Saturday, March 29, 2008

Guilty Pleasures

by Susan Seyfarth

So something really extraordinary happened to me yesterday. I got fan mail. Sort of.

I'm what we call an AYU in this business: an As Yet Unpublished. This makes it tough to get fan mail. (It also makes it tough to get hate mail, so there's the silver lining, I guess.) Anyway, one of the women who judged my manuscript Money, Honey for this year's Golden Heart contest emailed to say she'd been pulling for it to final because she'd loved reading the partial so much. This just blew me away. First because, wow, what a nice thing to say. But second because nobody was ever supposed to love Money, Honey but me.

Without going into a lot of excruciating detail, let's just say that I wrote MH during a particularly difficult phase of my life & as a result, the book is a little...um...dark. It's not full of serial killers or child molesters or dog kickers or anything like that. Heaven forfend. It's just got a really broody, pessimistic, emotionally closed off hero with a well-deserved criminal record. He's hot as hell, yes, but good boyfriend material? Warm & fuzzy? Fully reformed & legitimately employed? Not so much. He's difficult. Prickly. Dangerous. And maybe not in a good way.
And the heroine? Well. I gave her a backstory so viciously complicated & emotionally scarring that even my amazingly supportive critique partner said, "She can't have lived through that & turned out even remotely normal."

Did I listen? Did I fix things? I did not. I wrote the damn book my own damn way & sent it off to the contest circuit where it got duly slaughtered. I shoved it under the bed where it belonged & figured I'd written the fabled Book of My Heart. You know the one that nobody will ever love but you, but you're somehow compelled to write anyway? The story you're longing to tell that has absolutely no commercial viability?

When Money, Honey hit the finals, I was stunned. It was like the universe had suddenly decided to reward me for indulging my quirks instead of sending the Rejection Express steaming through my mailbox every day. This was unprecedented. I ought to go nuts while the window of opportunity was open, right? So I started thinking about things I secretly enjoy that I don't widely publicize. I polled my friends about their guilty pleasures. I quizzed my family. Here (in no particular order & without attribution to protect the innocent) is what I discovered we love but won't necessarily admit to:

1) Smokin' hot anti-heros with a razor-sharp edge. Doesn't hurt if they're really, really rich & just the tiniest bit cruel. Remember James Spader from Pretty in Pink? Yummers. (Okay, I'll admit it. That one's mine.)

2) Wine Coolers. Hello, high school. And yet, on a really hot summer's evening? Admit it--a Bartles & Jaymes can go down pretty smooth.

3) Cheap Trick/Journey. This was a two way tie . I mean, come on. We all love these bands but nobody will own up to it. Sure, we all crank up the volume when we stumble across their songs on the radio, but who'll admit to having the CD in the car? (Okay, I will. I love me some Cheap Trick.)

4) Trash TV. A show called "Plastic Surgery: Before & After" seemed to come up in conversation a lot. Wife Swap came up pretty often, too. I haven't seen these ones, but I have a well publicized addiction to People magazine & Perez Hilton's celebrity gossip site, so I have no room to act superior. People also admitted to loving Las Vegas, various soap operas, 90210 & Dawson's Creek. (That last one was mine. I'm not ashamed. I loved Pacey.)

5) Insulting good food with cheap condiments. Tartar sauce on a $50 fish filet at a fancy restaurant. Mayo on fries. Ketchup on steak. I'll admit to a predilection for cheap ice cream. You can keep your Ben & Jerry's. Hang on to your Haagen Daaz. Scoop me up a big fat bowl of plain ol' vanilla from a $3 family sized tub. Squirt on the Hershey's & I'm there.

So how about you? If the universe really IS rewarding us this week for indulging our private quirks, now isn't the time to hold back! What do you love that you hide? And reading romance doesn't count. Not in the Lair. :-)

123 comments:

Tawny said...

Yanno... I came in, looked around the empty room and waved at the GR, then left. I fiddled with the blog, peeked in again, did the finger wiggle, then left. But here I am, at third time... and the GR is just sititng here all alone...

I can't resist

Tawny said...

Soooo... guilty pleasures.

TV *G* I watch so little of it, and when I do I tend to watch cheesy sitcoms (Home Improvement, anyone?) that really adds to the whole "wasting my time" feeling.

Now the REALLY guilty pleasure is watching cheesy sitcoms while drinking a hard lemonade and eating Mexican food.

oooooh, the pleasure! and the guilt LOL

Suzanne Ferrell said...

Fun post, Susan. Guilty pleasures huh? (uh considering my confession on the private loop as to what I'm currently writing, I'll uhm choose my guilty pleasures carefully.)

1.Nachos...homemade with loads of cheese and piping hot from the oven...and sour cream.

2. Popcorn with real butter melted over top!

3.6 hour marathon of A&E's Pride and Prejudice late at night when the house is empty.

4. CSI Miami....I adore Horatio Caine (aka David Caruso)

5. Top Chef and Project Runway...two shows that pop on at 2 am when I'm in full insomnia mode!!

6. Warm fuzzy socks right from the dryer!

7.chocolate brownies...homemade with thick home made gnache on top!

8. French Kiss, The Saint and my all time sexy man movie...........TOMBSTONE!
oh baby!!

Anna Campbell said...

Tawny, we knew he wanted to go home with you again so we made sure you got him!

Smoov, great post. I have too many guilty pleasures to mention. James Blunt certainly counts as one - most people I know can't stand him! Which is why I hesitated to mention his input into Matthew when people asked me about who I'd cast as the characters in Untouched. I love really cheesy romantic music - there, I've said it. I love things like Unforgettable and When I Fall in Love and Autumn Leaves. Yes, I do currently have Nat King Cole on the CD player. I love his voice - it's so smooth and he makes every word sound like poetry. Even in something as cheesy as Too Young, which I must say is too cheesy even for me!

Suz, what's guilty about taking pleasure in Val Kilmer? He was gorgeous in Willow too. Darn fine figure of a man as we say in Cheesyville, Downunder!

Loucinda McGary aka Aunty Cindy said...

I was a wee bit skeptical Ms. Tawny Depp, until I looked at the times of your posts and Suz's. You and the GR were rattling around the Lair by your lonely selves! So have fun for the rest of your day. ;-)

Fun post, Smoov! Guilty pleasures, you ask? Aunty SELDOM feels guilty about her pleasures. Embarrassed occasionally, but seldom guilty. HA!

Now I suppose you want me to ADMIT to the embarrassing stuff... All right, all right!

I actually LIKE those dorky zombie movies the DH makes me sit through. We saw one a few weeks ago called Fido that was a take-off on Timmy and Lassie. But in this case it was Timmy and his pet zombie Fido, who Mom actually had a bit of a thing for...

We were both in stitches when it ended, but when we tried to explain the appeal to our friends -- hmmmm, they all stared just like you are all staring right now!

AC
red-faced

Christine Wells said...

Hey, Susan does it again! Loved your fun post. First, congratulations once again on such a brilliant showing in the Golden Heart. And you know, I believe that writing the book of your heart can often be the key to a bright career, so I'm totally behind you on Money, Honey. Lurv the sound of your hero.

