And because I’m this much today:

I give you a list of five of my guilty pleasures. Because if you can’t enjoy them on your birthday, when can you?

Or as Stephen Fry put it: “The kind of pleasures I’m talking about are things that fly in the face of the Protestant work ethic, things that fly in the face of bourgeois convention, and things that even fly in the face of one’s own self image.”

#1 Pit Bull

I blame Zumba, because his music often features prominently, but I’ve found — contrary to all my former musical tastes — that I really like his stuff. A lot.

(On a side note, Lady Gaga has also grown on me…)

#2 The Nerdist Podcasts
Out of all of these, this is the least unexpected. Yes, I am a nerd and I do have a thing for celebrity interviews. However, these are a lot more foul — or, rather, the host Chris Hardwick, is — than I generally like. But they’re also funny and smart, and really great background writing noise. I know I shouldn’t like them, but I do.

#3 This cookbook

I brought it home from work, and M said, “You are gong to make us all fat.” I don’t care. It’s heavenly. Lindsay Landis was brilliant: cookie dough in stuff?? How can you resist? See that cake in the corner? It’s what I made for myself for my birthday. Yum.

#4 Superhero movies

Actually, I should just say “blow-’em-up” movies (you know: the ones that are more explosions than plot), because while I consider myself somewhat of a pacifist, I get great pleasure in watching things blow up in implausible ways. Like that scene in Dark Knight where the semi truck completely flips over and explodes? Impossible, but I was giddy.

Also, this movie rocked:

#5 The Richard Castle books

No, they’re not good literature. No, they’re not even “real” books by a real author. And no, I will never pay money to own these. (Disney/ABC doesn’t need my money. Really.) But honestly? I love them, and yeah, I will read this one, sooner rather than later:

And there you have it.

What are some of your guilty pleasures?