The Guilty Pleasure Doesn’t Exist If You Actually Love Movies

I hate the term “guilty pleasure.” Yes, I understand that it can apply to things other than movies, but movies are the only other language I speak fluently, and “guilty pleasure” is part of the movie discussion lexicon that needs to go away. I could write plenty of pieces on these various terms that need to be retired — expect “so bad it’s good”, “plot hole”, and “plot armor” to make potential appearances in the not-too-distant future — but I figured I’d talk about this one first for a couple of reasons.

For starters, it’s because I stopped using the term “guilty pleasure” years ago and it genuinely enriched my relationship with movies and art in general.

The Guilty Pleasure Is Based On Shame

What does it mean when someone says they like a movie as a guilty pleasure? It immediately labels whatever movie they are talking about as something they feel some shame in liking. This encourages a general shame around liking certain movies, and the expectation that certain movies can only be appreciated from some sort of shameful perspective.

That is only going to encourage more of the irony poisoning that is infecting the entirety of our society. People who talk about a guilty pleasure movie are more likely to appraise art from a more ironic perspective. When you program yourself to distance any sincerity from the art you experience, it starts to affect your overall appraisal.

I know because that’s what I experienced in my younger days as a burgeoning film freak, and I want to try and detract others from it before it’s too late.

Learn To Accept The Love You Feel For Movies

When I watch a movie today, if it engages me in any substantive way, I consider that a win. So many movies are not able to reach a level of basic interest, even big budget fare like the recent Jurassic World: Rebirth (my review). So, I don’t care if you’re a Neil Breen movie or a scummy Troma movie, if you’ve got my attention and keep it, I am going to embrace you.

I recognize that I am much more open and welcoming with the wide selection of movies I watch than most people, but that attitude has also allowed me to enjoy and discover more movies. And I don’t look at any of those as a guilty pleasure. Jaws is my favorite movie but I will speak the same way about that widely-accepted masterpiece as I do Critters or Tremors or even Ghoulies. If I like a movie, I like it with no care about how others would perceive its supposed status.

There is no reason to use the term “guilty pleasure” other than to assuage others of your assured critical intelligence in regards to a movie’s perception. Don’t be afraid to make earnest arguments for the movies you love without some layer of detached coolness in service of your ego. If you love that War of the Worlds movie I’m not going to watch, make a valid argument for why you love it outside of being a heckler. Start standing up for your reactions to a movie instead of pawning them off through the deflection of shame.