When we read our first issue of Sugar back in 2008, we knew we’d found something special. It was a magazine packed with celebrity news, beauty tips, style, relationships and school – but it wasn’t like the others. It was written for us, rather than at us, and we can’t deny that it made us happy.
Over the years, teenagers have suffered from a bad press. Whether we’re labelled yobs and layabouts or we’re told we’re too fat, too ugly, too dumb to make it in life – being a young person sucks. That’s without even mentioning the world of social media, which has undoubtedly changed the way we look at every minute part of our lives.
Sugar offered a break from that pressure. Fast-forward to 2007 and the Sugarscape website was born. Packed with the same great, motivating content as the magazine, we’d finally found a home we could call our own online. It’s tough finding a platform where young people are celebrated rather than tolerated, and Sugarscape helped us to get away from the struggles of school and college.
Yet despite Sugarscape’s constant reassurance that it’s okay to still listen to High School Musical; despite always having a place to call our own online; despite helping us get through the immeasurable pain of March 25, 2015; it’s still tough being a young person in 2016.
Sugarscape is closing
When we found out earlier this week that Sugarscape was to close, we were shocked. It’s true that Sugarscape has become a platform for fun, inclusivity and positivity – and that’s all we can strive toward at CelebMix, too. It’s been a pleasure reading your content and taking inspiration from your style, and we hope that one day, we’ll get our very own grubby mitts on Harry and co, too. How y’all didn’t faint or get arrested for kidnap every time you met the boys, we will never know.
You’ve not only inspired us to be happier, more celebrity-obsessed people, but you’ve given us the tools to make it on our own as journalists. We, like you, are reporting on the latest celebrity news; we’ve been given a chance to interview some awesome celebrities; and now, we’ve been tasked with creating a place for young people come together, read celebrity news and share positivity.
So, Sugarscape: thank you.
Thank you for not conforming to the bullshit of the mainstream media.
Thank you for giving young people a voice – a place to visit to connect and engage with one another.
Thank you for keeping us up to date on everything One Direction, everything 5 Seconds of Summer and everything Little Mix – both before we started out as celebrity journalists ourselves, and today as we continue to grow and develop CelebMix.
Thank you for giving us the confidence, the passion and the inspiration to be able to make a go of this whole celebrity journalism thing ourselves. Whether we’re around in ten years time or not, we know that the world’s going to have one less rainbow without the Sugarscape team.
