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	<title>HelloGiggles &#187; Lauren Ash</title>
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		<title>In Defense of Justin Bieber Amidst The Anne Frank Debacle</title>
		<link>http://hellogiggles.com/in-defense-of-justin-bieber-amidst-the-anne-frank-debacle</link>
		<comments>http://hellogiggles.com/in-defense-of-justin-bieber-amidst-the-anne-frank-debacle#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 14 Apr 2013 21:03:33 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Lauren Ash</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[ENTRTNMNT]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[SOCIAL STUDIES]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Anne Frank]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Beliebers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Education]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[history]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[in defense of Justin Bieber]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Justin Bieber]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[music]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[opinion]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://hellogiggles.com/?p=149152</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>Justin Bieber made headlines today when it was revealed that he had signed a guestbook at the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam,...</p><p>The post <a href="http://hellogiggles.com/in-defense-of-justin-bieber-amidst-the-anne-frank-debacle">In Defense of Justin Bieber Amidst The Anne Frank Debacle</a> appeared first on <a href="http://hellogiggles.com">HelloGiggles</a>.</p>]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://hellogiggles.com/is-bieber-breaking-down">Justin Bieber</a> made headlines today when it was revealed that he had signed a guestbook at the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam, saying:<br />
<blockquote><em>&#8220;Truly inspiring to be able to come here. Anne was a great girl. Hopefully she would have been a belieber.&#8221;</em></p></blockquote>
<p> Obviously this is a very glib, insensitive, narcissistic statement.  In just a few hours, it has caused outrage all over the internet.</p>
<p>But let’s remember a few things about Justin:</p>
<p>1.) In 2011, he spent $25,000 on a custom-made, ruby-encrusted Stewie (from <em>Family Guy</em>) necklace.</p>
<p>2.) He currently has a monkey in quarantine in Germany.</p>
<p>3.) He once rented out the Staples Centre in LA for a date with Selena Gomez.  (NOTE: Reportedly he didn’t have to pay for it, but he did feel like this was an appropriate type of <a href="http://hellogiggles.com/first-rate-first-dates">date</a> for him to pull off.)</p>
<p>What do these points prove?  That this is a teenaged boy with an insanely distorted and enlarged sense of self who has more money than he knows what to do with.  And frankly, it’s not really his fault.</p>
<p>Think about it.  He’ s been in the public eye since he was about 14 years old.  He was discovered by Usher (a musical superstar) from his YouTube videos.  Usher saw the videos and immediately met and then signed him.  What message does this send to a 12- or 13-year-old boy?  Well, in my opinion, it was the beginnings of some very twisted, narcissistic tendencies.  At a time in his life when many teenagers are bratty, moody and generally hard to be around in general due to a tsunami of hormones swirling within them, Justin had basically been told that he would be a major superstar.  And then?  He became a MAJOR SUPERSTAR.  He couldn’t go anywhere without paparazzi and fans harassing him, his concerts were filled with screaming, crying, fainting girls and the money just kept rolling in.</p>
<p>Sure, he completed his high school diploma.  But it was mostly done using e-courses online. And at the risk of sounding completely jaded,  how do we know that he didn’t cheat on his tests online?  Especially when he has enough money to be spending $25 000 on a novelty necklace?  I mean, here’s no WAY he’d paid someone to do that school work and take those tests for him, is there?</p>
<p>My point is, it’s possible that sadly he just doesn’t fully understand the gravity of the Holocaust because he may not have learned enough about it.  And while I don’t excuse his ignorance, I just feel like we’ve done nothing as a society to teach him otherwise.  This guy had his own 3D movie before he was even old enough to drink.</p>
<p>I really hope this whole thing inspires Justin to learn more about Anne Frank, the Holocaust and history in general.  And while I’m not telling the world to let him off the hook for his comments, I am asking that everyone stop acting so surprised by them.  This is the same kid who recently showed up shirtless to an airport.</p>
<p>The post <a href="http://hellogiggles.com/in-defense-of-justin-bieber-amidst-the-anne-frank-debacle">In Defense of Justin Bieber Amidst The Anne Frank Debacle</a> appeared first on <a href="http://hellogiggles.com">HelloGiggles</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>12</slash:comments>
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		<title>Eau de 2012: French Artists Make a Perfume Of, Well, Everything</title>
		<link>http://hellogiggles.com/eau-de-2012-french-artists-make-a-perfume-of-well-everything</link>
		<comments>http://hellogiggles.com/eau-de-2012-french-artists-make-a-perfume-of-well-everything#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 08 Mar 2013 15:00:11 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Lauren Ash</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[BEAUTY]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[FRESH GIGGLES]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[RANTS]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[SOCIAL STUDIES]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[2012]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[art]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[artists]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[chilldhood]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fragrances]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[hellogiggles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Lernert and Sander]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[nostalgia]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[perfume]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[scents]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[swamp water]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://hellogiggles.com/?p=140382</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>When I was nine, some of the neighborhood kids and I spent a whole summer together. We would play massive rounds of...