America’s Top Guilty Pleasures Have Been Revealed And We’re All About TV, Food, And Being Lazy

Americas Top Guilty Pleasures Survey Poll

iStockphoto


Ordering takeout, falling asleep watching TV and sneaking an extra scoop of ice cream have been named America’s top guilty pleasures, according to new research.

Putting off a task, singing your heart out in the car and binge-watching a whole TV series in one sitting also number among America’s top 30 guilty pleasures.

The list emerged in a study by Vudu.com, which explored the nation’s leisure time habits and found that 84 percent of the country has at least one guilty pleasure they indulge in from time to time.

From eating an entire bag of chips in one day to drinking juice or milk straight from the carton, the list unveiled a number of acts we partake in that we don’t necessarily want to be public knowledge.

The new study of 2,000 people revealed one in four Americans (24 percent) love to slink back into bed on a lazy Sunday afternoon and, speaking of beds, another one in four (23 percent) find bliss eating a meal there.

Indulging in a guilty pleasure can be embarrassing at times, and according to the results, the average American with a guilty pleasure will entertain one of their shameful joys five times every week.

For one in ten Americans (11 percent) that means checking in on the latest celebrity gossip, while 17 percent might take in a daytime soap opera.

Guilty pleasures can come from a variety of places, and according to the survey, 18 percent of our guilty pleasures come straight from our childhood. Over one in four (27 percent) say one of their guilty pleasures is listening to music they used to like as a child, and another one in four find a secret joy in watching Disney movies and cartoons well into adulthood.

With three out of the top 10 guilty pleasures being related to TV, the survey really spelled out America’s love affair with TV and movies.

Romantic comedies were voted on as the guiltiest pleasure movie genre (21 percent), with comedy (11 percent) and teen romance (11 percent) rounding out the top three.

A spokesperson for Vudu said, “The results showed that guilty pleasures come in many forms. Whether it’s eating that extra scoop of ice cream or watching a cheesy rom-com, indulging in one can be one of life’s purest joys. Whether it’s watching an episode of The Bachelor or another viewing of The Notebook, you’re bound to find it on Vudu.”

While having a guilty pleasure is certainly not uncommon among Americans, that doesn’t mean they’re always perfectly secure with them.

In fact, 38 percent of Americans confess they’re at least a little ashamed of their guilty pleasures, with 39 percent admitting to lying about them and 22 percent actually hiding one from their partner.

According to the survey, one respondent has a coin collection they hide from their partner, while another has a love affair with chocolate they’d like to keep a secret from their significant other.

But harmless guilty pleasures, such as reality TV and Disney movies, are nothing to be ashamed of, so sit back, throw on the latest episode of The Bachelor, and enjoy.

TOP 30 AMERICAN GUILTY PLEASURES
• Ordering take out because you can’t be bothered to cook 42%
• Falling asleep watching TV 41%
• Sneaking an extra scoop of ice cream 38%
• Putting off a task 35%
• Buying yourself a treat 35%
• Singing out loud in the car 34%
• Staying in your pajamas all day 32%
• McDonald’s 32%
• Binging a whole TV show in one day 28%
• Watching TV all day 28%
• Still listening to the music you listened to as a kid as an adult 27%
• People watching 26%
• Eating an entire bag of chips in one sitting 26%
• Watching Disney films and cartoons as an adult 25%
• Getting back in bed on a lazy Sunday afternoon 24%
• Eating food in bed 23%
• Checking social media when you should be working/studying 22%
• Eating cereal for dinner 22%
• Watching reality TV 20%
• Drinking juice or milk directly from the carton 19%
• Romance movies 19%
• Stealing soap/shampoo from hotels 17%
• Not showering 17%
• Watching daytime TV 17%
• Procrastinating chores 16%
• Calling in sick when you’re not sick 16%
• Listening to cheesy music 15%
• Proving your partner wrong about something 15%
• Stalking other people’s social media 15%

TOP 5 GUILTY PLEASURE MOVIE GENRES
• Rom-Com 21%
• Comedy 11%
• Teen Romance 11%
• Horror 9%
• Drama 9%

10 OF THE WEIRDEST GUILTY PLEASURES AMERICANS HAVE
• Cheese and peanuts (not peanut butter) on a sandwich
• Drinking pickle juice straight from the jar
• Eating baby food
• Eating mayonnaise by itself
• Drinking cola mixed with milk
• Eating baking soda
• Dressing as “Alice in Wonderland” while watching the movie
• Listening to WWE theme music to get pumped at the gym
• Eating a marmalade and sausage sandwich
• Talking to their dog as if they understand


Douglas Charles headshot avatar BroBible
Before settling down at BroBible, Douglas Charles, a graduate of the University of Iowa (Go Hawks), owned and operated a wide assortment of websites. He is also one of the few White Sox fans out there and thinks Michael Jordan is, hands down, the GOAT.