Jenna Mourey, known by her YouTube channel name of Jenna Marbles, came across my radar when her most popular video to date, titled “How to trick people into thinking you’re good looking,” first appeared on the homepage of the website. The video now has over 67 million views while the comedy YouTuber’s channel has close to three billion views total. In June of 2013, Mourey began dating her long-term boyfriend, Julien Solomita. In July of 2014, Mourey and Solomita, with only two microphones, two laptops, and a camera that could only focus on one of them at a time, premiered the “Jenna & Julien Podcast.”
Now with over 202 episodes, Mourey and Solomita have covered a vast number of topics from lighthearted games to mature, honest discussions about relevant topics. The duo has tackled various issues, including the Logan Paul scandal that first arose in January of 2018 after the, at the time, 22-year-old daily vlogger discovered and filmed a dead body in the Japanese “suicide forest.” In this episode of the podcast, just seven days after the video of Paul first made headlines, Mourey said, “I want to be careful about the mob mentality and the demonizing [of] someone. What I think he did was really irresponsible, really insensitive, and really terrible and he should be criticized for it, but I don’t want to contribute to the mob mentality.”
These thoughtful discussions offer a very close insight into the non-traditional world of YouTube, and the podcast does not stray away from letting the rest of the world into this seemingly far away mode of media. In February of 2017, in an episode titled “Pewdiepie, YouTube & The WSJ,” Mourey and Solomita discussed the faltering state of YouTube in what was deemed the “Adpocolypse.” The duo debated with passion the issues in the YouTube community at the time, which included the demonetization of channels that had controversial content or weren’t meeting YouTube’s community guidelines. In episodes like these, Mourey and Solomita take very serious tones, carefully weighing and deliberating all sides of the issue. They use the podcast as a platform to open discussion with their audience and have a considerate, mature dialogue.
In stark contrast to their thoughtful considerations on newsworthy topics, the podcast also features light-hearted games such as “Julien Sucks At Celebrity Trivia,” in which Mourey quizzes Solomita on his pop-culture knowledge, or lack thereof, and their ever-popular “Conspiracy Theories” series in which they read and discuss conspiracies, among various other humorous topics. These lighter videos are just as entertaining as they are hilarious, as the two comedians make each other laugh along with their audience.
The dynamic between Mourey and Solomita is what makes this podcast so entertaining, and keeps listeners coming back time after time. The two hosts have a combined total of over 20 million subscribers on their individual channels, not including the nearly 700,000 subscribers the podcast’s channel has amassed. They call their following the “Dink Fam,” inspired by the short jingle featured at the beginning of every podcast. This community truly is a family, as their name implies, and the real comradery among fans and the open dialogue Mourey and Solomita encourage makes each episode even more special.
Their witty banter, thoughtful comments on social issues, accessible language and perspectives, critical analysis of non-traditional media and carefully crafted humor make this podcast one to look out for. You never know what you are going to get with these two, and that is what makes their viewers keep coming back for more.
Find their podcast on YouTube, SoundCloud, Apple Podcasts, Player FM, and more, to join the Dink Fam today.
