A guilty pleasure is something that someone knows is bad or even terrible, but continues to enjoy it anyway. This typically refers to music, video games, books, or other forms of media. Such is also the case withreality TV, as someshows are good, and some aren’t. That’s just how it works–just like regular TV. However, just because a show is bad, it doesn’t necessarily mean it isn’t popular.
These shows may be watched by many, but you might be hard-pressed to find anyone who actively praises them in public. Perhaps this isn’t just because of the quality of the show, but because of the themes it tackles or because it’s way too dramatic. There’s probably a show or two out there that you can think of that fits into this category.In fact, there are loads of shows that people only watch when no one else is looking, though the reasons for doing so vary.
1’The Curse of Oak Island' (2014-)
Seasons: 11
Legend has it that the notorious pirateCaptain Kiddburied a trove of treasure somewhere on Oak Island, Nova Scotia. Other stories are about the Knights Templar burying treasure there or original manuscripts byWilliam Shakespearebeing hidden there. For years, dozens of would-be fortune-seekers have dug on and around the island, hoping to find this lost treasure. EnterThe Curse of Oak Island, which is a show about searching for Kidd’s lost booty.While this is an interesting premise, any attempt made by the hosts to actually make progress falls flat on its face.
They have found a few artifacts, but when these artifacts are appraised, it turns out they aren’t pirate-related at all, and were likely planted there or just wound up there by accident. But the real kicker is that in one of the earlier seasons, the hosts were approached by two Canadian women, who claimed that their ancestors found the treasure just a few decades ago, and they’ve got a little bit of loot to prove it, too. This would be the point when most sane people would throw in the towel and accept defeat. Someone made it there before you, and there’s not much you can do about that. Yet, the hosts manage to spin a hilarious yarn stating that the treasure that was apparently found there and the one they are looking for are entirely different. So they’re still looking.This show is hilarious just because it’s likely that the whole search effort is nothing more than a wild goose chase. However,it’s embarrassing to watch because the treasure may be nothing more than a fairy tale.
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2’Duck Dynasty' (2012-2017)
Duck Dynastyfollows the Robertson family, a group of millionaires that present themselves as anything but. While they may be millionaires, they’re still rednecks at heart, and nothing about that has changed. They became famous after creating their own family business geared towards duck hunters, with one product, known as the duck call, skyrocketing in sales. The duck call is meant to mimic the quack of a duck in order to lure ducks towards you.
The show was very, very popular, but at the same time, it warranted a lot of guilt-watching. This is because the Robertsons have a lot of controversial opinions on hot-button issues which they make very vocal. The show alsobombed in the reviews department. And yet, for a while, it was themost watched non-fiction cable show in history. While people may have panned the show, they were still watching it.So it’s obvious that quite a few people see it as a guilty pleasure show.
Duck Dynasty
A Louisiana family runs a successful duck call business, turning their mom-and-pop operation into a multi-million-dollar empire. The Robertsons, led by Willie and his colorful uncle Si, balance their rural lifestyle with the challenges of managing Duck Commander, all while maintaining strong family bonds and offering plenty of humor along the way.
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3’Jersey Shore' (2009-2012)
Seasons: 6
Jersey Shoreis made fun of a lot, even after 12 years of it being off the air. Many people make fun of the cast along with their signature confrontational attitudes and demeanors. Yet even with how many people look down on this show, it was still immensely popular, and it wouldn’t be wrong to say that some of the people making fun of it also enjoyed it in secret.
The premise is simple: a group of people all take a beach holiday in a house in New Jersey. But because the people are mostly hotheaded and unafraid of standing up for themselves, it results in a lot of fights and arguments. Even if these fights are scripted to some extent, theshow is looked down upon, because, well, it’s not quality television to say the least.Even with its low quality, it is still enjoyed by many. Maybe it’s because of the drama or because of its memorable cast, but one thing is certain–this is a popular show,butvery few people will admit to watching it.
Jersey Shore
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4’Bar Rescue' (2011-)
Seasons: 8
Bar Rescueis a show in the same vein asKitchen Nightmares, only instead of starring celebrity chefGordon Ramsayas he visits struggling restaurants, it followsJon Tafferas he visits struggling dive bars. Taffer himself is charismatic, albeit a bit rough around the edges. He also has an explosive temper that he frequently unleashes after witnessing the bars' questionable business practices. It’s not that a blowup isn’t warranted, though.
Since most of the bars are dive bars, a lot of them tend to attract people who can be loud, arrogant, or rude, which makes the show very dramatic. But it also makes the show seem like something that is typically enjoyed by people who like that sort of drama. So, if you watch the show,people may assume you’re a loudmouth or a problem-maker.But the show itself isn’t bad.It uses the same formula that madeKitchen Nightmaresso successful, it just happens to explore a corner of the service industry that isn’t looked upon too highly.