</p><p>The post <a href="http://hellogiggles.com/eau-de-2012-french-artists-make-a-perfume-of-well-everything">Eau de 2012: French Artists Make a Perfume Of, Well, Everything</a> appeared first on <a href="http://hellogiggles.com">HelloGiggles</a>.</p>]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>When I was nine, some of the neighborhood kids and I spent a whole summer together. We would play massive rounds of hide and seek, endless card games and many other fun activities. But our most favourite thing to do was go over to Jesse and Lizzie’s house when their mom was at work to make “swamp water”. Swamp water was basically combining every type of disgusting liquid we could find (other than the poisonous ones) and then daring someone to drink it. Recipes would include Tabasco sauce, a burst open cod liver oil pill, a raw egg, maple syrup, etc. It usually took us so much time to make the swamp water that it wasn’t really a let down when the person dared to drink it would inevitably refuse or take a sip and immediately spit it out. (It should be noted that we briefly dabbled with “swamp food”, but that proved more difficult and required too many resources to go unnoticed to Jesse and Lizzie’s Mom.)</p>
<p>Once I got a little older, swamp water became the concoction created by taking just a TINY bit of each bottle of liquor in my friend Kristine’s dad’s liquor cabinet. Not enough that he would ever notice but enough that we felt weird when we drank it. (I realize now that the “weirdness” we felt when we drank it wasn’t “drunkenness”, it was “illness”. So gross.)</p>
<p>I hadn’t reminisced about these disgusting swamp water experiences until I read about <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/28/everything-perfume-lernert-sander-scent-project-2012_n_2782338.html?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000003&amp;ir=Comedy">this story</a>.</p>
<p>Recently, Dutch artists Lernert and Sander have created their own version of swamp water; they have combined samples of every fragrance released in 2012 and called it “Everything”. The comically large glass bottle of “Everything” is on display at a French store/exhibition space called “Colette”, located in Paris, from March 1-9, 2013. People can visit to smell “Everything” for themselves. Some people have said that it smells like Chanel No. 5; others have said it’s simply like the generic and potent wall of scent that you encounter in any department store cosmetic area.</p>
<p>How many <a href="http://hellogiggles.com/my-love-of-perfume">scents </a>were created last year? 1400. In a society where it seems like even a background actor in a regional T-Mobile commercial can release his own signature fragrance, 1400 still seems staggering to me. Are there even that many possible combinations of scent? Don’t some of them have to be duplicates solely by the rules of probability?!</p>
<p>If you ask me, even 1400 scents couldn’t mask the stench that was 2012. Think about the metaphorical swamp water we can make with the news lowlights from last year.</p>
<p>Start with some rain water from Hurricane Sandy, add in some liquid oppression of the women in Pussy Riot, a sprinkling of legitimate rape, a dash of mass shootings and already we’ve got a really stinky concoction happening.</p>
<p>Then you add in the tragedies of Amanda Todd and Trayvon Martin. The Sandy Hook and Colorado Movie Theatre shootings. The 2012 Delhi gang rape case. The nurse who took her life following a prank phone call about Kate Middleton. Jerry Sandusky.</p>
<p>The list just seems to go on and on.</p>
<p>I recognize that sadly, there are horrific things that happen every day of every year. But 2012 feels like it’s in its own category. If you ask me, 2012 smells like hopelessness.</p>
<p>So maybe this year we should all focus on trying to make the world better. <a href="http://hellogiggles.com/kindness-uncovered-the-power-of-a-positive-tweet">Even if it’s just in tiny ways</a>. And if all else fails, and things still feel hopeless there’s always the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19ZxJVnM5Gs">footage of Marco Rubio awkwardly drinking from that water bottle</a> to cheer us up.</p>
<p>WRITER’S NOTE: When researching for this article, I came across this on a list of memorable events in 2012:</p>
<p><strong>Jun 12th 2012 -</strong> An Australian coroner&#8217;s report rules that a dingo was responsible for the death of a baby in 1980.</p>
<p>That ruling was a long-time coming. I’m sure the dingo’s family was devastated by the news.</p>
<p><em>Featured image via <a title="Shutterstock" href="http://www.shutterstock.com/">Shutterstock</a></em></p>
<p>The post <a href="http://hellogiggles.com/eau-de-2012-french-artists-make-a-perfume-of-well-everything">Eau de 2012: French Artists Make a Perfume Of, Well, Everything</a> appeared first on <a href="http://hellogiggles.com">HelloGiggles</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Is Chivalry Dead, or Maybe Just on Life Support?</title>
		<link>http://hellogiggles.com/is-chivalry-dead-or-maybe-just-on-life-support</link>
