. If some of my choices evoke in you a feeling of "What is wrong with liking that? I like that, and I think it'sreally good. Hey, that's OK. Tastes vary. It's just that for me, these things qualify as guilty pleasures:

*Music:

It's My Party by the retro-angst-ridden Lesley Gore.

It's Still Rock-and-Roll To Me by Billy Joel, what can I say?

Mule-Skinner Blues, the Fendermen

Kum on Feel the Noiz, by Slade

Sixteen Candles, Johnny Maestro and the Crests. A good group, and this is pure, treacly nostalgia

Shaddupa You Face, Joe Dolce

Smoke-smoke-smoke that Cigarette, by Phil Harris

I Yoost Go Nuts at Christmas, by Yorgi Yorgesen

*Foodstuffs:

Tater tots

Toasted peanut butter and honey sandwiches; a kind of variation on Elvis's toasted PB and banana

Spam

Devilled ham: I think this falls into the potted meat category from the movie Sling Blade, which the little kid referred to as consisting of lips and assholes

Lettuce and mayonnaise sandwiches on cheap white bread

Cream of Wheat: I don't even mind the lumps

Batter fried anything: A coronary in a simple foodstuff; I indulge rarely.

Pigs in a Blanket

*Random guilty pleasures:

Visible Panty Lines on women and, in the same context, dark undies worn under white or light garments: A fashion gaffe I know, but not without its fans.

Samantha's evil and sexy sister Serena on Bewitched. I know they were both played by the exquisite Elizabeth Montgomery, but somehow Serena was more alluring in a 'bad' way.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

F-Troop, especially Larry Storch

Clint Howard in anything, which usually means a Ron Howard flick. Poor Clint. Ron got to be cute Opie, and later all-American lad Ritchie Cunningham, and Clint got to be, well, Clint.

Dirty Harry movies

Marie Osmond. Not for her singing, just because I have always kind of liked looking at her and wondering just how 'pure' she really is.

Donna Reed on the old Donna Reed Show. I wish I'd had a friend with a Mom who looked like Donna. Actually, I did have a friend with a Mom who looked like Donna, and I used to go and visit on the ruse of seeing my friend, but I really wanted to talk to his Mom.

To Know Him is to Love Him by the Teddy Bears. The wacky Phil Spector at his sanest many years ago.

I just could keep adding, but I would rather hear some of yours.