Guilty Pleasures--see, I think none of you are really embarrassing yourself with any of these things. They're kind of so bad they're cool. Here are the ones I thought of just off the top of my head and I know you're going to groan:

1. Instant coffee. NO ONE I know likes instant coffee, but I love me a cup of double strength Moccona Indulgence first thing.

2. The Nolan Sisters. OK, I haven't listened to them since I was 10 but no one liked them even back then.

3. Sherbert--Whizz Fizz. Yum!

4. TV show The Matchmaker. Ah, Alicia Silverstone--skinny blond and cute, everything I'm not. Must admit though that the main attraction is the love interest, who looks like a young version of Richard Armitage. Very nice.

I'm sure I could go on but I'll stop there. And Cheap Trick. Susan, I'm SO with you on Cheap Trick! And also the band who sang Love Letters in the Sand--can't remember. In fact I'm a sucker for hard rocker hair bands singing sappy songs. Make that #5.

Tawny, Tawny. I think YOU must the the GR's guilty pleasure. Take care of him, won't you?

Tawny said...

In fact I'm a sucker for hard rocker hair bands singing sappy songs. Make that #5.

Tawny, Tawny. I think YOU must the the GR's guilty pleasure. Take care of him, won't you?


Awe, he's happy here. It must be all the other animials - he's mistaking my house for a zoo LOL.

Christine, OMG hair bands and ballads. *deep sigh* I love them. Just hearing the intro to Extrem's More Than Words sends me into a swoon LOL. Check out Power Ballads-- a definite trip back to the eighties.

Christine Wells said...

Power Ballads--sounds great:) Actually, friends at school had a female version of the hair band and they sang More Than Words like a dream. I loved being their groupie.*g*

Gillian Layne said...

"I waaaant yoooou to want me..." Yeah, like that's not gonna be in my head the rest of the day! :) May require a trip to YouTube. Nothing says guilty pleasures like 80's music videos!

Oh, and when I'm sick and/or stressed? S'More Poptarts and real Coke.

The Saint is not a guilty pleasure--it's a staple in my DVD library! Isn't it a requirement for romance writers?

Oh, and Shining Through with Melanie Griffith and Micheal Douglas, a WWII love story, from 1992. OMG. That movie, a box of extra butter popcorn, and a box of Good and Plenty...yum!

WTG, Tawny :)

Gillian Layne said...

Oh, hey!

"Night at the Roxbury"! That's got to count as a guilty pleasure. Especially because I could instantly recognize the Super Bowl commercial spoof they made of it. :)

Marie Force said...

Susan,
I'd like to apply for the position of your new best friend. I LOVE Journey (have the CD in the car), Cheap Trick, trash TV, trash magazines, bad condiments on good food, the list goes on and on. Not a big fan of wine coolers, but I love my plain old Miller Lite and I'm with you on the ice cream.

MUCHO congrats on your GH final and for sticking with the book you wanted to write. I have one of those, too, and I'm biding my time until I can say to my editor, "and then, there's THIS..." She's got other stuff to consider first, but my baby is waiting patiently for its day in the sun (along with her two friends Sequel 1 and Sequel 2).

I didn't realize we could now contact those we judged. One of the MSs I judged finaled and I was thrilled to see it on the list. I will make sure to touch base with that author now that I've read your post.

I will be rooting for you to win in SF.
Marie

Beth Andrews said...

Susan, congrats again on your double final! Can't wait to cheer you on in San Fran :-)

Great post *g* I have many guilty pleasures that I refuse to feel guilty or embarrassed about ;-)

I love me some Cheap Trick (saw them live twice *g*) and regular vanilla ice cream. Yes, we've been known to buy those HUGE tubs of ice cream. If you've ever seen my middle child eat, you'd understand why :-)

And I'm not ashamed to admit I love soap operas! I haven't watched any since I started writing but I love the romance story lines - and the hot guys aren't hard to watch either *g*

I've also been known to pick up my girls' Cosmo-Girl or American Girl (not like the doll, it's a pre-teen mag *g*) instead of the current Newsweek out of our magazine basket. Sometimes I've just had enough of NEWS, ya know?

Tawny, congrats on the GR!! And my youngest LOVES Home Improvement! After watching it, she'll be in a fit of giggles and insist on telling us everything that happened in that episode ;-)

brownone said...

Guilty pleasures, hmm...
I have a glass front door so every "holiday" I put those tacky window clings. I just took down my eggs.

I love dipping my fries in a vanilla or chocolate shake.

I LOVE Hell's Kitchen. Gordon Ramsey can be such a pig but I think I'm in love with the accent. Heck, I think I just love watching shows with men who have accents. Even "House". I love it when Hugh Laurie does interviews. It's a sickness! :-)

brownone said...

Oh, and hair bands! Guns N Roses, Poison, Bon Jovi...although I've been watching "Rock of Love II" and Brett Michaels looks pretty busted up now...

Congrats on the GR Tawny!

Marie Force said...

Beth,
My son, who is 9, LOVES Home Improvement re-runs. He has 20 TiVO'd at any given time, which drives his sister crazy. We'll be out to dinner with friends/family and my son will say, "Did you see the new episode of Home Improvement?" We keep having to remind him the show was on more than 10 years ago and those kids are all grown men. But the belly laughs...we all stop to listen. Nothing better than a show that never loses its funny!
Marie

Susan Sey said...

Congrats on the Golden Rooster, Tawny! And you showed such restraint by not rooster napping him right out of the gate! Thanks for fixing the blog, too. You're a golden girl today all around!

And as for guilty pleasures, I have to admit, I love me some greasy Mexican food, too. And there's nothing I love more than eating while reading a magazine, which is my version of cheesy sitcoms. :-)

Susan Sey said...

Suz--I LOVE your list!!

I've been partially in love with David Caruso since his NYPD Blue days. What IS it about that pasty faced man that makes me tingle??

But just reading your list made me want to go put on some fuzzy socks & make a pan of brownies.

Susan Sey said...

Oh, Anna, romantic music! *happy sigh* I know Frank Sinatra was a wife beater, a mob sympathizer & an all-around not so pleasant guy, & yet when he sings, I'm mush. I've got yoooooou, under my skiiiiin...

I'm also a big fan of the terribly sappy teenage romance movies. I still have a soft spot for...okay, I'm just going to throw it out there. The Cutting Edge. The ice skating princess finds Olympic Gold & the Love Of Her Life With The Ex-Hockey Player movie? Yep. I nursed a crush on D B Sweeney for years over that movie...

Susan Sey said...

Oh, AC, I love it! I must find that movie immediately! Have you seen Shaun of the Dead? If not, go Netflix it immediately! You're in for a treat.

Susan Sey said...

Christine! Welcome home! And, as a mom who's recently seen her family through ROUND THREE of the Dreaded Barfing Illness, may I offer my sympathies for whatever bug you all have just beaten back?

Thanks for the GH congrats! I'm still kind of suspicious of the bounty, actually. Like somebody's going to call & take it back. So far so good, but I'll keep you posted. :-)

And I think your list of guilty pleasures is wonderful! My husband is a terrible coffee snob, so while I myself wouldn't blink at the instant stuff, I know you must keep it in the darkest reaches of the further cupboard. The Coffee Community does frown on such things, as I understand it.

