When it comes to my television watching habits, I tend to have a split personality. Because there are two versions of Couch potato Liz: The one who’s drinking ice water and watching quality TV with her husband and the one who is shoving down handfuls of M&M’s while watching that trashy TV we all love to hate.
So on this edition of Watch this, Not that, I thought I’d come out of the closet and celebrate my Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde TV watching self. That I would declare my love for my ridiculous shows so I no longer have to hit the “exit” button when my husband returns unexpectedly to the family room after he swore he was going to bed. So I don’t have to hide my head in shame when my trashy TV is hogging all the memory on our TiVo, causing it to erase the kid’s PBS shows. And lastly, to give all of you other secret bad TV watchers a soft place to fall.
I’ll even entice you into telling me your dirty TV watching secrets by giving away two signed copies of Jennifer Ross’s delicious debut novel, The Icing on the Cupcake. It’s a great story AND has an awesome recipe at the end of each chapter. Just leave a comment to be entered!
WHEN THE HUSBAND IS AROUND, I WATCH THIS:
SURVIVOR While I’m sure some of you may argue if this should be considered quality TV, you have to admit that Survivor is the grandaddy of all reality TV shows, paving the way for copycats like Joe Millionaire(what ever happened to that guy, anyway?) and Big Brother. A diehard fan since the first season, Jeff Probst’s arrogant, irritating narrative during each challenge, his leading questions during tribal council and that whole The Tribe has spoken thing just never gets old for me. And with villains like Russell, I think this season’s better than ever!
CHUCK I think I’ve always secretly had a thing for lanky nerd types-at least when it comes to my TV watching preferences. (Why the hell else would I have ever watched The Big Bang Theory?) And this sweet show about a computer geek who’s life is turned upside down when he has a CIA computer downloaded into his brain seems to have finally hit it’s stride in it’s third season. The best part? It has enough action (And a smoking hot blonde!) to entice your man to watch it but at the core is just an adorable love story about a guy who’s in love with a girl who’s completely out of his league.
MY SECRET GUILTY PLEASURES:
THE REAL HOUSEWIVES OF NEW JERSEY Sometimes I actually feel my IQ dropping as I take in the antics of my favorite Garden State Housewives. Announcing that watching another minute would makes his eyes bleed, my husband declared this show unwatchable early on in season one. Typical that a man can’t appreciate a good table-flipping or tell-all book!There’s something about tough-talking Caroline and the clueless Teresa that makes me both LOL and feel a little nauseous at the same time. Like I’m just holding my breath and praying that they aren’t really like this. But either way, I know I won’t be able to turn the channel when season two begins May 3rd.
90210 I’m the first to admit that the only reason I gave this show a chance was because of my devotion to it’s predecessor. But unlike it’s unwatchable updated cousin Melrose Place, the new 90210 had me at Hello. Okay, so maybe it was all the Kelly, Brenda and Donna cameos that got me on board. But now, in it’s second season, those beyotches are gone and I’m still secretly watching every week when I think no one’s looking. And considering the batch of new hotties they brought on last Fall, some(my husband in particular) may suggest that the cougar in me might be the reason I just can’t say no to 90210. But I stand by it’s, um, strong story lines and um, impressive abs, um I meant acting.
What do YOU watch when no one’s looking?
xoxo, Liz
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Liz,
Hilarious! Just last night, Matt kept asking me what I was watching (he could hear catty fighting from the kitchen) and when he entered the living room, I hastily changed the channel (from The Real Housewives of NYC) to American Idol. I told him it was “just a show” that he’d “never understand and shouldn’t bother himself with anyway”…. There was a part of me that didn’t want to have to defend myself for WANTING to watch Bethenney and Jill go at it.
xoxo
Lisa, ha! Glad to know I’m not the only one who is secretly ashamed of some of my shows! xo
Liz- I’m beyond ashamed. I’ve taken on some real doozies lately. Ever seen “Four Weddings” where the brides judge the other brides weddings?
Oh Liz, I am a Chuck fanatic (thankfully, hubby is a lovable nerdy engineer-type, so he enjoys it, too). And oh yes, the Housewives. All of them, in their cat-fight, bejeweled, spray-tanned bitchy glory. Husband will leave the room when I’m watching and that’s just fine with me. I’d rather be just the tiniest bit envious of their perfect bodies and fabulous wardrobes with out his judgmental head-shaking and heavy sighs at the ridiculousness of it all. I also have a girl-crush on Patti Stanger, The Millionaire Matchmaker. That girl has a set of brass ones, my friend. LOVE HER.