		<comments>http://hellogiggles.com/is-chivalry-dead-or-maybe-just-on-life-support#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 04 Feb 2013 12:00:40 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Lauren Ash</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[SOCIAL STUDIES]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Anne T. Donahue]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[baseball]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[boys]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bullying]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[chivalry]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dating]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ex boyfriends]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Facebook]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[facebook wall]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fighting]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[hellogiggles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[hero]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[love]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[relationships]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[standing up for you]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[standing up to bullies]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[women]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[women's issues]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://hellogiggles.com/?p=131846</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>Recently, after a series of annoying emails I received from an ex, I posted the following status on Facebook: &#8220;Dear Dude I...</p><p>The post <a href="http://hellogiggles.com/is-chivalry-dead-or-maybe-just-on-life-support">Is Chivalry Dead, or Maybe Just on Life Support?</a> appeared first on <a href="http://hellogiggles.com">HelloGiggles</a>.</p>]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Recently, after a series of annoying emails I received from <a title="an ex" href="http://hellogiggles.com/types-of-boyfriends-that-all-women-need-to-avoid">an ex</a>, I posted the following status on Facebook:</p>
<blockquote><p>&#8220;Dear Dude I broke up with last year,<br />
Stop emailing me. It’s really unbecoming. Just like that time you did nothing when those dudes at that Blue Jays game threatened to punch me because you “didn’t want to end up in the hospital with broken ribs”. What a hero you were that day. Sincerely,<br />
Lauren&#8221;</p></blockquote>
<p>The response I got was mostly positive. People making jokes, laughing, the usual flood of “likes” an acerbic post like that can garner. But then this response came in:</p>
<p>&#8220;I don&#8217;t know your story, Lauren, but recently I&#8217;ve been privy to a few different stories where a woman has no problem slinging insults and mixing it up with a group of men, because when it hits the point of violence, it&#8217;ll be her husband/boyfriend&#8217;s job to take it from there and fight all 3 or 4 of them. I ask you, hot-tempered women of the world &#8212; what do you expect of us? Again, this doesn&#8217;t reflect on your experience.&#8221;</p>
<p>And I responded the following:</p>
<p>&#8220;The incident did not involve me slinging insults or engaging with these men at all. A few drips of my beer spilled on one of them, I apologized and then they started screaming at me threatening to punch me in the face. What do I expect of men? That you don&#8217;t allow your girlfriends or wives to be verbally abused in front of you. I&#8217;m not saying a fist fight EVER has to happen but you can verbally stand up for your partner and diffuse the situation. The fact that this clearly jokey status has become a &#8220;real talk&#8221; discussion about gender roles is kind of lame, I have to be honest.&#8221;</p>
<p>He politely acknowledged my response, thanking me for clarifying. But the whole exchange left a bad taste in my mouth.</p>
<p>Especially the quote: “Hot-tempered women of the world”.</p>
<p>The assumption that it must have been the woman’s fault felt like a really slippery slope to me; the same kind of slope that links clothing choices to assaults. Because here’s the thing, in the world I personally live in, I believe it is unacceptable for a man to threaten to punch a woman in the face even if she was screaming at him. It’s not okay. Period. Full stop. End of discussion.</p>
<p>At the time of this incident, my boyfriend said to me “would you have been happier if I ended up in the hospital with broken ribs because I ‘stood up for you?&#8217;&#8221;  I tried explaining to him that things rarely have to escalate to the level of an American-History-X-style fight that would earn someone broken ribs. But he wouldn’t hear what I was saying, he just repeating “but would you be <em>happy</em> if I was in the hospital with broken ribs because <em>I stood up for you</em>?” I paused, considered his question, looked him in the eyes and responded “Yes. I would be happy if you were in the hospital because you stood up for me.” He was, in a word, repulsed by my answer. So when this joke post received a similar response from an online acquaintance, I reflected on things further.</p>
<p>And here’s the question I feel this issue boils down to: Is it unacceptable for me to expect that my partner protect me from harm? I’m not suggesting (as the poster on my wall did) that I should be allowed to pick fights with packs of men and expect my boyfriend to end them for me. So I’ll alter the question to take that into account: Is it unacceptable for me to expect my partner to protect me from unprovoked aggression from other men? And my personal answer to this question is: no. It is a completely acceptable expectation of a partner. Period. Full stop. End of discussion.</p>
<p>I discussed this with fellow HelloGiggles contributor <a title="Anne Donahue" href="http://hellogiggles.com/author/anne-t-donahue">Anne Donahue</a>. She brought up Clark Gable. Her example of a REAL MAN. Which got me thinking about how this situation would have played out 50 years ago. If 2 men had threatened to punch me in the face in front of a gentleman suitor 50 years ago, I think I can safely say that said suitor would have AT LEAST said something. So is this a generational thing for men? Or an individual thing that’s always existed, but has become more acceptable over time?</p>
<p>I’m all for equality and pacifism. But at the end of the day, I want to be with someone who will step up when shit hits the fan. Who won’t lay there quivering on top of me when we hear a stranger enter our apartment while we’re having sex. (That’s not a metaphor, that same ex actually did that in real life…so…maybe this issue is him specifically…?)</p>
<p>But here’s the thing: I believe, in general, the world would be a better place if we just stop threatening to punch each other altogether. And actually did stop punching each other altogether. Men on men, men on women or any possible other combination of the sexes. Just no more punching. Period. Full stop. You get my point.</p>
<p><em>Featured image via <a title="Shutterstock" href="http://www.shutterstock.com">Shutterstock</a></em></p>
