Whether it’s that overpriced imported chocolate bar or a really trashy TV show, we all have something that we hate to enjoy, though not all of us admit it. Since when does liking something have to have an attached stigma?

Why do we hate to love these things so much? Are we actually ashamed of watching that entire “America’s Next Top Model” marathon? Or do we think that other people will judge us for it, so we have to act like we didn’t love every single second of Tyra Banks yelling at the contestants?

We love these things. Maybe it’s a little bit of schadenfreude or “Thank God I don’t act like that,” but we derive genuine excitement and pleasure from watching really bad reality shows. Some TV sitcoms are just as bad. Yet we anxiously anticipate a new episode every week.

In my opinion, we’re allowed to love these things openly and unabashedly. It’s OK to freak out a little bit if someone on TV falls in love with the wrong person or if disaster strikes right before that poor, over-tanned and over-hairsprayed toddler attempts to become a pageant queen.

Whether we’re using television as an escape method or eating our feelings after a rough week at school, we’re stepping away from reality for a little to regroup and get ready to take on the world again. I think we need “guilty pleasures,” no matter what they are. It’s OK to like things that other people don’t. You’re allowed to have your own opinions on what you do!

The only caveat to this whole idea of a guilty pleasure is moderation. Eating six candy bars in a row isn’t the best thing for you, and neither is watching an entire season of a TV show in a day – though that might also be impossible. Take your time with the things you love. Enjoy them and stop feeling guilty about it!

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to watch last week’s “Glee” again. 🙂