Guilty pleasures

If you’ve been around the blog lately, you’ll know that I made clear a few things I don’t like. And if you have been around the blog for a while, you’ll know there are a few things I really like. Since it’s a quiet, rainy Saturday, I figured I may as well go one step further and introduce you all to a few things my better judgement says I shouldn’t like, but I do anyway. Sometimes you just have to tell your better judgement to zip it.

Spice World

The thing is, I was never a big Spice Girls fan. I never owned any of their music. I detested that they, along with the cast of Clueless, inspired some truly terrible mid-90’s fashion choices amongst my peers. Can I sing along with most of their radio hits? Yeah, unfortunately that sort of thing just sticks in your brain, whether you like it or not.

But, the movie? Sheer genius. They know how ridiculous their characters are and they embrace it whole-heartedly, almost to the point of self-deprecation. There are genuinely funny moments, some top-notch social lampooning, and A-list cameos. I dare you to watch Spice World, and I mean really sit down and watch it from start to finish, and not find some enjoyment in it.

Anne Rice novels

I have a large section of bookshelf that contains nothing but Anne Rice novels, specifically Anne Rice vampire novels. As someone who is considerably well-read, part of me sees this foray into the supernatural to be a bit trashy. But, Anne Rice vampires are not like the watered down modern version that seems to have permeated YA fiction. They don’t pout and shimmer and preach that true love waits. Her vampires are of the old world – visceral, conflicted, passionate, tormented.

Sometimes they’re a bit too passionate (i.e. The Vampire Armand‘s descriptions of a grown man-pire’s love for beautiful young boys) but in a way, I appreciate that she isn’t afraid to make her readers feel a little uncomfortable. That’s the sign of a writer worth reading, in my opinion. As a subset of this, I also have a fondness for the terrible movie adaptation of Queen of the Damned.

The book is amazing – it delves into vampire legends of the Amazon and interestingly centers the origin of her vampire universe as ancient Egypt. The film, on the other hand, is pretty much one of the worst book-to-movie executions I’ve ever seen. But, there is something strangely compelling about its cheesy dialogue and scenes of overly-dramatic staring contests. Additionally, I once accidentally turned on the director’s commentary, and suffice it to say he is very aware and truly sorry for how horrible the movie is.

Licorice

I freaking love licorice, and I’m not talking about that red strawberry nonsense. I’m talking about the anise-flavored little bites of magic that most people seem to love to hate. Every time I purchase licorice or mention licorice or even allude to something that reminds someone of licorice, their face scrunches up in disapproval.

In particular, I generally crave either Good & Plenty or licorice allsorts. I recently discovered that my favorite online snack retailer sells a version of allsorts that are made with natural coloring (I can’t eat red dye. It’s a weird story for another day.) and ordered their smallest quantity, which happened to be a 1-pound bag. I was super proud of myself for managing to make that pound of diabetes fuel last for an entire week. A new record!

Also, I know what you’re going to say. Yes, Good & Plenty are pink. No, they’re not made with red dye. They’re made with those crushed-up pink bugs and I’m totally ok with that. Judge me if you must.