<p>The post <a href="http://hellogiggles.com/is-chivalry-dead-or-maybe-just-on-life-support">Is Chivalry Dead, or Maybe Just on Life Support?</a> appeared first on <a href="http://hellogiggles.com">HelloGiggles</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>14</slash:comments>
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		<title>Instagram&#8217;s Pro Anorexia Controversy</title>
		<link>http://hellogiggles.com/instagrams-pro-anorexia-controversy</link>
		<comments>http://hellogiggles.com/instagrams-pro-anorexia-controversy#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 08 Jan 2013 20:20:34 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Lauren Ash</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[RANTS]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[SOCIAL STUDIES]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[#Ana]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[#Blithe]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[#Thinspo]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[anorexia]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[anorexia nervosa]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[controversy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cutting]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[depression]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[eating disorders]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Facebook]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[guidance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[instagram]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mental illness]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[photo sharing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pro anorexia]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[self harm]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Social Media]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[take action]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Twitter]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[women]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://hellogiggles.com/?p=125203</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>Instagram, the popular social media photo-sharing app, has recently brought a very serious issue to light. It seems that some people (mostly...</p><p>The post <a href="http://hellogiggles.com/instagrams-pro-anorexia-controversy">Instagram&#8217;s Pro Anorexia Controversy</a> appeared first on <a href="http://hellogiggles.com">HelloGiggles</a>.</p>]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Instagram, the popular social media photo-sharing app, has recently brought a very serious issue to light. It seems that some people (mostly teenaged females) have been using the photo service to share ideas and images that are pro anorexia. Using hashtags like #Ana and #Thinspo, Instagram has started posting a warning message when you search for one of those tags which basically says that you are about to see graphic content and lists a website for eating disorder support. Once you click “see images”, a sea of images bombards you. Over 306,000 and counting for #Ana alone.</p>
<p>I decided to take a look at what exactly was happening. What I found made me feel viscerally ill. There are girls motivating one another not to eat. Posting photographs of themselves with protruding hipbones and rib cages saying things like “stupid body”, “fat cow”, “starve bitch starve” and the list goes on and on.</p>
<p>One photo was just of a handwritten note that said “Don’t eat. You’re fat” over and over again on it; friends commenting things like, “We can do it together!&#8221;</p>
<p>One image that really troubled me was a pic of a typed quote that said ”I think a lot, but I don’t say much. – Anne Frank” Under it the user wrote “I WILL NOT EAT THAT STUPID DONUT” and other comments about being fat. I’m not exactly sure what the connection to Anne Frank is but suggesting a connection between trying to be anorexic and a persecuted child in the holocaust makes me feel sick on numerous levels. Another image was of a very thin girl in a hospital gown. It said “Depression is a cage. Cutting is a coping system for time. Suicide is the key that fits the lock.” After that last image, I started to notice a pattern. Many of the usernames posting these pics had the word “cutting” or “cutter” in them. I logged this observation and continued to scroll.</p>
<p>Then the images started to get worse. One showed a forearm with hundreds of cutting scars and a bandaid over part of the arm with “Sorry <img src='http://hellogiggles.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_sad.gif' alt=':(' class='wp-smiley' /> ” written on it. This photo had 22 likes.</p>
<p>Naively, I was curious about the connection between #Ana and cutting. Of course, I have learned that they are intrinsically linked. I clicked on the hashtag “cutting”. This brought up pics of body parts with bleeding cuts on them. Some with captions like “I wish I was dead.” One girl had actually cut the words “HELP ME” into her arm.</p>
<p>The last photo I looked at was a girl who had photographed herself with a feeding tube up her nose &#8211; treatment for her extreme eating disorders. Under it, she talked about how fat she felt. At this point, I had to stop. As I write this now, I’m crying.</p>
<p>We have an epidemic on our hands. And at first I thought that Instagram photo sharing was merely a symptom of a far greater problem.</p>
<p>My immediate thoughts were that the Instagram issue was helpless. So what if they shut down these troubling hashtags? Then the people involved just get creative. When Instagram blocked #selfharm, the tag #blithe was born. An innocuous code word for pro anorexia and cutting photos.</p>
<p>“What is the answer?” I thought. Should Instagram be personally contacting each of these people directly? Providing information on how to get help? Maybe that would work! Even if that helped one girl, saved one life, wouldn’t it be worth it? But with 306 000+ photos linked to #Ana alone, is this even possible? Could you even reach each person before it could be too late?</p>
<p>But then I had a very different thought. Of course this issue has always existed. And pro-anorexia sites have existed for as long as the internet has. But never has there been the level of immediacy that things like Twitter and Instagram provide us. Fifteen years ago, pro-anorexia sites existed but creating and updating one took time. Now, anyone with a smart phone can upload a photo and receive immediate feedback and encouragement to starve themselves.</p>
