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Hello, HelloGiggles

HelloGiggles is a new site for funny, interesting women by funny, interesting women.

One of those women is actress, singer, and rising web person Zooey Deschanel. Another is one of Toronto’s most famous Tumblr bloggers, The White Sade. Here, we talked to the local Giggler about the what makes a women’s site, the merits of Tumbling, and her relationship with Zooey.

What is HelloGiggles?

HelloGiggles is basically a site for funny, interesting women who care about pop culture, fashion and LOLing- written by funny, interesting women who care about pop culture, fashion an LOLing. I feel like it’s a site you can go to when you need a break from typical “boys club” entertainment sites. I’m not going to name any names…but they know who they are!

I think the reason I was so up for being a part of HGs is because it’s a site that I want to go to every day. You know? Because honestly, I’ve gotten offers to write for other entertainment sites in the past and I just couldn’t get excited about it. Whereas, with HelloGiggles, I just want every lady in my life to bookmark it and I’m actually PROUD to show my family the pieces I’ve written for the site. Which is rare for me. If you read my blog, you know. Yeesh.

Is it like Gwenyth’s GOOP except for Zoey D.?

Not at all!

What’s awesome about HG is that while (obviously) Zooey is the biggest name attached to the site, 98% of the content is generated by some of the best bloggers out there. And there’s also a lot less name dropping. We have a few weekly columns that I’m obsessed with. Zooey actually has a great how-to called Crafternoon, in which the DIY-disabled (me) are taught how to make cute little bags and stuff.

Who do you think reads or would read HelloGiggles?

Smart, independent and creative females! I definitely just copy/pasted that from the site itself, but it’s true. Aaaaaaand I’m lazy.

What’s your role on the site?

I do a viral video round-up each week. Which is spread throughout the week, really. I basically post the 4 or 5 Youtube videos that are going viral for the week and write a little blurb about them. I’m also working on what will hopefully be a weekly column paying homage to awesome dads who did a kickass job raising their daughters (I posted about it on my blog, here. Still accepting submissions, too, so by all means hit me up if your dad rules.). At the very least, Caragh (HG contributor and devastatingly funny blogger) are writing a super-post for Father’s Day, coming up.

Most of the people involved (all?) are from Los Angeles. How did you get hooked up with them?

Yeah actually, I hadn’t really thought about that but most of the ladies are from LA. There’s a couple of us outside of LA, but I’m the only chick reppin’ T.O (don’t call it that).

Sophia, Molly and I had been following each other on Tumblr for a while and were casual internet friends I guess, and so anyway she e-mailed me asking me if I’d like to be a part of the project. So, there you have it.

I wish it was more interesting, like maybe she flew to my house in a chopper and said “TAKE MY HAND OR YOU DIE. DO YOU TRUST ME?” But no, it was actually just an e-mail.

I’m sure having so many followers on Tumblr helped. Or did it?

Um, I don’t know.

The thing is, I take my blog about as seriously as I take reality TV stars. It’s kind of bullshit, you know? I mean, at the end of the day, my blog is the same space it was when I started it in 2008.

If we’re talking about it helping me with freelance opportunities, Molly followed me when I had less than 1,000 followers a couple years back. So I don’t think it’s necessarily been SUPER important, because I feel like the people who will read your blog and stick around whether you’re having an awesome writing day or a really lame writing day will find you regardless of whether you have 100 followers or 10,000.

I read your Tumblr site all the time (thewhitesade.com). How would you describe what you do there? “Lifecasting”?

When I started blogging, it was because I had no job and was bored at home literally all day every day, and then people started reading it.

And then like, kind of a lot of people started reading it. And then I got a lot of hate mail. And then I knew I’d made it. Just kidding. About the last part, not the hate mail part. I totally get a lot of hate mail all the time. Which is funny because it’s like, these people care way more about MY opinions on MY idiot blog than I do.

Lifecasting sounds about right. Although it sort of makes it seem like I’m branding myself or something. I think there’s a good group of us who are sort of well-known for having blogs about nothing. Almost all of my favourite bloggers are “lifecasters”. I really just set out to post shit that I thought was funny or interesting. Which is probably why I’ve stuck around Tumblr for so long, because I can’t imagine that posting anything else would satisfy me.

How did you get so famous on Tumblr?

Ew, being Tumblr famous is like being the Jersey Shore cast member with the least STD’s. It’s still not impressive at all. But I got a relatively huge following just by constantly updating and talking to my followers. I really have no idea, to tell you the truth. But that’s my best guess. Apparently there is a surprising number of internet strangers out there who laugh at the same dumb shit I do. And also a surprising number of internet strangers who think I should “totally just kill myself”. Win some, lose some.

Everyone who’s famous on Twitter was already famous, and I don’t think you can be Facebook famous. Tumblr seems like the only way to become famous online anymore. Would you agree?

I don’t know if I’d necessarily say Tumblr is the only way, but bloggers becoming famous seems to be a new trend lately. I know Kelly Oxford got her “big break” or whatever from blogging on Tumblr and gaining a following on there. But then there’s also bloggers outside of Tumblr like Gala Darling who are getting crazy opportunities from their blogs.

If Zooey Deschanel comes to Toronto, will you hang out with her?

How else would she know where to go for cheap pitchers? I couldn’t just let her fend for herself. She’d end up at the Tattoo Rock Parlour for fucksake.

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