And I must know: What's a sherbert Fizz-Whizz? Is it an ice cream soda drink of some sort? Because if it is, count me in, please. Yum.

Susan Sey said...

Hi, Gillian. Sorry about the ear worm. (I just learned that term! It's supposed to describe a song that getsin your head & won't leave. It's disgusting & yet apt.)

My Cheap Trick Ear Worm of the Day? "Mama's all right! Daddy's all right! They just seem a little weeeeeeirdd. Surrender! Surrender! But don't give yourself away! Waaaay! Waaa-aaaaay!"

Ahem. Sorry everybody. Check it out on youtube if you haven't had the pleasure of that particular song.

Joan said...

Tawny Depp....Go you!

Susan, I am so excited for your double final and SO psyched that a mss. "some judges" thought too dark or whatever has made it to the dance.

I too received an email from a judge of THE PATRICIAN'S FORTUNE. She cited that it was "real, gritty" (It opens with the hero about to be crucified)She cited the different time period and just really made me feel good and boosted my confidence.

I think a LOT of readers are looking for different whether it be in characters, plots or time periods. BTW...I'm bringing one of those canned horns to blow when your name is announced as winner *g*

Now, onto guilty pleasures.

Dancing with the Stars.

Yes, I am obsessed. So obsessed in fact that people at the hospital seek me out for my critique of the dancers. Who's gonna win? What did you think about so and so? My night staff KNOWS they better get into work on time so I can get home to watch.

(BTW, my money right now is on Kristi Yamguchi??sp, Shannon and Jason the NFL guy)

Another guilty pleasure is attending any production of "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat". It was one here in Louisville and I attended THREE times in one week. (Hey, that year I was on vacation and couldn't go to Ireland).

Food wise that would be chocolate chip ice cream. Especially Homemade brand....feeling an urge...Must. Not. Go. To. Kroger.

Must. Go. To. Gym.

Which is on the way to Kroger :-)

Susan Sey said...

Hey, Marie! You & I could get along happily together for YEARS. And I loved your idea of introducing the book of your heart to your editor, followed closely by her friends Sequel 1 & Sequel 2. I was especially tickled because Money Honey is actually book 3 of a loosely connected trilogy roosting under my bed. :-) Hope springs eternal, does it not?

Oooh, & I forgot beer in a can for my list of guilty pleasures. I do love me a good micro brew, but sometimes, only a Bud Lite will do.

Susan Sey said...

Oh, & Marie, I don't know the official RWA stance on contacting people you've judged. I've been hearing scuttlebutt on the various loops about people being contacted, but I don't know how RWA feels about this. Anybody have the official position??

Marie Force said...

Since you've added greasy Mexican to the list, I'm wondering when you can move in. I'm sure I could find somewhere to send my husband and kids to make room for my new BFF. The beer, however, MUST be in a bottle. Sorry...

Susan Sey said...

Hiya, Beth! I, too, have enjoyed a few quality minutes with American Girl Magazine. Nothing to be ashamed of there. When I was polling people for their guilty pleasures, a college professor friend of mine tried to convince me that The Economist website counted as a guilty pleasure. I was like, "Yeah, I don't think so."

When I was in college, my class schedule was such that I was at home every day between 11:30 & 12:15 for lunch. I got hooked on a soap, I think it was the Bold & the Beautiful? It was about two families that ran competing design houses or something? Yeah, it was awesome. The people were so devious & manipulative & beautiful. I quite enjoyed that one. :-)

Trish Milburn said...

Hey, I'll admit to owning a 3-CD collection of Journey. :) And while we're admitting embarrassing musical likes, I'll venture forth and say that, yes, I own two of Britney Spears' CDs. Okay, so she's no Sarah McLachlan, but I love her music to dance to.

I'm also a big Survivor fan from way back.

Suz, I love Tombstone too. Need to watch that again.

Tawny and Christine, I'm with you on hair band ballads. Hey, it was my high school years! Poison, Warrant, Dokken, Whitesnake, Bon Jovi, G&R, Extreme, and the list goes on.

Brownone, OMG I can't stand to watch Rock of Love. I mean, I really liked Brett back in the day, but geez, dude. I can't get past the skank factor. Of course, I say that and have been known to watch episodes of Celebrity Rehab. :)

Trish Milburn said...

Susan, I love The Cutting Edge too. It was so weird to see D.B. Sweeney playing a really awful person on Jericho this season.

And HUGE congrats and good luck on your GH finals!

Susan Sey said...

Brownone! My informal poll indicates that Fries In Milkshake is a very well respected guilty pleasure! You're in good company. And I envy you your holiday decorating ability. I'm pathetic. One year my daughter actually decorated my vaccuum cleaner with assorted toys & ribbons because I'd failed to provide her with a Christmas tree in a timely fashion. And the vaccuum had been sitting out THAT long. *sigh* there goes mother of the year.

doglady said...

Sigh! The GR is a rake! I knew it. First Fedora, now Tawny!

Great post, Susan! I LOVE that your "under the bed book" is a Golden Heart finalist. And now that you have told us about it I can see why! Can't wait to see that one on the shelves. Did you print and frame your fan letter? I would in a heartbeat. I am still in awe of your double final! Can't wait to see you in San Fran!

Guilty pleasures? Where do I start?

Anna, I am with you on James Blunt. So many people don't like him, but I am a sucker for a talented musician with a smooth, sexy sound. Of course as a classically trained singer I am not supposed to like "that sort" of music. Nat King Cole, Etta James, Sinatra and even Patsy Cline! Actually I worked my way through undergrad school in part by singing Patsy Cline in some of the most hole in the wall country bars in Alabama. We're talking bars with cages in front of the singer so if it got too rowdy I wouldn't get hurt. Had my voice teacher known I was singing country she would have locked me up with bread and water!

Another guilty pleasure? Chili cheese fries! The large order! I can make a meal of just that!

LOVE Shaun of the Dead and other movies of that ilk. Gotta check out the Fido movie.

I was a huge soap fan until my favorite star switched soaps. In fact there is some no doubt horrible fan fiction out there on a now defunct website starring his character written by yours truly!

Keira Soleore said...

Cock-a-hoop, Tawny. He sure likes to be with you.

What do you love that you hide? And reading romance doesn't count.

My big one is admitting I write romance. I'm getting better, but I must say that it is hardest with older friends, especially when they come up with the question, "So, are you working now?" Well, I have family-stuff, house-stuff, finances-stuff, writing, gym, and health-stuff. I'm solidly booked.

Nutella is another. Given how freely I admit it here and elsewhere online about my obsession with Nutella, in real life? Not so much.

Susan Sey said...

Joan! I was just saying to Marie that I wasn't sure what the official rules were on contacting the authors of the mss we judged, but it seems like it's happening all over the place.

What a lovely thing to hear about your manuscript! Real & gritty aren't two terms we can apply to a great many romance novels, & I think you're right: people are really hungry for a different experience. Especially one that can offer up both real, gritty AND a HEA. I know some lucky editor's going to stumble onto your roman boys any day now & make the reading world very, very happy. In the meantime, what a grand time to indulge your guilty pleasures!