<p>Part of me feels like Instagram should delete each and every one of these photos. Disable all related hashtags. Show zero tolerance for such content. I know that even if Instagram washes itself clean of these posts, <em>the problem does not go away. </em>But as much as I personally love social media, I think it’s exacerbating the problem. It’s making these girls feel like they’re not alone but in a backwards way. For as many people that get help and solace from others suffering from similar issues, there are just as many who get encouraged to continue their highly dangerous and destructive behavior.</p>
<p>So with that said, the problem is far bigger. It’s global. It’s pervasive and it’s <a title="everywhere we turn" href="http://hellogiggles.com/from-slut-shaming-to-weight-shaming-lets-just-stop-okay" target="_blank">everywhere we turn</a>.</p>
<p>The post <a href="http://hellogiggles.com/instagrams-pro-anorexia-controversy">Instagram&#8217;s Pro Anorexia Controversy</a> appeared first on <a href="http://hellogiggles.com">HelloGiggles</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>38</slash:comments>
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		<title>Valentine&#8217;s Day Decorations Are Already In Stores&#8230; Really?!</title>
		<link>http://hellogiggles.com/valentines-day-decorations-already-in-stores-really</link>
		<comments>http://hellogiggles.com/valentines-day-decorations-already-in-stores-really#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 29 Dec 2012 16:00:36 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Lauren Ash</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[RANTS]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[SOCIAL STUDIES]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Christmas is over]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Comedy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Depressing holidays]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[real meaning of valentine's day]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Single on holidays]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Single on Valentine's Day]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[too early to think about valentine's day]]></category>
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		<description><![CDATA[<p>I walked into a drugstore on December 27th and was met with a giant Valentine&#8217;s Day display. Unable to restrain my disdain,...</p><p>The post <a href="http://hellogiggles.com/valentines-day-decorations-already-in-stores-really">Valentine&#8217;s Day Decorations Are Already In Stores&#8230; Really?!</a> appeared first on <a href="http://hellogiggles.com">HelloGiggles</a>.</p>]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I walked into a drugstore on December 27<sup>th</sup> and was met with a giant Valentine&#8217;s Day display. Unable to restrain my disdain, I said out loud, “Oh, COME ON! It’s not even January! Give us a break!” Those of us who are single (and aren’t exactly in love with being single) have JUST gotten through Christmas. And you bust out the <em>most</em> difficult-to-be-alone-on holiday <em>two days later</em>?! For shame, aforementioned nameless drugstore.  FOR…SHAME.</p>
<p>Valentine’s Day has always sucked for me because it’s ten days after my birthday. Somehow this translates to guys as “it’s so close, you don’t have to recognize it”. That’s right, I’ve yet to have a boyfriend properly recognize V-Day with me. Ever. Even though I always tell them “I’ve never dated anyone who has recognized it because it’s so close to my birthday” and EVERY DUDE always recoils at how TERRIBLE that is and swear that they would NEVER be so insensitive. But of course, when Feb 14<sup>th</sup> rolls around, they inevitably DO THE EXACT SAME THING. But I digress. My terrible choices in men are a whole other post that I should probably just compose and immediately forward to a therapist.</p>
<p>Now, I’m not someone who gets huffy about “<a href="http://hellogiggles.com/what-to-do-when-you-dont-get-what-you-paid-for" target="_blank">consumerism</a>” or “commercialization of holidays”. I like what holidays stand for and I like recognizing said holidays with gifts or cheesy décor. Get off my back. Not that I’m saying I’m pro consumer-commercialization but hey, I’m an actor, I make money from commercials, so consequently my moral line has to be blurred about such things.</p>
<p>What I don’t like is feeling like Valentine’s Day is about the love shared between two people. Remember when you were a little kid and you had to write out a valentine to every other kid in your <a href="http://hellogiggles.com/is-experience-becoming-more-important-than-a-college-degree" target="_blank">class</a>? Even the kids you “didn’t like”? Back then, Valentine’s Day was about showing everyone love regardless of whether or not you actually loved them. And as I’ve gotten older, I’ve forgotten this. So in honor of the true meaning of Valentine’s Day, I just want to say…</p>
<p><strong>I LOVE YOU:</strong></p>
<p><strong>1. PEOPLE IN A RUSH ON THE STREET WHO RUN INTO YOU AND DON’T APOLOGIZE.</strong></p>
<div id="attachment_123989" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 685px"><img class="size-Articles wp-image-123989 " src="http://hellogiggles.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/28/freeimage-52927532-675x450.jpg" alt="" width="675" height="450" /><p class="wp-caption-text">© Svlumagraphica | Stock Free Images &amp; Dreamstime Stock Photos</p></div>
<p>I love that you’re busy.  I feel like you must be really important and/or have somewhere really important to be, so, I’M sorry I got in your way. I love you, buddy!</p>
<p><strong>2. THE GUY WHO LIVES ON MY FLOOR WHO ALWAYS SAYS HI TO ME EXCEPT WHEN HE’S WITH HIS GF.</strong></p>
<div id="attachment_123978" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 687px"><img class="size-Articles wp-image-123978 " src="http://hellogiggles.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/28/shutterstock_103062071-677x450.jpg" alt="" width="677" height="450" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Image via Shutterstock</p></div>
<p>Solid move, bro. We women be CRAZY and she would have CLEARLY scratched my eyes out had you spoken to me in front of her. I love your old-fashioned ideals! You’re so <em>MAD MEN</em>!</p>
