Cover Photo: A still from the TV show DAYS OF OUR LIVES, which shows two ambulance responders looking on in concern as a woman throws herself over a man on a stretcher in distress
Production still via NBC

I Refuse to Feel Guilt for My Guilty Pleasures

The invisible fence that divides highbrow and lowbrow is largely imposed by money, those we admire, and our own social conditioning.

Days of Our Lives

still General Hospital

General Hospital

they

Real Housewives

and Real Housewives

Vivian Manning-Schaffel is a journalist and essayist who writes about entertainment and the intersection of pop culture and psychology. Her work has been published on Shondaland, NBC News, The Cut, Forge/Medium, and many other publications. Hang out with her on Twitter: @SoapboxDirty.