My Essay on HelloGiggles: “In Defense of Hallmark Movies”

I still can’t believe it’s 2018 already!! I said goodbye to 2017 on a high note. In fact, some might even say that I came to the rescue just like a fab superhero — minus the fashionable, flowing cape, of course! Because, in these troubled times, the world needed someone like me. The world needed someone to come forward in defense of Hallmark movies!

And, rest assured, I was more than happy to answer that call and bring some much-needed calm to all the chaos.

I’m excited to share my latest piece on HelloGiggles, in which I got to talk about one of my guilty pleasures: My love of Hallmark Channel movies and how they’ve helped me get out of my head after this rough year!! After all, these movies get a bad rap, which I think is incredibly sad! I’d been wanting to write this piece for awhile, seeing as how I’ve amassed some 50+ holiday movies on my DVR in the last few months! Have you ever tuned into Hallmark during the holidays?? It’s pure pandemonium. A veritable feast of glad tidings and good cheer. Well, I’m all about spreading said good cheer!

Here’s an excerpt of the essay, in which I demonstrate my vast knowledge of Hallmark movies by rattling off the plots of some of my favorite gems…

In a way, for me at least, these movies are the perfect form of self-care. This year, we all deserve a momentary distraction from the events happening around us.

2017 has been marked by one political storm cloud after another, multiple mass shootings, white supremacist violence, and far too many men behaving very, very badly.

Now, there are those who will roll their eyes and deride these films as being nothing more than one giant fluff fest of cheesetastic proportions — but I feel sorry for those bitter souls. Yes, they are fluff, but that’s the whole point.

If people could embrace the spirit of Hallmark movies, they’d see the redeeming value. The beauty of these movies lies in their simplicity and in their ability to transport us to a happier place. They’re silly, sure, but they take us out of our heads and let us tune out all the noise for a bit.

You can read the full essay here and I’d love to hear your thoughts. Feel free to email me anytime at mellow1422@aol.com and let’s chat! And of course, feel free to share my essay on Facebook, Twitter or even your local refrigerator. If you share on Twitter, be sure to tag me @melissablake so we can connect! I can’t wait to hear from you! Love you all… xoxo