I have never seen DWTS, but I understand it's wildly addictive. And I've never seen Joseph & the Technicolor Dreamcoat either, but I feel the same way about Godspell. Preeeee-eeee-eee-pare yeeeee the way of the Looooord... How can you not love a song that opens with somebody blowing the crap out of a conch shell?

Which reminds me, if there is any air horn action on GH night in San Fran, I will totally know who to blame. :-)

Marie Force said...

I couldn't find my GH girl via Google, so I guess I can't tell her how happy I am that she's in the finals.

Susan Sey said...

Hey, Marie, no problem on the bottled vs. canned beer dilemma. We're having Mexican food. Let's have margaritas!

Joan said...

*Hint* Marie....watch for her to announce on any of the loops.....then you can get her email :-)

And Susan...NEVER seen DWTS!!!!!!!!

I SO wish I could do ballroom dancing. There is...inside me...a dancer who can a)actually walk AND dance in 4 inch heels b)can wear those skimpy, sexy outfits....ok, well if I don't go pass the gym on to the Krogers VBG

Another obsession...The Food Network. I LOVE watching food being prepared. I've actually learned some stuff too. Good Eats had a riveting special on "The Many Faces of Okra" just the other night.

Ummm...guess typing on the blog isn't getting me to the gym, huh?

Susan Sey said...

Hey, Trish, I like Britney more than I'd care to admit, too. I'm actually relieved she finally seems to be on some good meds finally. Poor thing.

I haven't seen the Brett Michael's reality show, but I did see it lampooned on SNL a few weeks ago. Is the real thing THAT bad??

GASP! DB Sweeney is on Jericho?? Oh my! I must now add that show to my list...

Thanks for the GH congrats, too, Trish! If the '08 ladies turn out to be anywhere near as great as the '06 packers, I'm one lucky girl.

Susan Sey said...

Hey, Doglady! Right back at you with the GH congrats! I'll be rooting for you in San Fran, too!

Country music is another one of my guilty pleasures. I'm so glad somebody mentioned it. I love me some Patsy Cline. And when Lee Ann Rimes busted onto the scene back in the early nineties with a song originally written for Patsy? Remember that song? Blue? Oh, I had that song on instant replay in my head for months.

But I'm laughing out loud at the image of your horrified voice teacher finding you behind the cage singing unauthorized country. I can't help but envision that scene from the Blues Brothers where they finally play Rawhide to appease the country crowd, chain link fence, bull whip & all. You didn't have a whip, did you??

Susan Sey said...

Keira--congrats on claiming your romance writing! That was a lot harder for me, too, than claiming it as my guilty pleasure reading material. Writing it goes a step farther than lots of folks are comfortable with. It shows real committment, not just dabbling in HEA when you're feeling a little low.

And as for nutella? Yum. That's all I have to say on the matter. :-)

Susan Sey said...

Joanie: The many faces of OKRA?? I need to upgrade my cable subscription. Okra. Who'd have thought?

brownone said...

Susan, it IS that bad! You should see the man. He's got more makeup on than a hooker (okay...so I'm exaggerating a little bit) and he's always got this hat, bandana, or combination of both on. It's horrible. And we won't even get into the girls. I wonder if they check them out for STD's before they begin taping. Hmmm... Well, it's no worse than Flavor of Love...yech! But, like a moth to a flame, I watch.

Suzanne Ferrell said...

DB Sweeny? On Jericho? Hmmmmmmmm...I fell in love with him in that cheesy skating movie and then the movie about the heart surgeon!

And if we're going for really bad food, chili cheese footlongs!!

p226 said...

What do you love that you hide?

Llamas. The sweet, forbidden love that...

I kid! I kid!

Ok... seriously... a guilty pleasure. Eminem and Cypress Hill.

Yeah. I fessed up. I was identified here in the lair as a "music snob." And it's because I really only listen to music that requires skill to perform. Real skill. Skill that comes from tens of thousands of hours of practice and performance. And... those that know me well and hear what I listen to day after day would fall over dead if they heard me listening to Eminem or Cypress Hill.

*hanging head in shame*

Maybe I shoulda stuck with the Llama thing. Would've been less embarrassing.

Trish Milburn said...

Susan, don't be expecting the D.B. Sweeney of The Cutting Edge. He's not so attractive now. Plus, Jericho just ended, so you'll have to wait for the DVDs of the second season. It's been canceled, so there won't be any more episodes.

Caren Crane said...

Congrats, Tawny. You not only snagged the GR, but under completely unselfish circumstances! That must be the universe rewarding you. Actually, Fedora must be out of town or trapped under a piece of furniture somewhere. *g*

Susan, I love this post! Guilty pleasures are my favorite thing of all time.

Okay, I will jump on the Cheap Trick/chili cheese fries bandwagon. And I will confess to:

1. American Idol - It's so bad, it's hypnotic! And Michael Slezak's "Idolatry" videos on EW.com are hysterical!

2. Cold pizza - I never want it warmed up.

3. Billy Squier - Come on, you loved "My Kinda Lover" too, you know you did!

4. Dick Van Dyke - Oh, my gosh, I had a HUGE crush on him when I was little. "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" was awesome, but so were "Mary Poppins" (sorry, I had to say it, didn't I? *g*) and "The Dick Van Dyke Show". Such a cutie and such a nice guy that Rob Petrie.

5. Port wine cheese spread. Hickory Farms, anyone?

6. Kraft Macaroni & Cheese - made as directed, with nothing fancy added, like "real" cheese. My mother still turns her nose up at it, but it's mighty fine as is, in my opinion.

7. Construction workers - I like blue collar men, what can I say? (ooh, and an inadvertent Styx reference - love them!) It doesn't even have to be the buff, young ones either. I kind of dig the guys who you can tell have been working in the sun for decades, with the perma-neck-tan and a bit of a beer gut. I have a great affection for them, for some reason.

8. Sesame Street - the old school one from back in the day, before Mr. Hooper bought it. I loved the "commercials". My favorite is the one about the number 11. "Eleven birdies in a tree, bright yellow beaks and pinky knees!" Love it!

9. All School House Rock videos - we own them on VHS (sadly). I also have the CD School House Rock Rocks, where bands in the 90s did covers of the songs. "Three Is a Magic Number" by Blind Mellon - awesome!

10. ABBA - I adore ABBA! I also loved "Muriel's Wedding" and Muriel's obsession with ABBA. Who's with me?!

Caren Crane said...

P226, I'll give you Cypress Hill, but Eminem? I mean, I did just confess to both Billy Squier and ABBA, but...I don't know. Eminem. I'll have to digest that one for a while. Hey, maybe I should go to You Tube and watch some videos!!

p226 said...

I know, right? I can't explain it. I think it's the lyrical content. I do like good lyrics.

Like this gem from the Fugees:

Oh say can you see, cops more crooked than we,
By the dawns early light, robbin ****** for keys

Gak. I just admitted another guilty pleasure.... Fugees....

I'm going to shut up now.

Suzanne Ferrell said...

