Alright, reader. It’s time. It’s time for me to admit my maybe outdated slight obsession with Jenna Marbles. Maybe you’re wondering if I’ve time traveled from 2007 (I mean, she is 2007 hot), but no, reader. I’ve been watching Jenna Marbles for the better part of the last ten years. She is a venerated figure in the new media space. Her journey on YouTube began in 2010, where she uploaded her first viral video, “How to Trick People Into Thinking You’re Good Looking.” Over the years her content on the platform has changed and matured, following her own maturation online. Jenna, unlike many YouTubers today, started when she was in her mid-20s. Her fame was unintended, and due to her age and considerable intellect, she did not get herself entangled in any scandals. Jenna Marbles is a rare YouTuber in many ways, and one of those is that she has been unproblematic throughout her long online career.
Her content has evolved from honest confessions and skits about the life of a 20-something woman in America to the life of a well established 31-year-old woman who shares her quiet hobbies of crafting, living a vegan lifestyle, and taking care of her dogs. She evolved from your older sister to your fun aunt — a transition Jenna seems to be embracing.
Jenna’s videos mostly center around her life experiences and curiosities. She has a lot of creative energy, a lot of drive, and a fun personality that, when combined, produce videos that are entertaining but down-to-earth. Some of my recent favorites are “I Want To Be A Toothbrush For Halloween,” where she crafts her Halloween costume that is — you guessed it — a toothbrush. Her humorous depiction of her love for toothbrushes, her delight at accomplishing this dream, and her success at making a pretty good toothbrush costume are all really fun to watch.
Jenna has been vegan for several years, and so has her long-term boyfriend Julien Solomita. In the video “My Boyfriend Cooks My Favorite Meal,” Julien makes a vegan version of Jenna’s favorite meal, while Jenna drinks wine and hangs out in her “leisure suit,” a purple velvet onesie. Jenna hails from Rochester, explaining why the meal he makes is Rochester’s trademark garbage plate. Her commentary on his hectic cooking is hilarious, and Julien is quite funny and charismatic in his own right. The two play off each other really well.
Another fun one is “Making My Dogs Homemade Dog Treats,” where Jenna makes vegan treats for the three dogs in her household. Their names are Marbles (an adorable black and white chihuahua),Kermit, and Peach (both greyhounds). All three have developed distinct personalities and running gags in her videos. I myself have grown quite attached to these dogs that I’ve never even met.
Jenna has developed a rich back-and-forth with her fans as well. She has a whole series (now re-titled “meme review”) where fans make edits of her videos and she watches and responds to them. Fans also interact with her through the “Jenna Julien” podcast, where the two talk about a range of topics. They discuss serious and fun topics alike, and fans can comment and tweet at them with their opinions on these issues.
Reader, I just wanted to tell you about Jenna so you could experience (or reconnect) with her again. She’s pumping out some fun and wholesome content in a time when a lot of us are desperate for it. Happy watching!
