But what are you *really* like?

[gurdonark]

So often in LiveJournal we learn from one another these literary, edited, highly novelized stories. Even the personal revelations of intimacies undergone and trust foregone have this atmosphere of the guarded moment. I suppose this is natural, and the plots we construct in our journals still give so many clues (often unintended by the author, I suspect) as to the journalist's "real" self. But I hazard a theory--we learn a lot about people by their most trivial pursuits, rather than by their most elegantly constructed ideas.

Let's put that theory into test today. I'm sitting here in Allen, Texas, on a Sunday where the ground is unexpectedly graced with a light bed of snow. Snow for me is a wonderful guilty pleasure, as are Autumn tornados, seen from a distance.

I'd like to get to know each of you better, and allow you to know me a little better. But let's eschew the futile stuff, like our life's philosophies, our lives with those with whom we are intimate, and our views on matters politic and political. Let's skip right over to the real soul-revealing stuff. Let's talk guilty pleasures!

[Poll #103079]

My belief is that in our unguarded moments we betray so much about ourselves, and what moment is more unguarded than that in which a guilty pleasure is sampled?

So what are you really like? What are the others like? Only the poll answers will tell. Of course, at some point, I will add my own answers, and we'll all know of the lesser, soul-revealing guilts too superficial for damnation, but too deep to ignore.

Comments

[licoricestick.livejournal.com]

Ha- it's funny but I'm never afraid to admit any of these things. I don't really have any answers to your questions b/c there isn't a book I read over and over and there isn't an album I listen to over and over...If I still had any of my Phil Collins, that would be it probably. I like some Bruce Hornsby songs even. I like Eminem. I love watching Leave it to Beaver. I don't know if I believe i "guilty pleasures"...if you like something, you like something right? I guess what I mean is, there's not really anything I have to hide as far as the questions go, even though I can't think of any answers right now!

[gurdonark.livejournal.com]

Yes, I think you've got a point! Perhaps maturity is when your guilty pleasures are not so, well, guilty :).

[gbdances.livejournal.com]

The only difficulty I had was with the religious question; after all, I believe AT LEAST one tenet from almost every religion, and disagree with at least one, as well. I only picked Buddhism because it was the one that I most see myself practicing (if I had to pick a different way).

[gurdonark.livejournal.com]

Yes, I know just what you mean, and I have the additional problem that I wish in part to put "none" and in part to put "each" and in part to put "all".

[nacowafer.livejournal.com]

Dude! I'm an open book!

[gurdonark.livejournal.com]

See? It is revealing. But I think you should rest assured that
in your secret garden there is undoubtedly the extra challenge of a hall of mirrors.

I swear sometimes that man is out to get me!

[espvivisection.livejournal.com]

I *love* that movie! Soooooo good! And it's a prefect morning shower song, cause it talks about coffee and showering!

Re: I swear sometimes that man is out to get me!

[gurdonark.livejournal.com]

heck, I hate it when I don't recognize a movie line!

[marstokyo.livejournal.com]

hey hey, let's hear it for the Spirograph!!

Spirograph RULES!

[eve-l-incarnata.livejournal.com]

You can find them at yardsales! I bought one two years ago. Now I'm looking for a Super Spirograph.

Re: Spirograph RULES!

[holyoutlaw.livejournal.com]

I was going to say something like that -- yard sales and thrift stores, I've gotten a couple that way.

Re: Spirograph RULES!

[espvivisection.livejournal.com]

You know, having seen that as the answer, I remember mine, and I miss it now. That and my twirl-a-paint.

Re: Spirograph RULES!

[holyoutlaw.livejournal.com]

Twirl a paint! Those are fun too. (I've never seen one in a thrift store, though.)

Re: Spirograph RULES!

[miscelenaclosed.livejournal.com]

One of the advantages to having a family full of pack-rats:
I still have my Spirograph! :) And my LiteBrite. And my brother's
G.I.Joe and Star Wars figures and a whole pile of metal and plastic lunchboxes, and... and.. and...

I don't have a clue where the Weebles got to, however...

Re: Spirograph RULES!

[gurdonark.livejournal.com]

Wow, very impressive. I take some comfort in the notion that whereever those weebles have wobbled off to, they have not fallen down.

Re: Spirograph RULES!

[marstokyo.livejournal.com]

I'm surprised they don't still make them. After all, Etch-A-Sketch are still going strong.

Re: Spirograph RULES!

[gurdonark.livejournal.com]

Somehow I thought they did make them...hmmm....

Re: Spirograph RULES!

[marstokyo.livejournal.com]

maybe they DO

Re: Spirograph RULES!

[gurdonark.livejournal.com]

Super Spiro really ruled! I think I saw one at a dollar store not that long ago, or maybe it was a knock off!

