It’s always good to have a go-to procrastination website, and although Facebook and Pinterest are nice, HelloGiggles has always been one of my favorites. The website is filled with everything from cute fashion pieces, articles about current events, makeup tips, celebrity interviews, nail polish ideas and movie commentary.
HelloGiggles was created by Zooey Deschanel, Molly McAleer and Sophia Rossi. Even if you’re one of those people who has some irrational hatred for Deschanel and her adorkable style, relax — there’s still plenty you can enjoy about HelloGiggles.
One of my favorite parts of the website is it provides readers a chance to contribute. Everyone is encouraged to submit their own articles (whether it be fashion tips or social commentary), and this policy really makes HelloGiggles an inclusive community. Articles written for the site are from contributing columnists ages 13 and up. Deschanel sometimes writes a piece, and other celebrities get in on the action as well, such as former “One Tree Hill” star Bethany Joy Lenz. There are even some guy columnists. Maybe only a few, but they’re definitely there! OK, so the site is mostly targeted toward girls.
It contains a wide variety of features which spark both discussion and laughter, and this variety is one of its biggest assets. There aren’t many websites with headlines that range from “The Pacey Witter Theorem” and “The Truth About Domestic Violence,” to “What Beyonce’s Halftime Show Really Meant for Women” and “The Perks of Being a Writer.” HelloGiggles understands its readers are complex and have a wide range of interests, and the site is able to cater to many different themes.
My favorite regular feature is a section called “Old Lady Movie Night.” In this section, writer Anne Donahue gives hilarious commentary about a wide range of movies every week. In the past, she’s featured “You’ve Got Mail,” “Clueless,” “The Holiday” and basically any other insanely good chick flick. Donahue knows her audience, and her sarcastic comments about each movie work because she clearly enjoys the movies just as much as her readers do.
At first glance, it seems like a website purely for fun and distraction purposes, but HelloGiggles tackles real and important issues in between the cute. One of the site’s most-discussed articles is about Chris Brown’s history of domestic violence. The article comments on the many people in the entertainment industry who were hesitant to speak out against Brown after he hit Rihanna. It’s these types of hard-hitting articles that set HelloGiggles apart from mainstream websites, and it’s why I keep coming back for more.