Caren wrote Construction workers - I like blue collar men, what can I say? (ooh, and an inadvertent Styx reference - love them!) It doesn't even have to be the buff, young ones either. I kind of dig the guys who you can tell have been working in the sun for decades, with the perma-neck-tan and a bit of a beer gut. I have a great affection for them, for some reason.

Perhaps it's because a man who knows how to fix things and weild power tools safely is a thing of beauty?

Caren Crane said...

Beth and Susan, I can't tell you how many issues of American Girl and Sweet Sixteen I have devoured. Actually, Justine is a newer one that is also a fun read.

I told you guys on our loop that my youngest has OJD (Obsessive Jonas Disorder) and she gloms onto every teen photo mag imaginable. We have many, many magazines chronicling the on again/off again romance of Nick Jonas and Miley Cyrus. And yes, I have read them!

Another guilty pleasure: Entertainment Weekly. It's the only way I can keep up with pop culture!

Suzanne Ferrell said...

People Magazine. Started reading it when a barely out of nursing school grad. (Dang that mag is OLD). And thankfully, my coworkers feed my addiction by bringing it in every Friday. I mean, how can I get through the week without my celebrity bump watch?? (My fear is one of those celebs will end up in my hospital by accident and I'd have to actually take care of them, GEESH!)

Trish Milburn said...

Caren, I'm an ABBA fan too. I want to see the Broadway show Mama Mia. And I remember liking Muriel's Wedding, though now I can't remember much about it. Much watch again. I subscribe to Entertainment Weekly. :)

P226, I'll admit to liking some Eminem songs too.

pjpuppymom said...

Great blog and, whoa, seems like there are a lot of guilty pleasures out there. 50 posts worth!

Tawny, you and the GR enjoy yourselves today.

Guilty pleasure? I'll admit to one or two - or 12 - or more. Let's see, there's...

Mayfield Moose Tracks ice cream.

Chocolate chips and a jar of peanut butter.

Fresh from the oven chocolate chip cookies and a glass of cold milk.

Sensing a theme here? lol

Mexican food and margaritas - a lovely combination.

Reality TV - Yep, I'm hooked on Survivor, American Idol, DWTS, So You Think You Can Dance, What Not to Wear. Love them!

People Magazine (I subscribe) and Entertainment Tonight. Hey, it's news!

Popcorn with real butter. (Is there any other kind?)

Music from the 50s and 60s. Many a time the UPS man has caught me dancing through the house singing along with Chuck Berry, The Four Seasons, The Doors and others at the top of my lungs. Thankfully, those were the times I was dressed.

Hot 4-cheese pizza.

A & W Root Beer floats.

Chocolate milk.

Oreos.

Deb Marlowe said...

Congrats Susan! On both the GH and the fan letter! Something similar happened to me after a contest, when a published author wrote me a very encouraging email when the finalists were announced. Such kindness really fuels your determination!

I refuse to feel guilty about my pleasures! I think it is my husband rubbing off on me, as Caren says, he's a
"Work hard, play hard" kind of guy.

Hair bands! I think you all know my prediliction for big hair! I have Sweet Child of Mine as my cell phone ring tone!

Reality TV. Love it. Character really comes out when you are placed in a stressful situation, even if the stress is manufactured. I find it fascinating. Especially love the "creative" ones, like Project Runway, Top Chef and On the Lot.

Yeah! on the old teenage movies! Sure Thing anyone? LOVE John Cusack. I can recite almost every line of that movie!

Gillian! Have you read the book, Shining Through? SOOOO much better than the movie--one of my all time favorites.

pjpuppymom said...

Susan, I hope we'll all have the chance to read Money, Honey one of these days. Congrats again!

pjpuppymom said...

Deb M, I totally agree with you on the book, Shining Through. I loved it! I read it first and was consequently very disappointed in the movie. Happens to me a lot.

Caren Crane said...

P226 got it bad, got it bad, got it bad...he's hot for Fugees! Oh, no, I've just outed myself as a van Halen fan, too! But only Van Halen, not Van Hagar. Though I did see Sammy Hagar open up for someone...oh yes, it was AC/DC. My first concert EVER!

Caren Crane said...

PJ, I don't think there's a combination of chocolate and peanut butter I don't adore. I'm especially fond of Hershey Kisses and a spoonful of peanut butter. Yummy!

Susan Isaacs - does she count as a guilty pleasure? Because "Almost Paradise" has been a favorite of mine for a lo-o-o-ng time! Ooh, and "Scruples"by Judith Krantz. I loved those glam books from the 80s!

Caren Crane said...

Deb, I have "The Sure Thing" - on VHS. May have to update that one. I also have "Better Off Dead", "Sixteen Candles", "High Fidelity" and "Grosse Point Blank". Hm. There may be more John Cusack hiding in the collection somewhere. Oh, yes, "Say Anything". Who could forget John (or should I say, Lloyd Dobler) holding the jukebox over his head playing Peter Gabriel? *sigh*

jo robertson said...

Clever, funny post, Susan. It's hard to believe you can write dark and dangerous when your comedic voice is so sharp.

Well, heck, Tawny, you deserve him, then!

Guilty pleasures. Dang, there are so many of them. I suppose the certain private battery-operated tool my daughter gave me for my birthday is one of the unmentionables, seeing at this is a PG-13 blog? Okay, then I won't mention that one. I'll just say that I can sympathize with Charlotte's addiction with said tool on Sex and the city.

I'd mention TV since I watch soooo much of it, but I don't feel a bit guilty about that!

Okay, I adore TRASH scary movies, the kind you wouldn't let your children see for love or money. The really stupid, dumbo ones that make you laugh and jump with fright at the same time.

pjpuppymom said...

Caren, you'd love the Tiger's Butter that I make. It's a blend of white chocolate, milk chocolate and peanut butter. That's another guilty pleasure, licking the Tiger's Butter bowl.

Caren Crane said...

Oh, PJ, a wife of a guy I work with made that SINFUL stuff at Christmas last year. I had a small piece and avoided the rest like the plague the rest of the day. If I ate as much as I wanted to eat, my heinie would need its own passport!

Caren Crane said...

Jo Mama, I now have a picture in my head I never wanted there. *stuffs fingers in ears* la, la, la, la, la, la....

Joan said...

I confess, I subscribe to PEOPLE magazine also. Between them, "Regis and Kelley" and "Ellen" I can pseudo stay on top of pop culture.

Llamas, p226??? LOL. Glad to see you back.

I made it past the Kroger and didn't faint on the treadmill but I swear...I am SO craving chocolate chip ANYTHING right now.

Trish, I saw Mamma Mia in NYC a couple of years ago! Wonderful, fun upbeat musical. I especially loved the "Dancing Machine" part.

The guy from the Ice Skating movie is a skank now? Ohhhhhh....he was so sweet when he fell in love with the self absorbed ice skater chick.

Caren, I'm all about Dick in the TV show...could (gasp) take or leave MP or CCBB. And can easily eat a whole box of the Kraft mac and cheese...hmmmm...they have that at Krogers...

Suzanne Ferrell said...

I have one word for Caren and Joanie



Corn dogs...okay two words!

limecello said...

