Dirty, Little Secrets or Another Guilty Pleasure

by Chiron O'Keefe

Ah, yes, the 'guilty pleasure'. We all have them. For one gourmand I know, her dirty, little secret is a fondness for boxed macaroni and cheese—"The real yellow stuff," she says with an embarrassed grin.

It's the same with television and movies. I still fondly remember the Friends episode (# 4.12 ) where Monica and Rachel agree to a trivia contest with big stakes: if the girls win, Chandler and Joey must get rid of their beloved pets—the duck and the chicken, but if the boys win, they get the cool apartment. (Embarrassed side note—while researching this article, I stumbled across a video clip of said show and had to watch it yet again. *sigh*)

Here's an excerpt from the lightning round:

Ross: Rachel claims this is her favorite movie.
Chandler: Dangerous Liaisons.
Ross: Correct. Her actual favorite movie is?
Joey: Weekend at Bernie's.



Uh-oh, guilty pleasure alert! Now for a movie to truly be a guilty pleasure it should meet a few criteria. First, it has to be so irresistible that if you flip a channel and find it on the tube, you can't resist watching even if you own the DVD (which you've stashed in the back behind your copy of Dangerous Liaisons).

Second, the film should be lowbrow enough that you can't go on and on about in public without raising a few eyebrows. Pleasure+Guilty=????

A decade or so ago, I was chatting with some friends about movies and enthused about the spy-spoof Flint movies, starring James Coburn: Our Man Flint and In Like Flint. Upon this recommendation, they rented one and their reaction was less than stellar. Um, sorry I forgot to mention this is flick from the 60's starring an ultra-cool 'lady's man' superspy who has a retinue of women watching over him. *gulp* Okay, so maybe it is a little sexist in retrospect, but it was cool enough to inspire the Austin Powers series. So there!

Two more favorites showed up recently on the tube and I just couldn't resist. One of the best movies I would never admit to watching is definitely Romy and Michele's High School Reunion.



The characters are hysterical, the typical 'high-school clique makes life miserable for the outcasts' plot line is over-the-top in a "Of course, I want the hot fudge and M&M's on my chocolate ice cream!" way. Towards the end of this delightful flick is a unique dance number that has never been matched.


Guilty Pleasure!

Another one which makes my husband cringe (did I mention that too can be an indication of a guilty pleasure? *snort*) is the hilarious Zoolander. How can you go wrong with both Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson as top fashion models? Throw in an evil Will Ferrell and the most elaborate love scene ever filmed, and even if supper is burning on the damn stove I can't tear my eyes away. Yes!



Now here's one I will absolutely deny loving, though if it shows up on any channel I'll stumble over to the seat to feast my eyes on Loverboy, starring a very young Patrick Dempsey.

Oh how politically incorrect this is! He's got to raise money fast if he wants to stay in college and be near his girlfriend, so he does what any sane, ambitious and enterprising young man would do—he becomes a gigolo to an ever-expanding list of 'cougars'. Stupid? You betcha. Can I resist? Not on your life. Here's a direct link to the trailer. Or, in the next clip there are two trailers, the first for the more popular early "Dempsey" Flick—Can't Buy Me Love. The second half is Loverboy. Enjoy!



It's like with Peggy Sue Got Married.

A young Nic Cage is at his strangest in this silly and delightful time-travel movie directed by his uncle, Francis Ford Coppola, and starring the amazing Kathleen Turner as Peggy Sue. The idea of traveling back to your high school years and making different choices is enough to lure me in, but the wacky performances is why I watch this damn movie over and over. Nic sings! With Jim Carrey! This is yet another silly flick I feel absolutely compelled to watch.



Even though it's a hit movie, it's still a bit embarrassing to admit how many times I can (and most likely will) watch The Forty Year Old Virgin.


The cringe factor is off the charts and yet this is still one of the sweetest love stories around. Steve Carell, Paul Rudd, Jane Lynch, Seth Rogen, Catherine Keener all form an ensemble that as a formerly aspiring actress, makes me green with envy. Do stick around to watch the closing credits with the cast dancing to the song, Age of Aquarius.

Bowfinger directed by Frank Oz is another one I can't resist. Don't even make me try. First, it's written by, and stars, the amazing Steve Martin. Eddie Murphy masterfully plays two roles (and deserved an award IMHO). Then you've got Heather Graham as the sweet and not so naive starlet and a supporting cast that includes Christine Baranski, all collaborating on a fake film in a desperate bid to procure a top actor and a producer (Robert Downey Jr. in top form). Fabulous!



Others I can't resist include Legally Blonde, Office Space, and Bedazzled (the one with Brendan Fraser and Elizabeth Hurley, if only I preferred the hip, "cult favorite" original I'd be able to cop to this in public!). Did I mention The Wedding Singer (Drew Barrymore and Adam Sandler), Anger Management (Adam Sandler and *gasp* Jack Nicholson!), and (please don't hate me *sob*) Mr. Mom with Michael Keaton and Teri Garr?

So tell me, what are your guiltiest pleasures? If you're in a crowd of true movie buffs who can quote Citizen Kane, which of your secret loves would embarrass you most? I promise to strictly keep your secret to myself (and the millions of people reading this blog). *cough* Honest.

By Chiron O'Keefe

Weekly Motivation for writers at The Write Soul