Guilty pleasures
So I’m reading these books.
Maybe you’ve heard of them. They tend to overuse words such as “smoldering” and “breathless”. There may be some undead creatures. And lots and lots of pining.
(The Twilight saga, for those of you residing under rocks.)
And I can’t put the damn things down.
The skeptic in me still has a running sarcastic dialog going.
“No, Bella, I’m clumsy. You are bordering on a lame horse that needs to be put down because it can’t even gallop.”
“THAT was the rescue? All those pages and pages of build up for two sentences of ‘And then he showed up at the nick of time to save my life?’”
“He’s technically in his 90s! How is that not creepy?”
Yet I rush to the back of the train to huddle up with the latest chapter, almost sad when the intercom informs me that it is my stop. I drag it all over the apartment with me, so if I have two minutes waiting for my tea water to boil, I can catch up on a couple pages.
At first, I was too embarrassed to admit that, at 27, I was spending my spare time catching up on the exploits of teen vampires.
It didn’t help that when I told my boyfriend that a friend wanted to lend me the books over Christmas break, he started laughing hysterically, and was convinced that I was joking. My jerky little shrugs were taken as playing dead pan, rather than earnestness.
So I began reading them secretly, using my arm or my jacket to block the title from the view of commuters, keeping it stored in my book bag, rather than on my bed side table with the rest of my regular reads. When someone cautiously peered over my shoulder, I fought the need to tell them “It’s okay. I’m a PhD student. I read lots of smart things, too.”
I eventually confessed it to a friend, in a self-deprecating manner, slowly revealing the title of the book from the depths of my tote bag. She proceeded to spill the beans when out to dinner with my boyfriend.
Now that I have reached book three at perhaps the fastest speed I have read a non-academic book since my teens, I’m getting past the denial phase.
“Hello, my name is Princess, and I’m besotted with Twilight!”
There is something about me that fears guilty pleasures. It could be that I spend more of my working days surrounded by academics and the like. I play along well with the role, too. I watch documentary films for fun. I go to Japanese movies at the film festival. I listen to indie bands. I read smart books.
Somehow, this has led me to believe that this is incompatible with enjoying the less profound things in life. As such, I cringe when I am caught checking Perez Hilton. I blush when I bring How To Lose A Guy in 10 Days to the rental counter. I cup my hand over my iPod so no one can see that I am jamming to Kylie Minogue.
This is, of course, ridiculous. We all have our guilty pleasures. That guy of mine who made fun of my choice in novels? He likes UFC and graphic novels (aka. adult comics). A friend of mine in the lab who is always critiquing the mass media is addicted to The Hills.
So, as of today, I am refusing to be embarrassed for liking the same book as millions of teenage girls. And I am not lying about the fact that I’m going to see movie on Tuesday, and plan to swoon wholeheartedly.
What is your guilty pleasure?
January 27th, 2009 at 2:04 am
The Twilight series was SUCH a guilty pleasure for me. The entire time I well knew that I was MUCH too old to be reading the books and loving them as much as I did.
January 27th, 2009 at 2:34 am
I’ve just recently jumped on the Twilight bandwagon. I read the first book in a DAY. I was hesitant to join in with the cultural phenomena with the series, but when a friend finally loaned me her copy–even though I didn’t ask her to–I felt I had no choice in the matter anymore. And there’s something about the books. It’s not like they are uber suspenseful, but there’s something that keeps you coming back for more. And it’s impossible to describe. Oh wait, in just one word.
Edward
(Oh and technically he would be over a hundred if he was born in 1901. The first book was written in 2005 I think. )
January 27th, 2009 at 5:50 am
Yes, I read it too. I refuse to feel bad about it (even though initially I did hide the covers also on the bus). It’s complete rubbish, but very enjoyable rubbish. I have no idea why. I can say though that the writing does get better as the books go on. Either that or my brain gave in and just pretended it was better to numb the pain.
