Jenna Marbles: Paving the Way for Female Video Bloggers

“Check out this video!” my best friend exclaimed about a year ago as she plopped her laptop in front of me. On the screen was a YouTube video titled “How to trick people into thinking you’re good looking.” After watching the hilarious video, I excitedly asked, “Whose video is this?” My friend answered, “Jenna Marbles.”

Jenna Marbles, who’s actual name is Jenna Mourey, is an American entertainer who propelled to fame through her hilariously frank and profanity filled videos. Armed with a computer and a sense of humor,  Mourey first surfaced as a popular YouTube channel in 2010 with her wildly successful video, “How to trick people into thinking you’re good looking,” the same one my friend was raving about. Mourey, who celebrated her 100th video this past summer, is one of a handful of people who have become influential and profitable internet celebrities through YouTube.

Every Tuesday, Mourey  asks her fans for video ideas on her Facebook page before she creates and posts a video on Wednesdays.  These suggestions help Mourey cover a multitude of topics, though generally, she covers social topics that affect young people, ranging from the serious “Why Girls Hate Each Other,” to the comical ”How Guys Watch TV,” and one of my personal favorites, the hilarious ”Drunk Makeup Tutorial.”

Taken on June 29, 2012 using a Nikon D5100 by Genevieve719, from flickr.com

According to YouTube’s statistics website, VidStatsX, Mourey is currently the 5th most subscribed channel with over 4.1 million subscribers. Youtube’s Top 10 Most Subscribed Channels List has traditionally been dominated by men since the site opened in 2005,  though their user base has usually been divided evenly between the sexes. This makes Mourey the first female to break onto the YouTube’s Top 10 list since it was created.

Does this mean that we will see more female video bloggers- or vloggers? Or is Mourey just a fluke? I hope this marks the beginning of influential female bloggers becoming more popular and breaking onto that YouTube list. So while I’ll be studying for classes and writing papers, I’ll keep and eye out for the next popular female vlogger. Who knows? It could be you.