<p><strong>3. THAT GIRL I MET AT A PARTY LAST WEEK WHO COMPLAINED ABOUT BEING OBESE.</strong></p>
<div id="attachment_123979" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 310px"><img class="size-Articles wp-image-123979" src="http://hellogiggles.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/28/shutterstock_70257997-300x450.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="450" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Image via Shutterstock</p></div>
<p>Sweetie, you’re a size 2. Still, I love you, you delusional product of our flawed society!</p>
<p><strong>4. THOSE BIRD-EATING SPIDERS.</strong></p>
<div id="attachment_123980" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 685px"><img class="size-Articles wp-image-123980" src="http://hellogiggles.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/28/stockvault-spider136337-675x450.jpg" alt="" width="675" height="450" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Image via Stockvault</p></div>
<p>You are effing terrifying.  You actually make me feel sick inside.  That said, I love you for being so badass and for emotionally affecting me so much.  Kudos!</p>
<p><strong>5. PAINFUL ZITS.</strong></p>
<div id="attachment_123981" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 684px"><img class="size-Articles wp-image-123981" src="http://hellogiggles.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/28/shutterstock_120855832-674x450.jpg" alt="" width="674" height="450" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Image via Shutterstock</p></div>
<p>Look, we’ve been in an on-again/off-again relationship since I was about 13. You are probably the most difficult thing in my life to love. In fact, I feel no love for you at all. But I guess I respect your determination. Doesn’t matter how old I get or how much water I drink, every so often you’ll pop up and make my week a little suckier than it was before you showed. Thanks for keeping me humble.</p>
<p><strong>6. THE EXTRA IN THE MOVIE I JUST SHOT WHO CALLED ME A NARCISSIST FOR POSTING THIS PIC OF MYSELF ON INSTAGRAM.</strong></p>
<p><img class="aligncenter size-Articles wp-image-123982" src="http://hellogiggles.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/28/20121217_115753-600x450.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="450" /></p>
<p>As I told you then, I’ll say this: I love seeing the pics my friends post online of their babies and husbands, but since I don’t have either of those things, I post about my job. Regardless, I love you for making me feel shitty about myself for a few minutes! Frankly, I was feeling too happy and confident for my own good! Thanks for bringing me back down to earth.</p>
<p>In conclusion, I want to encourage all of you to re-claim the TRUE meaning of Valentine’s Day this year, like I did. Think of all the people you don’t love who could probably use a little love. (Except the people who made the call to put those Valentine’s Day cards out on December 27<sup>th</sup>. They’re just monsters.)</p>
<p><em>Featured image via <a href="http://shutterstock.com" target="_blank">Shutterstock</a></em></p>
<p>The post <a href="http://hellogiggles.com/valentines-day-decorations-already-in-stores-really">Valentine&#8217;s Day Decorations Are Already In Stores&#8230; Really?!</a> appeared first on <a href="http://hellogiggles.com">HelloGiggles</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Inappropriate Crushes I Should Never Admit To</title>
		<link>http://hellogiggles.com/inappropriate-crushes-i-should-never-admit-to</link>
		<comments>http://hellogiggles.com/inappropriate-crushes-i-should-never-admit-to#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 26 Dec 2012 13:20:17 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Lauren Ash</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[RANTS]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[SOCIAL STUDIES]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[a dark knight]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Batman]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[crushes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[daddy issues]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[hairdresser]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[heath ledger]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[homeless]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[skateboarders]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[the joker]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[<p>When I was in high school, my crushes made sense. Basically, I always had something for older men who were in a...</p><p>The post <a href="http://hellogiggles.com/inappropriate-crushes-i-should-never-admit-to">Inappropriate Crushes I Should Never Admit To</a> appeared first on <a href="http://hellogiggles.com">HelloGiggles</a>.</p>]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>When I was in high school, my crushes made sense. Basically, I always had something for older men who were in a position of power and thus unattainable to me. (Daddy issues, you say? Get off my back.) For example: my high school history teacher Mr Manderville. With his kind eyes and passion for teaching, I challenge anyone, of any age, gender or sexual orientation to sit through one of Mr Manderville’s history classes and NOT have little cartoon hearts appear where their eyes should be. He was a total fox. I’m sure he still is, for that matter. He’s a high school principal now…I mean, be still my heart!</p>
<p>There was also the student teacher I had in grade 12 English, Mr Thompson. This was around the time that email just started to become a “thing”, so I used to find excuses to email him about “school work”, usually asking questions I already knew the answers to. I would re-read his responses over and over as I’d concoct elaborate fantasies about him walking into the English room before class, finding me there and then magically, 98 Degrees&#8217; “Baby When the Lights Go Out” would start to play as we would run towards each other and embrace before falling onto the desks kissing. (It never went further than kissing; my high school crushes were PG at best.) (Also, did I just spend well over an hour Googling Mr Thompson? Well that’s not important.)</p>