Hi Susan,
Congratulations on the fan mail - that's so exciting! Hm - what do I love that I hide? I like dancing with the stars and America's Next Top Model. Or... well there's not so much else I hide :X - other than romances. Irl, my friends are NOT ok with romances, sadly.

Caren Crane said...

Suz, I LURV corn dogs! But, where most people eat them with ketchup, I am a mustard girl, all the way.

Joan, back away from the Kroger! They not only have mac 'n cheese, but they also have leftover Easter candy. DO NOT GO IN THERE!

Limecello, my whole family (mom and sibs) looks down on romance as the most gouda of cheeseball genres. Now, they will be thrilled when I sell, but they won't think it's as impressive as selling some other sort of book, I fear.

I am fortunate NOW to be surrounded by other romance readers and writers. But earlier in my life, I went through periods where no one I knew read romance. A desolate time, my friend! Good thing you have us to hang out with. We love romance, too! *g*

Joan said...

Gak! Suz!

They just opened a SONIC next to the new Walmart less than 2 miles from my house!

They have corn dogs!!!

Gak!!!!

Loucinda McGary aka Aunty Cindy said...

Of course I LURVE Shaun of the Dead! And any of George Romero's many variations on Night...

Hair bands? Not so much unless Mozart and Beethoven count. :-P Oh wait, I used to have The Best of Foreigner on cassette. Wonder what ever happened to that?

But I guess my greatest musical guilty pleasure is Weird Al Yankovich. Caren mentioned her heinie needing its own zip code (Not even CLOSE m'dear!) made me think of Weird Al's song "Fat." That one makes me ROFLOL every time I hear it!

Still NOT guilty,
AC

Trish Milburn said...

Caren, I love that scene from Say Anything and the song.

Suz, your mention of corn dogs made me thing of another guilty pleasure -- Sonic! I love their corn dogs, Frito pie, tater tots. And I adore cheese fries.

Caren Crane said...

Oh, AC, you're so kind! I'm afraid when you see said heinie in SF, you may change your opinion, however. *g*

Trish, my favorite is steak-cut fries with melted, processed Amercian cheese goo, bacon bits (real ones) and sour cream. Lordy, talk about "Fat"!!

Oh, AC, I also love Weird Al! In deference to Weird Al, my sibs and I wrote a take on "Elvira" called "El Gobbo". The refrain was, "Giddyup, a-cheeseburger, cheeseburger, milkshake". Weird Al; he never gets dull!

Caren Crane said...

Joan, now you have to avoid Kroger and Sonic. Soon, you won't be able to leave your street! *g*

Suzanne Ferrell said...

Bands.....okay.....my guilty pleasure is.....I know all the sinful words to ZZ Top...all the songs.

Yep, shocks my kids, dh and my bestest friends!

Dina said...

I used to love Rick Springfield and since he is still popular, he sells out here, but it's hard to admit.

I also still like to watch Buffy & Angels tv shows reruns, but some people thinks it's silly.

Joan said...

Ok, now you had to go and focus on bands.

As my Bandita buddies heard the other night on the loop....I was an Oakridge Boy groupie!

Yes, my dark past finds me.

Only in the years between true gospel and their current whatever they do.

I sincerely do know all the words to their songs.

Who's up for a rousing rendition of Bobbie Sue? Er, Elvira!

(chirp, chirp, chirp)

Hello? Anybody?

Susan Sey said...

Brownone: And with that description of the superbad Brett Michael's show, I am now officially obligated to check out an episode. :-)

Suz: You're a Cutting Edge fan, too? Yay!! I thought I was the only one.

Kate Carlisle said...

Oh honey, I'll take James Spader in anything, even as a chubby sleazy lawyer in Boston Legal. In fact, ESPECIALLY that chubby sleazy lawyer! I adore him!

Smoov, I love this! I have so many guilty pleasures....

Jack in the Box tacos. The best. That strange meat-like stuffing is addictive, and it's deep fried!

I'm with Suz, I love Horatio and CSI Miami.

Love Journey but love REO Speedwagon more. Truly.

Love Plastic Surgery Before and After...but also Big Medicine and inside Brookhaven. I'm a Discovery Health Channel junkie, LOL.

I really get hooked on reality shows. I'd like to say I only watch the classier ones but I'm not sure there is such a thing. I watch DWTS, Idol, America's Next Top Model, Project Runway, theh Bachelor, and will admit--here in the lair--that I actually watched the first season of Pussycat Dolls. I drew the line at season two. LOL

My fave cheesy scary movie has got to be CARRIE. Who can resist a mom like Piper Laurie?!

Oh God, Caren, I love Kraft Macaroni & Cheese! Love that cheese-flavored orange powder! Now that's good eatin'

I'm hooked on Go Fug Yourself. I check it every Friday afternoon when I'm sick of the day job. It's so wonderfully snarky and smart!

Yay, Tawny got the Bird!

Susan Sey said...

P226--oh, man. I guess I should have known you of all people wouldn't shy away from the heavy artillery. Okay. *deep sigh* If that's how we're going to play it. I'll see your Eminem & raise you a Kid Rock. (hangs head in shame.)

So now you know. I have a shameful affection for White Boy Rappers from Detroit. It IS my hometown (I actually went to high school with Kid Rock--our folks used to play tennis together) so I guess I have a semi-excuse, but even if I'd never clapped eyes on the guy who can resist those lyrics? "They say I'm cocky & I say WHAT? It ain't bragging mother f*cker if you back it up!")

See? I KNOW. It's AWFUL. And I love it. Can't indulge anymore now that the kids can talk & all, but talk about your guilty pleasure.

Susan Sey said...

Caren, I have just thes three things to say to you (because three is, indeed, a magic number):

1) Dick Van Dyke is TOTALLY hot. I prefer him in MP over CCBB, but that's neither here nor there. He can chimchiminey me any old time. :-)

2) Muriel's Wedding is an excellent movie. Toni Collette, ABBA. What's not to love?

3) Lolly, Lolly, Lolly, Get Your Adverbs Here...

:-)

Susan Sey said...

P.S. for Caren--I steal EW from waiting rooms all the time.

P.S. for Suz--People Mag really IS that old. I'm a second generation subscriber. My mom was a subscriber & when I moved out, I got a subscription of my own. I imagine one day I'll give my daughters their own subscriptions when they move too far away to glom onto mine. *sniff*

Susan Sey said...

PJ, your post made me hungry. :-) I'm off to sprinkle some chocolate chips in my jar of PB. I'll report back. It may take some extra time as I could very well end up dumping in a scoop of cheap vanilla ice cream, too...

Susan Sey said...

Deb--that's a great insight about character being revealed through stress. It's exactly what they say about writing. Put your characters through the wringer, & that's when you'll find out who they really are. The piece I really loved though was the part about it not mattering whether the stress was real or manufactured. I'm going to ponder that one...

And I love it that your ring tone is G&R. That makes me smile.

Susan Sey said...

