Many people know the name Jenna Marbles. For those who don't, here is a quick rundown. Jenna Marbles is a 30-year-old Youtuber with over 17.5 million subscribers, the 2nd highest subscriber count for a female Youtuber. She posts primarily comedic videos, but in the past, she has done some very problematic things for her art.
So, since she has publicly appropriated cultures and performed in blackface, why do people continue to support her? Why do I continue to support her?
When I first found Jenna Marbles, I was maybe 13 or 14 years old. That was during the height of her virality. She posted videos like "How to trick people into thinking you're good looking" and "What Girls do on the Internet". As angry and vicious as she was, she made me laugh, which is something I desperately needed at that stage of my life. As the months went on, she delved deeper and darker, as more of her videos became drunk ramblings and drunk challenges, I still found joy from her videos, because I saw a comical reflection of some of my own deeper issues. What viewers didn't know at the time of those videos (2012), Jenna was going through a lot. A long-term relationship was dying and becoming more toxic within her life. After the sudden end of that relationship, she became more involved in her channel, but with more dangerous behaviors. She drank more for her videos, did some ethically questionable things, and kind of lost herself. In that time, I found no joy from her, as I couldn't feel any relief from her comedy as it reminded me too much of my own pain.
In 2013, the infamous "Draw My Life" tag went viral, and like many YouTubers, Jenna made one. By that time, I had stopped watching her, but her "Draw My Life" was the first hint that there were deeper issues behind any of her viewers knew about.
2 years later, and I was suffering from a major panic attack, and for some reason, I thought what would calm me down would be a Jenna Marbles video. I found her "How to Care for your Cermet" video and it did actually help. As I scrolled through her page, I noticed a lot less drunk videos and a lot more of her doing silly things. I learned she was in a new relationship, and she seemed a lot less angry.
A few months later, I had a panic attack and I used that same strategy. It was then that I resubscribed, and looked more into her partner, Julien. He became almost fully vegan (he can't quite give up the sushi). She helped him bring awareness to Celiac's disease. He helped relieve her anger. Now they have a sweet little dog family.
I'm sure you're still asking how any sane person would follow her after she performed blackface. I had some ethical qualms with that until she posted her 300th video (Reacting to My Old Videos). In it, she apologized, and she truly regretted her actions. It was true to witness how much growth a single person underwent in 3 years. I decided to give her the benefit of the doubt.
Then last November, her new video was set to go up on Wednesday, November 9th. I, along with roughly half the nation, really needed a pick me up. And so did Jenna. So she married her dogs that day. It was one of the most stupid things I've ever seen, but it was exactly what I need on that day.
Today she is unapologetically herself, while being apologetic of her past. She knows she hurt people, and I feel like her determination to make people smile stems from that, in part. Today, her videos still help pull me out of my anxiety and depression. She is one of the few YouTubers I am dedicated to watching. Despite the world around her, and despite the challenges she has faced, she still just wants other people to be happy. (And yes, I know it's her job.)
Regardless of your opinion on Jenna Marbles, I think we all have found solace within a pop culture "celebrity." For me, that "celebrity" is Jenna Marbles. She helps me a lot, and was a coping mechanism before I knew what a coping mechanism was. Sure, it seems silly. Sure, she is problematic, but she is trying, and isn't that all we are doing our whole lives?