OMG, Amy, I LOVE Patty. So so much. And don’t tell anyone but I think I got my hubs secretly hooked on her show….
Lisa- um, no. When is it on? I must watch at least once! xo
OMG I am the queen of trash TV and it has gone debestatingly bad since we moved to France almost 7 years ago and my husband refused to get sattelite TV. You know this Bret Michaels’ show, Rock of Love? Well I found it free online but b/c I was outside US, the shows were not available for viewing due to copyright issues. Well I found a program that would basically block my web address so the TV site would believe I was in the Us and therefore allow me to watch it in the comfort of my Paris apartment! Pathetic, I know! :)
I am a junkie for pretty much anything MTV produces – Cribs, Super Sweet 16….When I was in the US a few weeks ago found a total trainwreck of a show called 16 and Pregnant – riveting!
I also love just about anything I can find with food challenges. Dying to catch an episode of Cupcake Wars. In the meantime there’s lots of tasty stuff on like Ace of Cakes and the Food Network challenges.
My hubby loves Patti, too! He loves her cut-to-the-quick BS meter, which he likens to my own. Granted, he was trying to get lucky at the time… ;)
Little Miss Cupcake, wow! I’m very impressed at the lengths in which you’ll go to get your trash TV! I feel like I should give you some sort of award? Thanks so much for the comment! Xoxo
My guilty pleasure is occasionally watching Extra! or Entertainment Tonight. They aren’t always trashy, but I sometimes feel shallow watching them ( – :
I am so glad they stagger all the “Housewives” shows….Orange County, Atlanta, NJ and NY as I watch them all…..Who can’t wait to hear about Big Pappa and NeNe’s lasted fight with Kim?? Models of the Runway was pretty catfighty with the younguns against the older models…wonder if they will bring it back?? To show the lengths I will go to watch “these” shows….I figured out what order to watch them on Thursday night…(Since they show Project Runway at the same time as Housewives, but yet repeat them both the same night; you can watch PR at 9pm then Housewives at 10pm, then ET at 11pm (that is what time it is on in Dallas) and then Models of the Runway at 11:30…..eventhough they repeat them all again during the week…I just have to see them on the night they air….true sickness at large!!!
I also watch 90210 or Melrose Place, but most of my friends groan when they find out I watched the latest episode of America’s Next Top Model! 14 seasons and I still tune in to watch the model makeovers lol
Valerie, i am also a big fan of Models of the Runway, I hope they bring it back! Big Pappa and NeNe? Girl, I think I need to watch the Real Housewives of Atlanta too! xo
Karen, I ALMOST added ANTM to the list because I’ve been a loyal viewer for…13 seasons. This season, they are all still sitting on my Tico untouched. I should go in and just watch the makeover show! LOL! xo
I LOVE Gossip Girl! It’s my guilty little pleasure. I watch 10 mins a day to make it last as long as possible. My husband thinks it’s hilarious how I try & savor such a ‘stupid show’
I’ve gotten him hooked on Millionnaire Matchmaker & he got me 2 watch a few Housewives of OC.
I guess trashy TV brings us together the way all the different CSI’s can’t.
I love trash tv! I have seen the first season of the new 90210 and am waiting for my library to get season 2. Currently on my shelf to be watched : BH 90210 seasons 8 and 9, and Ghost Whisperer 4. I have loved the OC, Dawson’s Creek, One Tree Hill… I love anything from the WB (trash central)! I don’t watch ‘regular’ tv – don’t want to pay for cable – so I take full advantage of my library and Hulu – Make it or Break it and the new Knight Rider and perfect and awful. Please, if you can think of something I haven’t seen let me know. Thanks for you blog, I am a huge fan, Melissa
Thanks Melissa! Yes, the WB has produced so much trash TV for us addicts over the years, hasn’t it? Have you watched Tool Academy? So bad that it’s real good! xo
I wanna win a Book and a cupcake!
Soytroy, Thanks for the comment! xo
Liz- It’s called “Four Weddings” and it’s insanity. It’s on We or E or TLC. I never know..