Hi, Jo! I'm still snickering about your battery operated guilty pleasure. :-)

And thanks for the kind words about my comedic voice. It's so funny you should say that. I never try to write funny. When I do it falls flat. It appears my experience of the world is simply awkward & laughable. :-)

This is probably why Money, Honey will never see the light of day (I'm sorry, PJ--but it was awfully nice of you to root for it.) Even though I felt compelled to come up with really wrenching back stories & really edgy characters, the story itself isn't that hefty. It's kind of a crime caper, more what you'd expect given my voice. It can't decide who it wants to be & is thus doomed to play with the dust bunnies under my bed for all eternity. Oh well. I love it. That'll have to be enough.

And Jo, props for digging the scary movies. Any time my husband puts anything even mildly suspenseful on our Netflix list, he has to promise to walk me to the bathroom in the middle of the night for the next two weeks, should the need arise. :-)

Susan Sey said...

Joanie! Another People subscriber! Woot!

Susan Sey said...

Oh, limoncello--so sad that your peeps don't support your romance. FEar not. We're here for you. Just retire to the lair whenever you need a HEA. Or somebody to point you toward your next HEA. We're a boatful of book pimps around here...

Susan Sey said...

Suz--"She's got leeeeegs! She knows how to use 'em!" Great video, too. :-) I think if you live in TX you're obligated to know some ZZ Top, aren't you?

Susan Sey said...

Dina--There's is nothing shameful in loving some Rick Springfield. Jesse's Girl, anybody??

And as for Buffy & Angel? I think there are some fans here in the Lair who'll come to your defense should anybody try to look down on you for that little habit. :-)

Susan Sey said...

Kate--that's a truly awesome list of reality TV! But tell me, because I'm clueless: What's Go Fug Yourself?? I must know...

Susan Sey said...

p.s. for Kate--I, too, love Spader in all his shapes & forms. Have you seen Secretary? It's the S & M romantic comedy starring him & Maggie Gyllenhall? Wow. Really, REALLY good.

Hellie Sinclair said...

Wooohoooo! Congratulations, Susan; I can't wait to read this book either. The more tortured, the better.

Guilty pleasures:

POTC. I watch the movies all the time, and I've been a fan the whole time, on such a grand scale that even my friends buy me POTC related stuff. Or give me the extra McD's happy meal toy with the pirate theme. I get gifts from people I never met...it's wild.

Pepsi. I shouldn't drink it; definitely not in all its sugar glory, but it's the perfect drink.

The soundtrack of Footloose. I swear that soundtrack was the defining moment of my childhood and influenced my decisions for the next 20 years.

Hellie Sinclair said...

Joan, I'm a HUGE Oak Ridge Boys groupie. A few years ago they played at one of the county fairs and I happily drove out of my way to see them, then sang all the words to the songs.

I was a Ya'll Come Back Saloon fan; and I know all the words to "I'll Be True to You" (though I seriously want to throttle both people in that song.)

Hellie Sinclair said...

*suddenly remember James Spader* OH, THAT GUY! I loved him! He was such a self-destructive BLEEPhead. He was an awesome character on that show...I always rooted for him to get some sort of happy ending.

P.S. I too think Dick Van Dyke is totally hot; and prefer him in MP. I think it's the soot. He needs a bath...I must have some latent fantasy about bathing some hottie or something. (Probably since watching Bull Durham with Kevin Costner in the bathtub, hubba hubba.)

Kate Carlisle said...

Susan, Go Fug Yourself is a blog that celebrates the truly unfortunate clothing choices of our favorite stars. The two women who write it are so funny and rude. They also write an online column for Fashion Week every year for New York magazine, and I occasionally see them on some of the ET-type shows, discussing the red carpet fiascos. It's gofugyourself.typepad.com.

It's fun to click on a favorite star from the left column and see what they've been doing over the past few years. :-)

Susan Sey said...

Mshellion! I'm laughing out loud about your Dick Van Dyke "scrubbing down the chimney sweep" fantasy! I hadn't put it all together, but maybe it IS the soot...

And if I like dirty, that explains so much about my James Spader hang up. Different kind of dirty, but mmmmmm....

Susan Sey said...

Oh, Kate. Go Fug Yourself has just been added to my favorites. How could a gem like this have slipped under my radar??

jo robertson said...

Hey, hey, hey, Caren and Susan. That battery-operated thing is a FOOT MASSAGER!! Shame on you!

And, mshellion, I have a dream that one day Pepsi will rise up and overthrown Coca-cola! I'm so annoyed at Coke having most of the franchises, no fair!

Even as I sweept the blog, Susan, I'm watching Josh Harnett in 30 Days of Night. It's soooo cheesy and awful and violent, but I lurf them vampire movies! And anything with Josh in it has gotta be worth the video rental. Now to finish it before Dr. Big comes home from his golf tourney.

Anna Campbell said...

Oh, Susan, I'd forgotten the Cutting Edge! How could I forget the Cutting Edge? I LURVE that movie! It's got every cliche in the universe and I still turn into melted caramel when I watch it.

And Frank Sinatra? Sorry, he's too GOOD to be a guilty pleasure, in spite of his failings as a human being.

I thought of another guilty pleasure. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the Nanny. Up till when they got married. Then it went to the dogs.

And The Sound of Music! Which is sort of like the Nanny with a blonde.

Anna Campbell said...

Susan, I LOVED Secretary! Weird as it was! Maybe that's why I loved it.

Oh, and Gladiator movies. I don't mean the semi respectable ones like Gladiator and Spartacus although I love them too. I'm talking about Hercules against Rome or Girl Gladiators. Girl Gladiators was in fact one of my favourites although I haven't seen it for years. Featured a youngish Louis Jourdan as a barbarian invader. Hmm, he could invade my empire anytime!

Anna Campbell said...

Jo, you just made me spit tea all over my keyboard. You wicked Bandita!

Dina said...

The Cutting Edge is on Tv right now.

Keira Soleore said...

Another YAY for Go Fug Yourself. What a fabulous job they do with their blog and for NY Mag.

DWTS? Kristi Yamaguchi or the footballer. I love Shannon because she puts in so much work and Derek's fah-boo-lous. I wish Julianne hadn't been stuck with such a loser.

Smoov, DWTS is on ABC at 8pm ET on Mondays. C'mon one Monday night. You can do it. Then tell me you didn't like it. I doubt you'll do that. Just like Go Fug is addictive, Project Runway is, DWTS is, too.

pjpuppymom said...

99 posts? Let's push this baby into triple digits!

Cheetos! How could I forget my guilty pleasure Cheetos?

Anna Campbell said...

And Smith's barbecue chips - let's make it 101, PJ!!! We have crossed the divide. We are the pioneers! Come join us, people, on the post-century side!!!!

pjpuppymom said...

Oh, and one more. It's cold here and the rain hasn't stopped all day so I cuddled up on the couch with my soft blankie throw and my soft, bookend dogs and sniffed and sighed through Sleepless in Seattle for, oh, about the 20th time.

Christine Wells said...

Susan, Whizz Fizz is just what they used to call the packets of sherbert that came with a spoon. I don't know if you have it over there, but it's this powdery stuff made of icing sugar and (I think) cream of tartar and it fizzes on your tongue. Looks like an illegal substance, though;)

Christine Wells said...

