5. Cops
There's nothing like the combination of rednecks, pickup trucks, malt liquor, and handheld cameras capturing all the action. Whenever I watch this show, it always seems to be set in either Kansas City (doesn't matter if it's Kansas or Missouri) or Maricopa County, Arizona (where, coincidentally, my mom lives). If you ever want to get on TV in either of these cities, all you need to do is grow a rockin' mullet, throw back some Colt 45, don your favorite stained wifebeater, and take your truck out for a spin on the highway. Fox TV will be there with their cameras to catch you in all your scummy glory. My favorite arrests are when some 50+ hooker with meth mouth tries to "seduce" the cop out of arresting her. Classic stuff.
4. Iron Chef America
I get teased a lot for how much Food Network I watch, but they can be very helpful if you're into cooking and don't want to actually pay for classes. My favorite show on the channel, though, really tells you nothing about how to cook. "Iron Chef America" is a remake of the Japanese hit where a different professional chef each week takes on one of the show's "Iron" chefs. They are each required to make five courses using the day's "secret" ingredient, which is not revealed until just before the competition begins. It's especially fun when the secret ingredient is something like mussels, and they attempt to make ice cream out of it. I would love to one day become a professional chef, just so I could take on Masiharu Morimoto.
3. Degrassi: The Next Generation
Canadians are far more familiar with this show than Americans, but it can be found on the "N" network on the digital cable lineup. It's basically like a Canadian version of "Saved by the Bell", except it's (slightly) better written and it's an hour-long drama. What makes the show stand out is that unlike American kids' shows, they aren't afraid to handle issues like homosexuality, school shootings, date rape, and drug use. The closest "Saved by the Bell" ever came to an episode about teen drug use is that episode where Elizabeth Berkely gets hooked on caffeine pills. (Remember that? She popped a few caffeine pills- the equivalent of 3 regular cups of coffee- and was stumbling around her room, singing "I'm so excited, and I just can't hide it...I'm so excited...I'm so...scared!") Yeah. Caffeine pills. Stupid America. Not only does Canada have cool round bacon, but they also have better kids' shows.
2. Desperate Housewives
There hasn't been an addictive nighttime soap opera like this since "Dynasty", and that was a bit before my time. There always seems to be something scandalous going on on Wysteria Lane, and it usually involves sex, adultery, sex, drugs, sex, murder, sex, or sex. The show isn't as popular as it once was, but now that "The Sopranos" has ended, this is one of the two shows I make sure to watch every week. (The other is "Smallville", but I don't feel "guilty" about that one.)
1. Little People, Big World
I'm usually the first to bitch about the popularity of "reality" shows, but I can't seem to get enough of this one. It follows the Roloffs, who are both "little people" and their four kids- three of whom are regular sized and one of whom is "little". It's fairly obvious that the "reality" of their lives is set up for the sake of the cameras (the father makes a zip line in the woods behind his house, or they attend the "Little People Olympics"), but it's still shamefully addictive. Please don't think less of me.
Feel free to mention some of your guilty pleasure shows in the comments section. We can all be ashamed together.
3 comments:
Here's my list-
1. Next Top Model
2. That show on TLC where the really fat people get gastric bypass surgery
3. that UFC reality show
By the way, I think Desperate Housewives is main stream enough tht it doesn't count as a guilty pleasure. Please remove it from your list and give us another. You have until tonight at 10. No rush.
I don't have cable, so I can't share in your shame. However, I will pass judgment on your selections...
I haven't seen this "Iron Chef America," but having been a proud viewer of the original "Iron Chef," I can only assume that no one in America could host as well as Chairman Kaga. I guess that if I am to admit any TV guilty pleasure, it would be that the only greater Japanese show than Iron Chef is "The Most Extreme Elimination Challenge."
"Little People, Big World?" Can't you just admit that you like watching freaks? (I am not passing judgment on Little People, but at all reality show participants in general...)
KRAMER: ...And you're the manager of the circus.
JERRY: A circus?
KRAMER: Come on, this is a great idea. Look at the characters. You've got all these freaks on the show. A woman with a moustache? I mean, who wouldn't tune in to see a women with a moustache? You've for the tallest man in the world; a guy who's just a head.
JERRY: I don't think so.
KRAMER: Look Jerry, the show isn't about the circus, it's about watching freaks.
JERRY: I don't think the network will go for it.
KRAMER: Why not?
JERRY: Look, I'm not pitching a show about freaks.
KRAMER: Oh come on Jerry, you're wrong. People they want to watch freaks. This is a "can't miss."
- Erik
Matt- as always, you're a bit of a douche. However, if I must remove Desperate Housewives from the list, I'll replace it with a series from the Discovery Health Channel (which is something like channel 153 on my digital cable lineup) where they cover a different freakish medical condition each week. I forget the actual name of the show, but different episode titles have included (no joke) "Girl Born Without a Face", "The Man Whose Arms Exploded" and "The Woman Whose Skin Fell Off." I think it's a credit to my stomach that I've watched each of these shows during dinner.
Erik- I, too, have seen the original Iron Chef, yet I must admit I prefer the American version, as many of the original chefs focus (understandably) on Japanese or Chinese food, whereas with the American version, you may have an Iron Chef whose training is in French/Southwestern American cuisine taking on someone with Creole/Russian training.
Please also note that the awesomest Iron Chef from the original, Masiharu Morimoto, is also in the American version.
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