My favorites? Say Yes to the Dress, Cake Boss, Tori & Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood, and Project Runway…and for the later not only do I watch it then I read Tim Gunn’s Blog and EW.com’s recap. I’ve also gotten my 7 year old son hooked–my husband finds it sad that I can say “one day you’re in” and my son finishes with “the next day you’re out!” But I say there’s no better bonding than debating Emilio or Seth Aaron with your little boy! :)
Angela, I LOVE it! My daughter really likes Project Runway too, it’s one of the few shows I can watch in front of her! Lisa and I love Say Yes to the Dress too! xo
As probably the only guy to have the guts to post on this, I have to come clean. Sure, I have my macho-manly shows that I watch, Deadliest Warrior…Survivorman…Mythbusters, but sadly there are some trash shows that I watch that would definitely cause me to lose points on my man card. Millionaire Matchmaker….yes. Just goes to show that the true millionaires are those who have already found love (yes, that’s the sound of my man card getting deducted). Tabathas Salon Takeover….yes. C’mon now, I work from home, and sometimes there’s absolutely nothing on, except show marathons on Bravo. After seeing Tabatha make the first person cry, I got hooked waiting for the next. Yes, there’s other shows that are less trashy that I watch, but would cause full point deductions from the man card (Ellen, Dancing With The Stars), but as long as I can hit that “Channel Return” button quick enough to go back to the baseball game, no one will ever be the wiser!!
How about Dancing with the Stars??? Now if that is not bad tv I do not know what is??? :)
Keri, I ALMOST listed that too, but I think I may be the only person on the planet who has NEVER watched a full episode? =_
Shamedtobeaguy, I LOVE it! And if it makes you feel any better, I see my husband secretly watching when I have Tabitha’s Salon Takeover and Millionaire Matchmaker. I know ESPN.com can’t be that fascinating! And don’t worry, you’re secret (And your man card) is safe with us… =)
Let’s start by saying that the reason guys watch Chuck are the same reasons they “read” Playboy…..for the interesting articles. What hot girl? I have no idea what you’re talking about. Now I don’t mind the kids shows getting bumped for anything on Tivo as we just have too much space dedicated to BattleForce 5 and Clifford the Big Red Dog. But the NJ Housewives thing is just too much. I can say that I felt the same way about Big Brother and now I am an addict. Maybe I just need to give these shows some more time. Nice job on this. I was very entertained!
Wow, this is a tough one. I have 39 shows set to regularly record on my DVR so it is obvious that I have a television obsession. But there is one (actually 2) that I am embarrassed to mention. It started off innocently enough with Clean House. What can I say – I LOVE MAKEOVERS ! But then that wasn’t enough and I crossed over to Hoarders-Buried Alive. There, I said it.
Mike, Hmmm…I thought there was a reason you never want to miss Chuck! And honey, I’m not sure you’ll eveh be able to sit through an entire episode of NJ Housewives-and I’m ot sure i want to watch you squirm the whole time you’re watching it! Thanks for always letting me watch my trashy TV. xoxoxoxo
Mary, I’ve heard that Hoarders is fascinating! Hmmm…I’m going to have to check that one out. =) P.S. I LOVE makeovers too!
Right now, I’d like to sit down and watch hours and hours of Millionaire Matchmaker. Such a wonderful mess it all turns into!
Michelle, I’m so with ya. That would be heaven! xo
Laura! I used to love Gossip Girl too. I don’t know what happened? I got busy and forgot to watch one week and then BAM, I didn’t care about it anymore. xo
CONGRATS TO ANGIE AND LAURA!!! YOU’VE JUST WON A COPY OF JENNIFER ROSS’S THE ICING ON THE CUPCAKE. Thanks to all who commented! xoxo
Liz–you’ve got to return to the GG!
Ummmm…I really like Wife Swap. It comes on Lifetime during my lunch hour. I know people think I’m crazy for watching it…but THOSE PEOPLE ARE CRAZY! THE PEOPLE ON WIFE SWAP!!! What hole do these families crawl out of? I mean, seriously! I love it!
Sheri- I could totally see how Wife Swap could be addicting..where do they find these people? xo
I watch “America’s Top Model” and of course “Dancing with the Stars”. I’m a frustrated dancer (my husband won’t take ballroom lessons with me) and I’ll wactch any show, even teen stuff, with dancing.
Letitia, Have you tried “So you think you can dance”? I LOVE that show and think it would totally satisfy your inner dancer! xo
I have a few….Bad Girls Club and Snapped. I always wonder the same thing for both show…How do they get away with that!?!
Dear Liz – Long live the trash TV viewers. I enjoy The Secret Life of the American Teenager (altho I am well past that stage) Other guilty pleasures include TMZ (that the only news I can handle the rest is too depressing!), Gossip Girl (for the fashion) and 90210 for the nostalgia (bring back Donna Martin!) Check out Food Wars – you will enjoy and can’t wait for the launch of the Cooking Channel in late May. How about the HBO show “Made in America” – some fun there….keep watching trash. Contrary to what your mother said – it will NOT rot your brain!
Nancy, I totally agree! And I’ll have to check out “Made in America”. Thanks so much for commenting! xo