Trish!Yes! Actually, I went to a Whitesnake concert and thought I'd be deaf for a week.

Suzanne Ferrell said...

OMG...Josh Hartnet...too young, so he qualifies as "gerbil cute". But I love him in 40 days and 40 nights...that is the dang funniest movie!!

and Susan...."She's got me under pressure!!"

Joan said...

mshellion!!! A OAKS soul sister!

My all time fav song is "Dream On". Cannot beat out a bass like Richard Sterben.

And Keira knows all about heel leads and shoulders back. I agree about poor Julienne. That Adam guy is a jerk!

Although...he does dance better than Steve Guttenberg.

PJ my fav Tom Hanks/Meg Ryan movie is "You've Got Mail"....LOVE IT!

Food wise....also White Castles, cheese puffs, dark chocolate Hershey kisses, PEEPS :-)

Kate Carlisle said...

Another Pepsi fan here!

And somebody mentioned Britney. My favorite train wreck!! I can't get enough of her. :-)

And forgot to mention What Not to Wear. Love it. Love Stacey and Clinton. They're so strict!

Anna Campbell said...

I haven't seen the US version of What Not to Wear, Kate. But I adore the British version - or at least when Trinny and Suzannah were on. Can't stand the new ones. They just lack empathy with these people who often have been through terrible trauma and the whole clothes thing is a sign of inner troubles. Madame CW was a huge fan of that, too.

Keira Soleore said...

Count me as another fan of Trinny and Suzanna's What Not To Wear. I have their book, too.

Kate Carlisle said...

Oh, I did love Trinny and Suzanna,too. And at first I hated the American version, but it managed to worm its way into my heart. :-)

And it really is amazing how these people are changed after a week of intense shopping therapy, isn't it?

Susan Sey said...

Hey, I just picked up Suzanne & Trinny's What Not To Wear at my in-laws' house this weekend! It was chock full of extremely valuable information! I haven't seen Stacey & Clinton, but have heard that, while they are extremely effective, they do lack compassion. I would require a great deal of compassion. :-)

Keira--I'll definitely tune in to DWTS now, just out of curiosity! I'll let you know if I get hooked. I'm pretty easy, though. I totally dug the first season of the Apprentice, too.

PJ--Cheetos! You & my daughter. Only she calls them Cheetahs, which for some reason cracks me up.

Anna--YES on the bbq chips! I really the dill pickle ones, too. Is that gross? :-)

And Dina, I'm bummed I missed The Cutting Edge on TV. I feel a Netflix coming on...

Christine--ah, okay. I get the Fizz Whizz now. I don't know that we have something comparable in the states, though. It sounds like a cross between dipping stix & pop rocks. Anybody??

Oh, Suz. "Under pressure?" You're killing me over here... :-)

Wow, you folks really turned out for the guilty pleasures post! Thanks for coming out to play today, everybody! And now I'm off to see about a big bowl of cheap vanilla ice cream with some peanut butter & chocolate chips. Who's with me??

Jeanne (AKA The Duchesse) said...

Damn, I didn't know Shining Through was a book. What I've missed all these years!

OMGosh, P226, I just about choked over the llamas. There's a character on a Nick cartoon - Jimmy Neutron - who's got a llama fetish. I was about to fall off my chair imagining...no, we won't go there. SNORK!!!!! However, I like a couple of Eminem songs. My DH just cringes. I like Mary J. Blige and Ft. Minor too, so...

Susan you are a gem to get all this fun stuff going. As several have said, I try not to feel guilty about my pleasures. Life's short. Play hard. Grins.

Caren, keyboard ruination w/ the hienie/passport thing.

Jo MAMA!!!! I'm with Caren. Fingers in ears....nananananana! SNORK! (Foot massager my a**)

(NOT)Guilty pleasures:
Sweeney Todd, Sound of Music, Man of La Mancha, and virtually any other musical.

Chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream.

Chocolate chip cookie dough, uncooked. :> Yeah, yeah, I know it's bad for me.

Ho-hos. The Hostess Cupcake kind, you goofballs.

Kaluha, in anything.

Buying sheets and towels. Good ones. (Love 'em, what can I say)

Buying trees even if I don't have a place to plant them. Yet. Wicked Grins...

Sappy love stories like Cutting Edge, John Cusak movies - loved Grosse Point Blank, The Mummy movies, virtually any teen-coming-of-age story or triumph story like PRetty Woman or Working Girl.

Any movie where things blow up.

Jean Claude Van Dam.

Disney songs.

But NOT llamas. SNORK!!

Caren Crane said...

Mummy movies - yes! More ODED!!

I was at the Cheesecake Factory tonight and had Kahlua Cocoa cheesecake - super yummy!

Guilty pleasure drinks: Fuzzy Navel and Amaretto Sours (slurp!).

Speaking of Carl the llama lover - I love Jimmy Neutron!

Krystal burgers (no cheese). They're kind of like White Castle, but greasier and squarer. *g*

"Sleepless In Seattle" - yes! Also adore "You've Got Mail". All time sucker movie: "Moonstruck"!

Kate, deep fried tacos?! That should be illegal!

doglady said...

Uh oh! It is getting deep, dark and ugly in here. Nonetheless I must confess that my niece and nephews bought me a Kid Rock CD for Christmas a few years ago and I DO listen to it!! (Hanging my head right along with Smoov)

Anna C, my sister across the pond, I LOVE The Nanny. Too funny!

Oh and I do love ZZ Top too!

Jeanne (AKA The Duchesse) said...

"Do you love him, Loretta?"
"Oh, Ma, I love him awful."
"Awwww, that's too bad..."

Grins. LOVE me some Moonstruck. Sleepless in Seattle. While you were Sleeping. Sabrina (the new one)

Things that blow up...oh, sorry, said that already. :>

CARL!! Yes! Carl, the llama lover.

p226 said...

"Carl the Llama lover?"

Who is this Carl? If he gets near my girl I'll ... I'll ...

Er.. Uh... I mean, this Carl sounds like some sort of WEIRDO!

Jeanne (AKA The Duchesse) said...

Carl Wheezer, Llama Lover Extrordinaire.

http://www.nick.com/all_nick/tv_supersites/jimmy_neutron/characters/car.jhtml

Trish Milburn said...

Dina, who thinks Buffy and Angel are, gasp, silly? Let me at 'em! :)

Trish Milburn said...

The Schoolhouse Rock references are cracking me up.

I'm just a bill, yeah, I'm only a bill, and I'm sitting here on Capitol Hill. :)

Jeanne (AKA The Duchesse) said...

Conjunction Junction...what's your function?

grins.

Trish Milburn said...

LOL, Christine, I felt like that after a concert, Poison, I think. I was way too close to the big speakers by the stage. I really thought I'd damaged my hearing and if my parents found out I was going to be toast. But the hearing came back. I still, to this day, love to play my music really loud.

Trish Milburn said...

My hubby and I like Jimmy Neutron too. Cracks us up.

Oh, for some reason, I just thought of a couple of other guilty pleasures. So politically incorrect, but we can't help laughing our butts off at Reno 911 and South Park.

Joan said...

OMG, Trish!

I LOVE Reno 911!!!