<p>But here’s the thing: as I’ve gotten older, my clean-cut “appropriate” crushes have given way to something else. In fact, I’ve recently realized that the crushes in my adult life are actually completely inappropriate. “How bad could they be?” You may ask. Well… let’s just say, I think a therapist would have a heyday with these.</p>
<p><strong>INAPPROPRIATE CRUSH #1:</strong><strong id="internal-source-marker_0.2949527786113322"></strong><em> A Dark Knight’</em>s: “The Joker&#8221;</p>
<div id="attachment_123177" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 360px"><img class="size-medium wp-image-123177" title="The Joker" src="http://hellogiggles.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/21/batmanwikia-350x233.jpg" alt="" width="350" height="233" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Image via batman.wikia</p></div>
<p>Not Heath Ledger. Heath Ledger’s Joker. The character. It’s visceral for me and ultimately speaks to my intense and unhealthy love of bad boys. People ask, “Why don’t you have a crush on Batman?” The answer is that Batman won’t kill for me. The Joker? He’d cut a dude for looking at me sideways. Ultimately, I’m sure I’d get sick of his demanding crime schedule and lack of a real home. But there would be 2 weeks of magic between us. I know it.</p>
<p>Let’s break this weirdo crush down:</p>
<p>He’s resourceful. He doesn’t care about money and doesn’t have to. He can steal whatever he needs. Including a giant Tiffany ring for me. Sure it may be off of the hand of a dead debutante, but hey, I’m not complaining! Technically, all diamonds have some kind of metaphorical blood on them, this one would just have literal blood on it too.</p>
<p>He has cool fashion sense. This guy would never be caught DEAD in sweats. Think about it. He puts on 3 piece suits to do groceries! And those gloves?! Hello EVIL MR DARCY!</p>
<p>I just KNOW he’d be different with me. Think about it. I honestly believe that there is NO BETTER FEELING IN THE WORLD then being with someone who is a total badass in life but then comes home to watch Bridezillas reruns and cuddle on the couch with you.</p>
<p>REAL TALK SUMMARY:<br />
The root of this crush is that I just want to feel like someone’s most important person. Probably relates to growing up without a father figure. There is honestly nothing I would rather hear from a dude than “you’re my favourite person”. The only better thing would be having that comment followed up with “why so serious?”</p>
<p><strong>INAPPROPRIATE CRUSH #2:</strong> Skateboarding High School Boys</p>
<div id="attachment_123178" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 310px"><img class="size-Articles wp-image-123178" title="shutterstock_77948656" src="http://hellogiggles.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/21/shutterstock_77948656-300x450.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="450" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Image via shutterstock</p></div>
<p>They cripple me. Totally my kryptonite. Look, I’m not saying that those female teachers who seduce young male students are in the right. I’m in no way DEFENDING their actions or saying I WOULD EVER do the same…but I AM saying…I get it. I get those women. As twisted as it sounds, I understand the attraction. It’s probably for the best I don’t “work with teens”.</p>
<p>Let’s take a look at this:</p>
<p>They remind me of my youth.</p>
<p>Any time I see a high school boy on a skateboard it’s like I’m immediately burning through time in a Delorean back to 1997 when I was 14 and entering high school. I mean, literally entering my high school for the first time to find older boys skateboarding in the hallways. THEY WERE TOTAL BADASSES. And seeing them break the rules made me feel funny “down there” in a way I hadn’t experienced before. Why would they break the rules so blatantly? And could those pants hang any lower? SWOON! Man, I wish I could be 14 again sometimes. At least then I wouldn’t have to feel ashamed for considering barely legal boys to be eye candy.</p>
<p>They know all the cool places to hang out.</p>
<p>From the back alley half pipes to the punk rock band rehearsals in their buddy’s basement, these guys know about more cool hangouts than the Zagat&#8217;s guide.</p>
<p>I never got the chance to test the waters.</p>
<p>I had 2 boyfriends in high school. But they weren’t skater dudes. I remember one of the older boys I LOVED said hi to me once and my bowels almost immediately and completely released on the spot. I had to run away. He started dating a girl shortly after that…and they’re married now…with children. Don’t worry, it’s not like I’ve photoshopped pics of he and I together to see what our wedding would have looked like. Not at ALL.</p>
<p>REAL TALK SUMMARY:</p>
<p>This crush is just me wanting to avenge rejected, teenaged Lauren. It’s like I want to prove I could get the boys now that I couldn’t get back then. And again, I have to re-iterate, I would NEVER ACT ON THIS CRUSH. Unless it was for an as-of-yet unnamed screenplay that’s a reverse <em>Lolita,</em> starring me and Taylor Lautner. I TOTALLY don’t have that manuscript in my purse right now. Not at ALL.</p>
<p><strong>INAPPROPRIATE CRUSH #3:</strong> A homeless man in Hollywood</p>
<div id="attachment_123180" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 310px"><img class="size-Articles wp-image-123180" title="shutterstock_100352522" src="http://hellogiggles.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/21/shutterstock_100352522-300x450.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="450" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Image via shutterstock</p></div>
<p>I briefly lived in LA in 2011 and let me tell you, in California, even the homeless people are attractive. This one time a homeless guy approached me and asked for change; I said, &#8220;I don&#8217;t have any money&#8221; and he replied, &#8220;Looks like we have something in common. Soulmates?&#8221; This got my attention. I looked at him and was surprised to see that was in his early 30s and actually pretty cute. I started to blush and giggle and then did the DEAD GIVEAWAY “brush my hair behind my ear coyly” move. At this moment, a car horn blared bringing me back to reality. I quickly remembered that we were in front of a Ralph&#8217;s grocery store on Santa Monica in the dodgy part of Hollywood and I was only going to the Ralph&#8217;s to kill time because I had driven to Pinkberry for froyo and they weren&#8217;t open yet. (FYI: there’s really nothing like getting turned down from a fast food yogurt joint because &#8220;we open in 20 minutes, ma&#8217;am.&#8221; to make you re-evaluate your addiction to chilled dairy treats as well as your “sitting around in LA burning through cash” career choices.)</p>
