Bad Books and Movies Are Not a Waste of Time

Have you ever made it to the end of a movie and thought, “What the heck did I just watch?” Or made it to the end of a book and thought, “Why’d I read that?” Maybe you thought, “What a waste of time!” Bad movies and books are everywhere. That’s why we read reviews, look at the ratings, and ask for opinions. Because if we decide we didn’t like that book or movie, we deem it a waste of time or money or both.

Share It with Someone

Watching a movie with friends or reading a book that someone recommended creates a shared experience. And a shared experience creates a memory. It’s almost more fun to watch a bad movie with friends than it is to watch a good one. If we create fun memories with friends or family members by watching a bad movie together, was it really a complete waste of time?

I know I will always remember watching Winter’s Tale in theaters with my husband one evening a few years ago. There was only one other couple in the theater, and the movie was so bad, they left about a quarter of the way through the movie. We were alone in the theater for the rest of the movie, commenting loudly about how terrible that line was or laughing at a cheesy love scene. Sure, I could’ve left the theater thinking we had wasted our money on such a terrible movie. But I will never forget how it was one of the best dates my husband and I went on before we were married.

No More Fear of Missing Out (FOMO)

No matter how many reviews we read or ratings we check, we’ll still wonder, “But would I like this book?” Even if a book has strong ratings, there are always a few bad ones and vice versa. And we always think, but am I the one who would hate it when everyone else loves it? These questions will plague us until we actually sit down and read the book or watch the movie. Even if it turns out the one-star ratings were right, and we end up hating it, at least we don’t have to wonder again. I know I always feel better after reading a book everyone’s raving about, just to see for myself if I actually like it. After all, you’ll never know until you try!

Better Appreciation for the Good Movies/Books

We know a good book or movie when we see it. But how do we know it’s good? There are lots of reasons, many of which we can’t often explain besides saying, “You have to try it!” But when we watch a bad movie or read a bad book, we have a better appreciation for the good ones. What did the bad movie do in comparison to the good one that we can better see now? Sometimes, playing the comparison game is a good thing.

Now You Know What Not to Do

It’s difficult as a newbie to know what makes a good or bad movie or book. If you’re looking to write your own book or make your own movie someday, by watching a bad movie or reading a bad book, you’ll know what not to do. Take notes on what aspects make it one-star. Keep those notes around when you’re writing your own book or script. It might just pay off someday!

So Bad It’s Entertaining

There are some books and movies out there that are so bad, they’re actually funny. They make us laugh so hard that they aren’t famous for the “right” reasons. They’re famous because they’re bad! I remember watching The Room for the first time, absolutely horrified by how terrible it was. But I laughed, and I still laugh every time I watch it. And we can’t forget about the cheap romance novels you can find at just about any grocery or drug store, sold for $2.99. My husband’s favorite thing to do while we wait for a prescription medication to be filled at CVS is to beeline for the book section. He picks the paperback with the cheesiest cover, flips to a random page, and begins to read. In a few seconds, we’re both laughing at how bad it is!

The next time you leave the theater or set down a book without the bookmark in it, and think, “What a terrible experience!” Try to change that mindset. It’s so easy to think we wasted time, when in reality, we didn’t. Especially if we shared the experience with someone else, got a good laugh, or came away with a better appreciation for that of truly great books and movies. So, next time, instead of focusing on the negative, focus on the positives that resulted from reading a bad book or watching a bad movie.

If you enjoyed this article, be sure to share it! You can follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter. You might also like my article, 3 Reasons Why We Feel Guilty Practicing Self-Care (and How to Stop Feeling Guilty). It’s about why we feel guilty when we take care of ourselves and how to stop that guilt in its tracks.