“Book ‘er, Dan-o!” That’s Jack-Lord-speak from Hawaii Five-O. Probably the first of my guilty pleasures since I started watching TV. He’d have cuffed me as I plead guilty for loving:
1. ABBA’s “Dancing Queen” & “Mama Mia”
2. Ugly Betty and its Spanish predecessor “Betty La Fea”
3. Beyonce’s “Crazy In Love” video
4. Fifth Dimension’s “If I Could Reach You”
5. Tom Jones’ “It’s Not Unusual”
6. Melissa Manchester “Don’t Cry Out Loud”
7. Harry Belafonte’s songs
8. The Sound of Music, movie and soundtrack
9. Star Trek
10. Smallville
11. Journey’s “Faithfully”
12. CHiPs, yep, with Erik Estrada
13. Six Million Dollar Man
14. Knots Landing
15. Helen Reddy’s “You and Me Against the World”
16. Nelson’s “Love and Affection”
17. The Association’s “Never My Love”
18. Elvis Presley’s “Suspicious Minds”
19. Tour of Duty
20. Foster’s Home For Imaginary Friends
21. The New Schmoo
22. Priscilla Queen of the Desert
23. 7th Heaven
24. Wacky Races
25. Outkast’s “Hey Ya”
26. Falcon Crest
27. Misfits of Science
28. The A-Team
29. E News
30. Cat Stevens’ “Father & Son”
I can’t help it. I grew up on most of them and some I love for sentimental reasons. Not Beyonce, of course. Although thinking about how I could never have a body like hers make me want to cry.
I danced my crazy dances with Papa while Harry Belafonte Banana Boat Song played on our turntable. And I always felt “Don’t Cry Out Loud”, like “You and Me Against the World”, was a song about Mama and me though I hardly understood the lyrics. I sang “If I Could Reach You” in my head for a boy I had a big love for. While The Sound of Music was the first movie I ever saw (and I’ve seen it at least a hundred times after). Star Trek is a peek into my geekhood, while Ugly Betty is a good reason to block off my Sunday nights. The rest, hard to admit, but yes, I love them, Tom Jones included. My list can go on and on but I have to run. Another guilty pleasure awaits – a pint of Ben & Jerry’s Marsha Marsha Marshmallow.