<p>Let’s look at this thang:</p>
<p>He’d always want to hang out. Mainly because I have things like “shelter” and “access to Doritos on the regular”. Ummm… There’s really not many other ways to justify this one.</p>
<p>REAL TALK SUMMARY:</p>
<p>Frankly, a homeless dude would be a nightmare to date. I’d always have to pay for everything, he probably wouldn’t have a phone so I could never reach him, I’d never know where he was or who he was with, he’d probably give a blowjob for a shower. This was a bad move. Still, in that moment in Hollywood I had a moment where I wondered if he was an actor incognito researching a role. Still, too risky to take the chance. That and the whole “he could give me lice” thing.</p>
<p><strong>INAPPROPRIATE CRUSH # 4:</strong> My punk rock hairdresser</p>
<div id="attachment_123182" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 308px"><img class="size-Articles wp-image-123182" title="shutterstock_95459002" src="http://hellogiggles.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/21/shutterstock_95459002-298x450.jpg" alt="" width="298" height="450" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Image via shutterstock</p></div>
<p>I’ve always been leery of male hairdressers. I feel like much like gynecologists, they couldn’t possibly be as good as a woman at that job. However, I was referred to a male hairdresser who was apparently amazing. I entered his salon and set eyes on a beefy, tattooed ADONIS with long hair and a total hippie beard. It was the best hair cut I’ve ever got but I’d be lying if I said that’s the reason I still go to him. The truth is, I just really like feeling his big man hands running through my hair. (Did I mention that I’m single?) One time I saw him in the middle of a street at night screaming “WHERE THE F*CK’S THE COCAINE?!” My crush only deepened.</p>
<p>Alright, here’s the deal:</p>
<p>He’s masculine but loves hair.</p>
<p>Is there anything better? Like a total beefy DUDE who would REQUEST to play with your hair?! HEAVEN. “Hey babe, after I finish watching the game is it cool if I French braid your hair?” I WOULD DIE!</p>
<p>He’s an artist who also makes killer cash.</p>
<p>He’s basically the white whale. Think about it, this guy has a real artistic talent and gets paid 100 bucks a haircut. More than can be said for that struggling improviser I dated who made $7000.00 a year. It’s hard to understand how he even fed himself. He did take me on a picnic once only he didn’t have a blanket so he brought a fitted bed sheet. It was really hard to sit on. That should have been a sign to get out.</p>
<p>REAL TALK SUMMARY:</p>
<p>I’m basically paying $100 to have a man play with my hair. Does this make me a quasi female John and he my bizarro male escort? Maybe. But ultimately my jealousy issues would make this an impossible man to be in a relationship with. He’d always smell like women’s products and his schedule tends to lend itself to hanging out with countless other women every day. Oh, and the cocaine thing is probably not realistically a selling factor on a person.</p>
<p><strong>INAPPROPRIATE CRUSH #5:</strong> Troy Dyer – Ethan Hawke’s character in <em>Reality Bites</em>.</p>
<div id="attachment_123183" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 360px"><img class="size-medium wp-image-123183" title="troydyer" src="http://hellogiggles.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/21/troydyer-350x221.jpg" alt="" width="350" height="221" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Image via Tumblr</p></div>
<p>Sure, he looked slightly like a greasy weasel. But hey, I find the Joker sexy so really a greasy weasel doesn’t seem so out of the ordinary for me.</p>
<p>Let’s be honest:</p>
<p>He looked hot when he was singing.</p>
<p>This makes up for about 85% of all crushes women have. Period. Full stop. Why do you think women still throw their bras at Mick Jagger?</p>
<p>His song lyrics are deep.</p>
<p>Remember when “Hey, That’s My Bike” played that show right after Troy and Lelaina slept together? He sang that song that went:</p>
<p>Got a pothead mama got a cokehead dad</p>
<p>I’m the ultra modern version of the American man</p>
<p>Don’t feel good but don’t feel bad</p>
<p>Cause you see me, I’m nuthin.</p>
<p>OH MAN!  SOOOOOOO BROODY! He was so TORTURED! It just makes me want to SAVE HIM FROM HIMSELF! (NOTE: “saving” any man from “himself” is a “dumb” “idea” that I have to “stop” “trying”.)</p>
<p>REAL TALK SUMMARY:</p>
<p>He represents the mistakes I make with men in real life.</p>
<p>In the past couple of years I have had a real ability for attracting men without real drive. The brooding artistic types like Troy who make up for their lack of money with their ability to maintain a philosophical conversation about Pizza Hut. But let me tell you from experience, once Lelaina gained an OUNCE of success, Troy would freak out because it would make him feel insecure and he’d sabotage the relationship by sleeping with someone else or shutting down emotionally and pushing her away. These are NOT DUDES YOU WANT TO DATE LADIES. But they are certainly dudes you need to have fantasies about.</p>
<p>FINAL THOUGHTS:</p>
<p>Hey, crushes are crushes. And they’re never something to be ashamed of. Sometimes they may not make sense and other times, they make complete sense. The bottom line is, it’s okay to be attracted to a mentally-ill, convicted sex offender named Travis you saw on an episode of “Our America”, as long as you know you could never act on a crush like that in real life. P.S.- He was really cute.</p>
<p>Travis…who, for the record, was apparently innocent…</p>
<p><em>Featured image via <a href="http://beginningandend.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Dark-Knight-Shooting-Joker-Severed-Head-Card-Illuminati.jpg" target="_blank">beginningandend</a></em></p>
<p>The post <a href="http://hellogiggles.com/inappropriate-crushes-i-should-never-admit-to">Inappropriate Crushes I Should Never Admit To</a> appeared first on <a href="http://hellogiggles.com">HelloGiggles</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded>
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