5’Finding Bigfoot' (2011-2018)
Seasons: 9
Finding Bigfootis affectionately referred to by online fans as “Not Finding Bigfoot” due to the consistent lack of success the sasquatch-hunters have on this show. Let’s be real, people who regularly watch this show fall into one of two categories: people who genuinely believe in Bigfoot and want to see it found, and people who don’t believe in Bigfoot and love watching the hunters waste their time trying to find something that may not exist.
Whether you believe in Bigfoot or not is up to you, but there’s no denying the show is ridiculous. The hunters bring in all this professional equipment and high-tech tools, and for what? By the time the show ended, they had not, in fact, found Bigfoot.The reason it’s so embarrassing is that the show is objectively absurd, and it’s impossible to say you like the show without people immediately assuming you believe in Bigfoot; but it’s entertaining all the same.It has to be, considering how long it lasted.
Finding Bigfoot
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6’Keeping Up With the Kardashians' (2007-2021)
Seasons: 20
This is a show that no one will admit to liking in real life. This is because theKardashian familyis primarily made up of socialites, who aren’t famous because they have some sort of particular talent. Maybe some of them do, but this is usually secondary to their status as socialites.Despite no one admitting they watched the show, a lot of people must have, because it lasted for 20 seasons and was incredibly successful.
If a show lasts that long, they’ve got to be doing something right. The reason why people watch it is simple: middle or lower-class people want to see how the one percent live;and, truth be told, there are some funny moments throughout the show, although this is often completely by accident, during a situation which the cast do not find amusing at all.
Keeping Up With The Kardashians
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7’Are You the One?' (2014-)
Are You the One?is a show about a group of men and women living together in a house while a matchmaking algorithm secretly pairs them off into couples. What could possibly go wrong with that, right? If the constestants manage to work out who the couples are, they all share a million dollars. If they don’t, they get nothing. It turns out this is a lot easier than it sounds, because in only one of the nine seasons have the constestants not won anything.
The main reason this show is a guilty pleasure is that it borrows a lot of aspects from other, more popular shows.It also doesn’t hurt that the drama is ramped up as many reality shows are, and that it’s a dating show, of sorts; and people love dating shows as they are, themselves, guilty pleasures. That being said, the show is a real smash-hit, warranting a revival in recent years due to popular demand.
Are You the One?
8’Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives' (2007-)
Seasons: 47
Guy Fierihasattained meme status online with his getup and appearance, which look like they’ve walked straight out of 1995. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, though. InDiners, Drive-Ins and Dives(which has lasted a whopping 47 seasons), Fieri travels around to visit different restaurants and showcase their practices. But because of Fieri’s status as a meme, many people are ashamed to admit they like this show.
They shouldn’t be, though. The show is actually pretty good as it’s a simple reality show that explores a lot of restaurants that serve food that clearly isn’t healthy for you, such as fried foods, burgers, and pizza. It’s a good watch if you’re hungry or looking for somewhere in your area to go out and eat.
9’Hacking the System' (2014)
Seasons: 1
Hacking the Systemis a bit of anunderrated show, and is one that’s actually really entertaining. So, why is it a guilty pleasure? Well, that’s because the show teaches little life hacks, most or all of which toes the line of being ethical. They aren’t illegal per se, they just aren’t moral. The show features multiple tips on how do things like butt in line without people getting mad at you, how to pass a lie detector test (even if you are lying), and how to get free food at a restaurant.
Useful? Sure. Frowned upon? Absolutely. The show’s host,Brian Brushwood, himself admits that the show is meant to teach people how to think like criminals. And again, while the things on the show aren’t necessarily illegal, you may want to think twice before trying one of these stunts in public.You’ll probably learn a lot while watching this show. But at the same time, you may not want to apply this knowledge in real life.
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10’Ghost Adventures' (2008-)
Seasons: 25
Do you believe in ghosts? No matter what your answer is, this show is sure to entertain you in one way or another. If you do believe, it will scare the pants off you. If you don’t, it will make you laugh at the apparent lack of success the crew has at finding ghosts.Ghost Adventuresis likely the most popular ghost show out there, and offers some neat little history lessons on the places the crew investigates.
So why is it so humiliating to be a fan of? Well, because of the aforementioned lack of progress.Also, if you’re talking to a skeptic, they might laugh at you for believing in the paranormal. Which isn’t very polite, but it could very well happen. But there are certainly a lot of people who watch it, as it’s been going on for 25 seasons and doesn’t show any signs of slowing down any time soon. If you don’t want to laugh or scream at it,at the very least, you get to learn a little bit of history, which can be equally enjoyable for some.
