If you spent any time on the internet between 2010 and 2020, you know exactly what I’m talking about. It’s that specific, unhinged look. The chin is tucked so hard it disappears into a cascade of intentional neck rolls. The eyes are wide, slightly glazed, and staring directly into your soul. The mouth is somewhere between a grimace and a cry for help.
It’s Jenna Marbles the face.
While most influencers were busy trying to look like porcelain dolls, Jenna Mourey was busy perfecting the art of looking like a thumb. She didn't just "make a face" for a thumbnail. She weaponized it. It became a universal signal for "I am uncomfortable," "I am done with this conversation," or "I am currently a trash can."
Honestly, looking back at it now, that face was a revolution. It was the first time a massive female creator told us it was okay—and actually hilarious—to be fundamentally unattractive for a bit.
The Origin Story: How to Avoid Talking to People
We have to go back to 2011 to find the peak "The Face" era. Specifically, her video How to Avoid Talking to People You Don't Want to Talk To.
In it, Jenna basically gives a masterclass in social deterrence. Her primary weapon? Making a face so terrifyingly awkward that no human man would ever dare approach you in a club. It wasn't just a gag; it was a survival tactic. She taught millions of girls that if a guy is being "touchy-uppy" or generally gross, you don't have to be polite. You just have to look like you've seen the end of the world and are currently vibrating at a frequency only dogs can hear.
The face involved:
- Maximum chin compression.
- The "dead eye" stare.
- A total lack of ego.
It worked because it was the antithesis of the "pretty girl" trope. Jenna was beautiful, sure, but she was more interested in being a weirdo. That's why the dink fam—her massive community—connected with her so deeply. She was the big sister who told you that your "smile lines" were just "laugh tracks" on your face and that having a "too much gene" was a gift, not a curse.
👉 See also: Sailor Moon Strongest Form: What Most People Get Wrong
Why We Are Still Obsessed With It in 2026
You’d think after she left the internet in 2020, the memes would have died out. They didn't. If anything, the "Jenna Marbles the face" phenomenon has only grown as a reaction image.
Why? Because the internet has become too polished. Everyone has a filter. Everyone has "the right angles." Jenna’s face is the antidote to the Instagram face. When you’re having a bad day, or your boss sends you a "circle back" email on a Friday at 4:59 PM, you don't send a cute emoji. You send a screenshot of Jenna looking like a confused potato.
It’s a shorthand for a very specific type of millennial existential dread. It says: I am here, I am perceiving this, and I hate it.
The Science of the "Ugly Face"
Psychologically, what Jenna was doing was "de-escalation through humor." By making herself the butt of the joke, she removed the power from anyone else who might try to mock her. You can't call someone ugly if they’ve already turned themselves into a gargoyle for 15 million people.
It’s a bold move. It requires a level of self-assurance that most of us are still trying to find. She used her body as a prop. Whether she was gluing rhinestones to her face, turning herself into a chair, or trying to see how many balloons it took to make her dog float, the face was the constant. It was the anchor.
More Than Just a Meme: The Legacy of Expression
We should probably talk about how this influenced modern TikTok creators. Every time you see a creator like Brittany Broski or any "POV" comedian use a distorted camera angle or a double-chin shot to land a punchline, they are walking the path Jenna paved.
💡 You might also like: Why the Midnight in Paris DVD Still Belongs on Your Shelf
She proved that facial elasticity is a comedic currency.
But it wasn't all just for laughs. In her later years, before the "Message" video and her subsequent retirement, the face changed. It became softer. It was the face of someone who was genuinely happy being a "dog mom" and living a quiet life with Julien Solomita. But even then, she’d drop a classic "Face" whenever a craft project went sideways or Kermit did something particularly "nasty."
The "Too Much" Gene
Jenna often talked about her "too much gene." It was her inability to do anything halfway. If she was going to wear eyelashes, she was going to wear 100 pairs. If she was going to make a face, she was going to make it until her neck hurt.
That commitment is rare. Most people do a "cute" version of an ugly face. Jenna went full-throttle. She gave us permission to be "too much" in a world that constantly asks women to be "just enough."
How to Channel Your Inner Jenna (Actionable Insights)
You don't need 20 million subscribers to use the power of the face. In fact, it’s probably better if you don't. Here is how you can actually apply the "Jenna Marbles the face" philosophy to your real, non-digital life:
- Stop Caring About the "Pretty" Filter: Next time you’re taking a photo with friends, don't worry about the perfect angle. Lean into the weirdness. The photos where everyone is making "the face" are the ones you’ll actually look back on and laugh at ten years from now.
- Use Humor as a Shield: If you find yourself in an awkward social situation, sometimes a well-timed, ridiculous expression is better than a forced conversation. It signals that you’re "in on the joke" of life.
- Embrace Your "Crinkles": Jenna famously defended her laugh lines and the wrinkles she got from "pulling her eyelids" during makeup tutorials. Those lines are just evidence that you’ve lived. Don't hide them; they’re part of your story.
- Practice the 100% Commitment: If you’re going to do something weird, do it all the way. Half-hearted weirdness is just awkward. Full-hearted weirdness is legendary.
Jenna Marbles might be gone from our screens, but she left us with a toolkit for surviving the internet. She taught us that your face is yours to do whatever you want with—even if that means turning it into something that looks like it belongs under a bridge.
📖 Related: One Hundred Years of Solitude Netflix Adaptation: Why This Is the Hardest Show to Get Right
Honestly? That’s the most beautiful thing an influencer has ever done.
Next Step for You: Go back and watch the How to Avoid Talking to People video. Pay attention to the technical skill of the facial contortion. Then, try to recreate it in the mirror. If you don't feel a slight strain in your neck, you aren't doing it right. Lean into the "too much" gene and stop worrying about being "good looking" for five minutes. It’s incredibly freeing.