Althouse: Could your guilty pleasures be a little guiltier?

September 27, 2007

Could your guilty pleasures be a little guiltier?

Jeez. Studying languages, landscape restoration, yoga toes.... The question wasn't now tell us how charmingly wonderful you are!

(Via Metafilter.)

15 comments:

Peter Hoh said...: Were he still alive, Richard Feynman could have given a more satisfying example of a guilty pleasure, but I don't think he felt much guilt about hanging out in strip clubs and befriending porn stars.; 9/27/07, 8:52 AM
Tim said...: "The question wasn't now tell us how charmingly wonderful you are!"

I'm pretty sure most academics think that's exactly what the question was, no matter what the question might have been.; 9/27/07, 9:18 AM
KCFleming said...: What, no Cheetos?
No Cowsills I Love The Flower Girl?
No nail biting?
No Cops at midnight?

As if. Next they'll be telling me they always floss, and never scratch in public.

Anyway, it's a bad question, sort of like being asked in an interview What do you feel is your biggest flaw?
And you answer "I am a bit impatient. But that's because I have drive and enthusiasm to get the job done, so I make sure I plan and don't miss anything.".

You know, bullshit.; 9/27/07, 10:01 AM
Ann Althouse said...: LOL, Pogo. Yeah, that job interview question. I thought everyone's answer was: I work too hard.; 9/27/07, 10:08 AM
Trooper York said...: The worst job interview question is "How many drinks do you normally consume:"0,1,2-5,more than 5" Somehow when I answer "Do mean this morning or all day" it just never works out right for me.; 9/27/07, 10:39 AM
michael farris said...: "Anyway, it's a bad question, sort of like being asked in an interview What do you feel is your biggest flaw?"

Well, it takes me a long time to learn anything, I'm kind of a goof-off and little stuff starts disappearing from the workplace...; 9/27/07, 12:22 PM
rhhardin said...: I like listening to the goofy accents on Radio Japan.

The Bamboo Expert
The Cartoon Expert
The Economy Class Syndrome Expert; 9/27/07, 1:07 PM
KCFleming said...: "What do you feel is your biggest flaw?"
Well, in order of frequency:
1) I tend to crush others in my relentless drive to the top.
2) My ankle bracelet might limit business travel requirements.
3) The restraining order from your bosses wife is still in effect.
4) A follower of Rousseau, I favor nudity and eschew bathing.
5) Sometimes, to lighten things up, I like to play practical jokes on co-workers, usually involving Vaseline, several pigs, the local police, and a crane.

Should I go on?
No?; 9/27/07, 1:08 PM
former law student said...: Commenting on internet blogs; 9/27/07, 2:45 PM
Synova said...: Someone I knew described her "guilty pleasure" as libertarianism.

And I think she was serious about that. I think that when she "indulged" in listening to libertarian ideas she felt guilty because libertarian arguments were contrary to what she believed and self-identified as. So she seldom indulged even while admitting that she found the ideology appealing.

For most people, though, I would think that either they wouldn't admit to their guilty pleasures or else the true answer would be "I don't feel guilty about what I enjoy." Or even, "I don't enjoy feeling guilty and avoid those things that I know I'll regret."

I might say that sleeping in when I know I should get up counts as a guilty pleasure except that when I *need* the sleep, I don't feel guilty and when I'm just being lazy I don't feel a lot of pleasure.; 9/27/07, 4:13 PM
Bissage said...: My guilty pleasure is shooting up heroin, . . ., except when I'm shooting up heroin, of course.; 9/27/07, 6:09 PM
ron st.amant said...: For the life of me I can't remember who it was...but years ago I was reading a survey of presidential candidates and one of the questions they asked was, "what is your favorite drink" and one of the guys said "Milk"
From that moment forward I vowed never to vote for anyone who claimed "Milk" was their favorite drink.

Strangely, I do remember one other q&a and the respondent. They asked favorite band and Pat Robertson answered Simon & Garfunkle. For some reason I found that fascinating and I don't know why.; 9/28/07, 12:15 AM
Synova said...: I'd probably answer "milk."

My favorite drink? What does that mean? Sometimes I want a lemonade. Sometimes I want a hot chocolate. It's situationally dependent.

Band? I honestly don't have a favorite band or even a favorite style of music. The last thing I purchased for myself was probably chant and polyphony from medieval England. The CD I'm most upset that I lost is the sound track to "Titan AE." When I'm in the car I listen to the station that plays rock and advertises the "Family Values" Tour.

I've never understood the idea that a person is expected to have a preference.; 9/28/07, 12:53 AM
Bissage said...: [R]on, yet again, a cranky Irishman shows us the way. LINK.; 9/28/07, 6:58 AM
Bissage said...: I’m not quite sure why that link stopped working, but I teh Googled (1) "favorite drink" (2) “milk” and (3) “Gephardt” and got it again.

It was the third hit listed, at: Years of Minutes – Google Books Result, by Andy A. Rooney – 2003 – Performing Arts – 544 pages

Good luck, ron.; 9/28/07, 8:17 AM