January 27th, 2009 at 8:27 am
After hearing the girlfriend talk about how good they were, I decided I would suck it up and see for myself. I’ll admit they’re fairly well written and at times hilarious. Even if Edward Cullen rubs me wrong (you know, being a stalker and all).
My own guilty pleasure?
That would be Grey’s Anatomy, hands down. Even if I’ve only watched the first season set so far.
January 27th, 2009 at 10:28 am
Oh honey, I’m with you on the whole, “I’m smart! Really!” thing. I always feel like I need to justify my lust for chick lit by following it up with some super literary book. But then again, if someone even talks to me, it comes out within a minute that I’m writing a thesis.
Oh. I should probably mention. I can say I’m reading the Twilight series for research, since ta-da! Part of my research involves one Ms. Stephenie Meyer!
January 27th, 2009 at 11:18 am
so yeah. i totally might have just finished the first one, requested the second one at the library and will basically have to sit on my hands until the latest one arrives. i am SO lame!!!
January 27th, 2009 at 11:43 am
I’m 26 and I like any and everything with rhinestones. mm hmm
(and i am in chapter 3 of the 4th book… SO GOOD.. can’t put it down!!)
January 27th, 2009 at 11:53 am
Ah, I’m half through Breaking Dawn right now. Yes, it’s strange that we are drawn to these poorly written books. Yes, it is strange that Edward is a stalker (sneaking into her bedroom, etc) and Bella doesn’t find it creepy. Yes, it is strange that we are strangely turned on by a 100+ year old vampire in the body of a 17 year old. Yes, it is strange that my 63 year old mom is currently reading Eclipse. Yes, the Twilight series is my guilty pleasure and I will no longer oppress the love I feel for these characters. I will stand up and be proud to be a 29 year old MBA who loves Twilight! Stand up ladies, be proud!
January 27th, 2009 at 12:35 pm
I can’t support this addiction.
I hate those book. Sorry Pointful.
January 27th, 2009 at 12:45 pm
Come on. The books aren’t that bad. I’d venture to say that the first was even well written! My boyfriend read it (before I even had a chance to) and he enjoyed it! And he can be kind of a snob (he’s got good taste though, seriously). I admit the following three are much more decadent in terms of indulging in teen vampire drama, but they’re really not that bad!!! (She insists with great fury)
But hey, you’re not alone. I flush when I return cheesy movies too, and I tend to turn down my Justin Timberlake if my windows are rolled down and I’ve stopped at an intersection. You are so not alone.
January 27th, 2009 at 1:20 pm
guilty pleasures…definitely the twilight series…it was great. a chic lit book here and there..aaand the hills/the city. and i’ve learned to embrace the fact that a part of me will always like these kinds of things. i think there are many more people out there who are embarassed to be watching/reading these things than there are those people who admit it and don’t get why people are looking at them funny
January 27th, 2009 at 2:16 pm
At 24, I read the entire series around christmas time as well. It all started because I thought the movie could be interested, I mean, I like cedric from HP, so why not. But I didn’t want to see the movie without reading the book, it’s how I work. So I added myself to the waitlist of 125 to get the first twilight from the library. After that, I bought the last 3 off Amazon. To this day I feel embarrassed to say I read them all, but it is a guilty pleasure. It’s Chick-Lit, it’s easy to read and entertaining. It’s not the best writing, not the best plot, but it’s entertaining. Nothing wrong with that.
January 27th, 2009 at 4:35 pm
I do not admit publicly (apparently blogs are not public) that I got sucked into the Twilight series… because for the longest time I chastised all that even mentioned Edward and Bella.
I refuse to see the movie though. I just don’t get the whole RPatt thing.
January 28th, 2009 at 2:16 am
I have an issue with popular things. I refuse to like them. I did get addicted to True Blood (hot vampires that don’t sparkle) though, and that’s no less shameful. Maybe more so. Seeing how I often have to shield my eyes in order to avoid blushing.
Yeah-I may give in. I have the first book. It taunts me.