I am a mid-30's something gay white male, third-generation native Washingtonian, living in NW DC. I work in local politics and can be found hanging with friends at the DC Eagle, Titan, and various happy hour spots around town including Zengo, and sometimes Cafe Nema. More often than not, though, I can be found dallying in billiards and addictive bar video games. Bud light is my drink of choice. Buy me one, ok?

Friday, October 27, 2006

July 17, 2006 -- Guilty Pleasures

Who among most adults do not have guilty pleasures? I'll admit to a few and then write more about the topic.

Debbie (now Deborah... PLEASE) Gibson
Paris Hilton's song "Stars Are Blind"
Lionel Richie
Marla Gibbs' post-Jefferson's show, "227"

Ok. So Debbie is roughly my age. When she hit big back in the 80's I thought it was the coolest thing ever. She was like the youngest person ever to have a #1 single as an artist, producer and songwriter, for "Lost in Your Eyes," and I could not get enough of listening to her first two albums. But then as all phenomina will, she faded from sight and then was on Broadway years later as Belle in Beauty and the Beast and now pretty much releases albums under her own label and sells them online and at concerts. I have not listened to the adult Deborah. I'm purely a Debbie-phile.

Paris Hilton. This damn song, "Stars Are Blind," is so freakin' catchy and is nothing but pure pop froth. But so what, it's fun, and it's even more fun because of the ditzoid singing it. Sure she may not have the greatest voice ever, and sure, it's amazing what can be done in with the write studio technicians, but screw that. It's summer time, and it's got that reggae beat, and I'm not ashamed to admit I love it, and may end up buying her album.

I have been a major Lionel Richie fan for as long as I can remember. I followed his career up until the "Dancing on the Ceiling," album and tour. Until that album, Lionel had written a #1 song every year for 9 years running: 1977 - Three Times a Lady; 1978 - Still; 1979 - Lady (for Kenny Rogers); 1980 - Endless Love; 1981 - Truly; 1982 - All Night Long; 1983 - Hello; 1984 - We Are the World (co-written with Michael Jackson); and, 1985 - Say You, Say Me (which he won an Oscar for). This 9-year track record was unmatched by anyone in history except for the great Irving Berlin. Dancing on the Ceiling was a fun album. Lionel was the first person I ever saw in concert, but after that, when he cheated on his wife and she beat the crap out of him, he's basically been out of the public eye, except for a couple minor hits and some greatest hits compilations. Right now he's most famous for his adopted daughter Nicole.

How could anyone NOT love 227? It has Marla "Florence" Gibbs and even the fabulously zany Jackee Harry. It's one of the best sitcoms EVER!

Now back to "about guilty pleasures." Why are they guilty? Because people make fun of us for liking them, people I suspect secretly like them too. For instance, my friend Ethan. He'd kill me if I alleged he was a Lionel Richie fan. But, I happen to know he owns at LEAST one CD that features Mr. Richie quite prominently. And then there's my friend Marcy who was really diggin and jammin to Paris' song until I told her who it was. Marcy's reply? "That hooker!" LOL I don't know what all I said here, or what it means, but isn't that the point?

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