[chevrefeuilles.livejournal.com]

I agree with you. I want to change my "idiot star" answer to Owen Wilson.

[eve-l-incarnata.livejournal.com]

Every time you write "we" in one of your posts, I want to say "Who do you mean we, white man?"

[gurdonark.livejournal.com]

:). I take your point. But every time "we" means "we who read the answers", as it does here, it is a universal to those who read the answers. I guess that it's a closer call when I use "we" as a hypothetical universal, I think that "we", not meant to be taken literally, is still okay. I don't imagine to speak for everyone in everyplace, but nobody takes the second person plural that literally :). I suppose the answer to "who do you mean "we", is those who wish to join in the fun :).

[woody77.livejournal.com]

Most excellent poll.

However it seems I'm kinda the odd-man out on some of the answers, but that's ok.

I did find that two questions were exceedingly difficult, due to wordings. The TV show and music questions. Mostly because in my circle of friends, "trash" reading/viewing/etc. is highly regarded, and a well-understood indulgence. Maybe 'cause we're a bit younger, but maybe also because I know that for the most part, you have to work to like something that other people would think low of. It just seems like we're pretty open.

Hmm. This ended up much more self-serving than I planned.... I hate that.

[gurdonark.livejournal.com]

We middle age folks love kitschy TV, too, especially kitsch we took as dead serious as kids but now find kitschy. The poll does suffer from poor wordings in at least 3 places, ,as well as a gratuitous "we", but that's okay :).

Re:

[woody77.livejournal.com]

I didn't mean to disparrage the poll. I reallize it kinda came off that way.

I really enjoyed it, and reading the responses. :)

[chevrefeuilles.livejournal.com]

I like the Waltons too. The boys are cute! But it never suffered the crisis of quality that "little house on the prairie" eventually did, (or michael landon's hair) which is why LHOP qualifies as a GUILTY pleasure...

[holyoutlaw.livejournal.com]

This was fun! Thanks for doing this. Yeah!

[gurdonark.livejournal.com]

Thanks for playing!

Guilt-free

[kelquestor.livejournal.com]

except maybe for the chocolate, but that's only because the whole time I'm eating it I am thinking, this is stopping the absorption of calcium, I'm killing myself here, why not just start taking uppers?

I like fairy floss too. You Americans call that cotton candy : )

Re: Guilt-free

[gurdonark.livejournal.com]

I try to be guilt-free,too, but I don't always succeed. although, now that I think about it, I'm not sure if guilt-free is a good thing or a bad thing. I am not sure of much at all, but I do like fairy floss, which sounds much more exotic than "cotton candy".

[kelquestor.livejournal.com]

Is this the darkest of your 'dark side' we're going to see, Robert? Because it's pretty wholesome. But maybe that's where the evil is most insidious, in the white bread of packed lunches, in the cute decal on the lid?? ; ) Gotta get me some Black Oak Arkansas, perhaps...

[gurdonark.livejournal.com]

I wish that a BOA fondness were the limit of my dark side. I suppose I must work up to that post eventually, but I don't really like my dark side.
BOA is an acquired taste, rather less melodic than Def Leppard.

[maltese-cat.livejournal.com]

I just have to laugh. I submitted my answers to your poll then began to read the answers submitted by others. In a fit of laughter I realized that I misread one of your questions - What sports star are you ashamed to admit you kinda fancy? was read as What sports CAR...? Now I wonder what that says about my personality!
Nice poll though. I was really surprised by the religious question and the books that people like to read.

[gurdonark.livejournal.com]

I asked the sports star question, and then realized that I don't really have crushes on anyone. Fortunately, Anna Kournikova has for years been the "over hyped and attractive" female sports figure, so I was safe.

But I wish I had put in a car question instead:).

I was torn about which religion to pick. I suppose that's why I'm a universalist. I liked Eve L Incarnata's answer--atheism, because then I could sing "Imagine" in the shower.

qualifications

[chevrefeuilles.livejournal.com]

1. More than chocolate, chocolate chip cookies.

2. I don't sing in the shower, really.

3. I was answering the "faith" question based on "world religion," not denomination. Really, I toy with different facets of Christianity, the simpler Quaker (but I cannot sit still at a meeting and miss liturgy!) or more elaborate Russian Orthodox (but it's sexist and patriarchal).

I am designing a totally superficial poll. Stay tuned!

Re: qualifications

[gurdonark.livejournal.com]

I'm looking forward to the total superficiality of your poll, which I will immediately take. I thought about putting a branch of Christianity in my poll, as Catholicism is so interesting, the Society of Friends so simple, but finally I thought that nothing would suit me better than the power of positive thinking :).

[nquizitiv1.livejournal.com]

I filled out your poll! Just thought I'd let you know :)