Everybody has embarrassing moments they would like to undo and haunting memories that trigger the deepest cringe a human body can muster. We all have a cheeky guilty pleasure we would rather keep to ourselves. 

Here, feast your eyes as your classmates spill their guilty pleasures, funny stories and embarrassing tales. This is Wild Secrets.

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My guilty pleasure, like many other young girls coming out of the glittery pink warzone that was the early 2000s, is Barbie movies. At this point, it is a disease. I have seen every single Barbie movie known to man. “The Barbie Diaries,” “Barbie and the Magic of Pegasus,” “Barbie and the Diamond Castle” – the list goes on. 

These movies have been a significant part of my whole life, not just my childhood. Some of the best memories I have with my high school friends were made while watching Barbie movies. 

After every school dance, my living room would be filled with pizza, pop and people with a propensity for pealing laughter. We all piled on a dingy air mattress, which definitely had multiple holes in it and was not suited for more than one person to sleep on.

One by one, we would take turns choosing movies from the stack until the caffeine ran out and we could not possibly keep our eyes open any longer. 

I even spent time one afternoon in high school ranking all of the Barbie movies from best to worst. I do not know if making this list was worth my time, as I have never referenced it since I created it. Nevertheless, I feel good knowing I have it should I ever need it. 

As an adult, I still turn on a Barbie movie when I need a pick me up. The one that has always stuck with me and that I will forever cherish is “Barbie as the Island Princess.”

In case you have not seen this cinematic masterpiece, the plot is simple. Ro grows up on an uninhabited island after being lost at sea in a storm. Naturally, she can talk to the animals who live there. 

One day, long after Ro was lost, a prince finds the island while exploring. He takes them (yes, including the animals) back to his kingdom, where Ro tries to decide where she belongs: with her animal friends on the island or in the human world. 

Obsession might be the most accurate word to describe my love for this movie. I had the accompanying peacock feather dress costume and Wii game. I bet a good chunk of cash that I still know every word to all the songs. 

I am fully aware that Mattel has faced scrutiny in the past for portraying an unrealistic body type to young children. I am really not a massive fan of the Barbie dolls. However, the movies, old and new, are about overcoming challenges. 

For example, in “Barbie in the Twelve Dancing Princesses,” Princess Genevieve and her 11 sisters have to outsmart their father’s power-hungry cousin who attempts to poison him. Maybe not the most realistic or modern-day challenge, but the writers found a creative way to teach children persistence, hard work and how to stand up against hostile forces. 

This movie also carries strong messages about the importance of family and teamwork, which are admittedly essential ideas for children to learn. 

Even if it brings me a tinge of shame, I will always love these movies. The memories I made singing the songs with my sister and mom while we watched them as a family are worth any amount of embarrassment. 

It may sound childish, but sometimes you just need a good Barbie movie to make life a little brighter.

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