Last week I found myself in the Basement of HL Library, frantically working to finish the last few paragraphs of my paper with some sort of all encompassing, profound explanation. I sat blankly–mouth open, as I stared at the blinking cursor with intense disdain for the changing ‘political opportunity structures’ of El Salvador. As the clock struck eleven-thirty, a vision came into my mind of tomorrow’s eight a.m. class. I knew that I’d inevitably be making an appearance in my classy grey-on-grey sweatshirt and sweatpants combo– my version of the fabulous, “sweatsedo,” which always seems to find its way out of the woodwork after a long night in the library.
Something had to be done to get my mind off of El Salvador and more importantly, off of my sweat suit. That’s when I knew I had to do it–– a wave of shame came over me as I plugged in my headphones and cued up iTunes. Quickly, I took a peak over my shoulder to make sure no one was looking. Then with the coast clear, I quickly clicked on my favorite playlist, the one at the bottom… for my eyes only. Suddenly, glory filled my ears as the shockingly shallow lyrics of Buckcherry’s single ‘Crazy Bitch” pumped into my headphones. A rush of happiness quickly came over me, and my paper and Sweatsedo rapidly faded to distant memory. I listened with a smirk, knowing that I was indulging in my very own guilty pleasure in front of everyone in the library—the best part, they didn’t even know.
The ever reputable and academic resource of Urban Dictionary defines a guilty pleasure as “a certain substance or activity a person enjoys, and often practices, while said person morally believes or is informed that the substance or activity is abnormal, improper or incorrect.”
So yes, by this scholastic definition, I have a guilty pleasure that may or may not involve indulging in some occasional trashy ‘head banger’ music. Go ahead and judge me, but I bet you have one too. Why then do our guilty pleasures have to be guilty? If everyone has them, why do we feel the need to hide under a veil of secrecy? I have a personal theory that in times of stress, indulging in a bit of personal gratification helps us relax and unwind, promoting mental-health and well-being. It’s no breaking news that Bowdoin women lead stressful lifestyles. Sometimes it can feel like we have to be in ten different places at once. If left untamed, this feeling of constant pressure can have several negative effects on our bodies and our minds. Without an outlet for stress, it is easy to see how women develop sleep issues, eating disorders, and alcohol addictions, among other problems. Finding a way to cope with stress is absolutely essential and we shouldn’t overlook our guilty pleasures as a legitimate means to this end.
Maybe you love to indulge in that weekly pick-me-up episode of ‘Modern Family.’ I know hearing Gloria yell “Jaaaaaaaay” gets me laughing every time. According to the Mayo Clinic, a good hearty laugh relaxes your muscles and lowers the stress hormone cortisal for up to 45 minutes! Laughter also boosts immunity, decreases pain, and releases endorphins—and we all know what Elle Woods says about those…
If perhaps, you have yet to find that perfect guilty pleasure; I’ve done some very scientific research (ie- asking girls around campus) and compiled a list of my favorite secret indulgences:
- The Hills (enough said)
- Betty Crocker ‘Warm Delights’…with a cold glass of milk… in bed. (If you don’t know what these are then you haven’t truly lived)
- Saturday morning cartoons
- Millionaire Match Maker
- The Real Housewives (of anything)`
- Sunday (and Wednesday) Ice-cream Sundae Bar
- Dancing naked when your roommates are gone
- Bedazzling… just about anything
- Late night infomercials
- Belting out Vanessa Carlton’s “A Thousand Miles” on a long drive to nowhere in particular.
- Online shopping
- Ordering Little Tokyo takeout just so you don’t have to make the walk to Thorne in the Rain
And lastly, my personal favorite: a good old-fashioned head banger song to pump up your library experience.
Photo credit:
1. https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/–3mL4hEw5nE/TY3eyg7D9TI/AAAAAAAAAJM/E…
2. http://www.aboutfilm.com/movies/l/legallyblonde2.jpg
3. http://cdn.crushable.com/files/2010/07/hills.jpg