There are a few other bloggers that are doing these Guilty Pleasure posts as well. It all started with C.J. Duggan and if you want a bunch of smiles, circle back to her site and see the comments to read other pleasures. Love to have you join the fun.
Both of us have a Guilty Pleasure ogling cowboys. She writes them, I read them. Here's an except of "A Cowboy's Muse" and "Matthew" if you're as interested in cowboys in the romance genre as I am. Please give a warm welcome to Beth.
How I Survive Guilty Pleasures
I had to lay out all my vicarious proclivities and pick one... so I picked SURVIVOR.
Oh yes, my lovelies, I have watched every season of SURVIVOR since the very first show. The good, the bad and the ugly.
Why, you may ask, would a romance novelist choose such a show? Simple, I love to watch people and this is a microcosm of society in which all inhibitions and rules are ignored. Each castaway is a different person, shedding their "real life"persona to become a ruthless bitch or bastard to win a million dollars.
It's utterly fascinating.
I remember when I saw the first commercial for SURVIVOR. It was the infancy of reality tv, when there wasn't much but THE REAL WORLD on MTV. I was intrigued by the idea of being "shipwrecked" on an island and having to survive 39 days with 15 other people and win a million dollars.
I was hooked from minute one. Watching that first season was fascinating. Especially the final episode when Richard Hatch won that million. The naked weird dude won a million! In "real life", he would likely never have the chance for a 1 in 16 shot at million.
What I really dig is the interaction between the castaways. How they use their wiles, their wits, their sheer bulk or their lies to sway people to be in an alliance with them. Oooh, the thrill of seeing the manipulation and then the triumph when someone smarter foils their evil plot.
I always let the DVR record the first 20 minutes while I busy myself with something else. Then I can watch it and fly by the commercials otherwise I'd go insane. The suspense is killer if you don't DVR it.
Would I ever go on SURVIVOR?
Hell no. I am deathly afraid of spiders, really squicked out by bugs and there ain't NO WAY in hell I'd eat pig snout or cockroach heads. *shudder*
No, just as I do in real life as a writer, I sit back, watch and listen. There are many things I can learn about my writing by watching real human beings in a quasi-terrarium somewhere in the world. Who knows, one day I might write a book and earn a million dollars. I can credit some of that to watching SURVIVOR.
Are you a reality TV junkie? What's your favourite shows? Amazing Race? Jersey Shore? Big Brother? It's okay, admit it in the comments. We're friends here.
Come join Beth Williamson on Twitter here.
Her website is here if you want to ogle all her book covers.
Thanks for hosting today AND happy birthday too!
ReplyDeleteSurvivor used to be a family event and we used to chart and draw winners. The winner used to pick a treat. My kids were little so I remember my 5 yr old's treat if he won would be a bottle of rootbeer LOL.
I do not like Jersey Shore but unfortunately my kids do. They are teens and when they have it on, you can hear me constantly saying in the background "You do not treat girls that way!"
I never really got involved with any other. I watched a few seasons of The Bachelor and shows like that but the drama chicks drove me nuts.
Great post and thanks again for hosting!
Great post, Beth! I used to be a religious Survivor watcher, but my reality TV preferences have taken a major turn, twist, and twirl to the stage for shows like So You Think You Can Dance, and Dancing With The Stars. Your post reminded me of why I loved Survivor so much in the first place, though. I will never forget Richard Hatch's big win. Or his big other thing. :D
ReplyDeleteHappy birthday and thanks for sharing your guilty pleasure!
I still watch Survivor, though I admit there were a couple of seasons I didn't. As we speak my DVR is set to record tonight's episode. I just love to shake my head at the stuff that goes on and the people that are on the show. The Eye Candy, The hunk, The nerd, The Master Manipulator. We've had our share of interesting people.
ReplyDeleteI also am really loving the cooking reality shows, Top Chef, Master Chef, Sweet Genius. Who doesn't love tasty treats with challenges thrown in?
Ah, love to hear I have fellow reality tv watchers. People do look down their nose at me when I admit I always watch SURVIVOR. Oh, but it wouldn't be a guilty pleasure without feeling like you were sinning, would it? Hee!
ReplyDelete