Award-winning shows like Game of Thrones, House of Cards and Downton Abbey are stimulating forms of entertainment that are actually worthy of our time; however, every once in a while, wasting our time through mindless reality TV, silly cartoons and shallow dramas is good for the soul. We may not all be quick to admit to watching these shows out of fear of being judged for our poor taste in television, but don’t be ashamed. Everyone has at least one guilty pleasure. Here are the shows members of The Current staff hate to admit that they love.
Nicole Cocuy, co-editor-in-chief, said “Gossip Girl”
Throughout high school, I mocked my friends who watched “Gossip Girl” because I thought it was so superficial and ridiculous, but, last year, I got a little bored and decided to secretly give the show a shot. After episode one, I was immediately engrossed in Serena and Blair’s deceitful, backstabbing yet surprisingly supportive relationship, spending countless, sleepless nights binge-watching the show. I am ashamed of my addiction because it is so problematic and it has sexist and classist undertones. But despite how shallow and despicable the characters were, I still loved them, and the constant plot twists and dramatic scenes kept me hooked.
Li Cohen, co-editor-in-chief, said “Jersey Shore”
I’m not sure why I found this show so enticing in middle and high school. Perhaps it was the emphasis of going to the gym, the overexposure of the sun and tanning beds, or the very informative scenes on the importance of doing laundry that drew me to watch every season of the show. There was just something about watching these overly-muscular men and extra-saturated tan women spending their days getting drunk on the beach and their nights getting drunker in the club that was so entertaining. Of course, being exposed to such entertainment caused a few of my brain cells to shrivel, but it was all in good fun, as it even led to my friend and I winning a costume contest for dressing up as two of the characters. Looking back, my friends and I were a tad obsessed with the show, but at least now I know that overuse of the gym, excessive tanning and too many laundry sessions can lead to a lifestyle that I most certainly do not want.
Grace Ducanis, news editor, said “The Bachelor”
I’ll watch them all: “The Bachelor,” “The Bachelorette” and “Bachelor in Paradise.” The reality dating television franchise, now in its 20th year, is not generally considered good television. A lot of people think the shows are sexist, shallow and fake, which is why it’s sometimes embarrassing to admit that I like and watch them. My obsession with the franchise, however, remains undiminished. I love analyzing the contestants, trying to figure out whose feelings are real and who’s lying for the cameras, speculating about whether events are engineered by the show’s producers or not, and looking at all the nice clothes. The contestants may not always really love each other, but don’t doubt my love for the “Bachelor” franchise.
Chantel Grant, features editor, said “Laguna Beach”
I am dying of laughter just writing this, but I was in love with a TV show on MTV called “Laguna Beach.” It was a “reality” show that followed a group of privileged teens who lived in Laguna Beach, Calif. Each episode was filled with gossip and blonde hair being flipped in frustration. I heard the words “like” and “oh my gosh” so often that I had to turn off the closed captions. The main character was Lauren Conrad, and her arch nemesis was Kristin Cavallari. The two were at odds over a surfer named Stephen. I was so obsessed with the show that I told my parents I wanted to get blonde extensions like Kristen and Lauren. Also, all I wanted to wear were denim skirts, flip flops and off-white tank tops because Lauren and Kristen were always dressed that way. The worst part is I tried to talk like them, and it sounded ridiculous with my Jamaican accent. Anyway, I cried when they graduated from high school and vowed to move to Laguna Beach so I could be close to the cast.
Now that I am bit older, I think the show was the dumbest thing ever, especially since I found out it was all staged. I can’t even stomach the thought of watching re-runs, but, back then, no one could come between me and “Laguna Beach.”
Erin Herbert, sports editor, said “Breaking Amish”
I typically don’t watch much television, but in high school, I was shamelessly hooked on TLC’s “Breaking Amish.” The reality show follows a group of Amish teenagers who leave their strict lifestyles in an Amish community to go to New York and experience life as regular teens. The show is absolutely hilarious because commonplace things such as going to the beach or going clubbing are so foreign to the teens, and they have no idea how to handle these situations. But watching awkward Amish teenagers trying to navigate life in New York City isn’t even the best part of the show; it’s the drama. Each episode, one of the cast members inevitably dropped a new bombshell, which fuels fights and drama. The show is completely ridiculous, but that’s what makes it so addicting. Whenever I’m flipping through the channels and land on a re-run of “Breaking Amish,” I just have to watch and re-live the drama.
Roddia Paul, opinions editor, said “Flavor of Love”
I usually try my hardest to shy away from conforming to stereotypes. So, when reality TV comes on with its foul language and violence, I quickly change the channel. But it’s time that I come clean; I love reality dating competition TV shows. The fighting, the screaming, the back stabbing and the steamy attraction ― I love it all. My all-time favorite dating competition show has to be “Flavor of Love.” In each episode, Flavor Flav, rapper and former television personality, sent one competing girls home until he finally found his perfect match, or so we thought. Flavor Flav actually attempted to find love three different times and is not currently dating any of the women he chose. Go figure. Recently, VH1 had a marathon of all its former dating competition shows and, of course, “Flavor of Love” was included, and I was right there, eight years after the last episode, indulging in the show as if I had never seen it before. Nobody wants to seem like bad behavior intrigues them, but I guess we all need a little drama in our lives.
Roger Atangana, visual design assistant, said “Phineas and Ferb”
“Phineas and Ferb” is a cartoon that revolves around siblings Phineas and Ferb, who are determined to make the most out of their never-ending summer time. The fact that they are super brilliant kids who spend their time building enormous castles in their backyard, helping aliens fight bad guys, traveling through time and much more, does not make things easy for their sister Candice, who unsuccessfully and endlessly tries to rat them out to their mom. What got me coming back for more is their pet, Perry the Platypus. He might be a quiet platypus at home, but he also doubles as a secret agent who tries to stop the evil plans of his one and only nemesis, Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz. The relationship between Perry and Doofenshmirtz is so interesting that I can never have enough of it; even though they’re arch nemeses, there are times when they act like they’re the best of friends. Do they like or hate each other? You decide, as you watch these two characters have dinner while Doofenshmirtz explains his evil plan to Perry, who genuinely pays attention. This is a Disney show for kids but, hey, it’s too captivating for me to miss out on.
Photo credit: pixabay.com
