All the other characters on the show did much worse on the show, but somehow Jenny gets the most hate . Chuck traded Blair for a hotel!! Dan was Gossip girl !! , and Serena left someone to die of a overdose in a hotel room…but sure , let’s hate on Little J .
What annoyed me was that she played the poor little girl from a poor neighborhood which definitely was not true. All the characters did horrendous things but stayed true to themselves and didn't pretend to be someone they weren't except Serena. She was the other one who pretended
@@Mel-jl8dt I mean, she was an actual child ffs. Kids do stupid sh!t; it's part of growing up. It also doesn't help that the environment that she grew up in and the people she was surrounded by were genuinely awful people.
@@XxVirginBabyxX by that logic they're all kids? All of them were under 18. Besides they all grew up in a pretty loveless environment with narcissistic parents who constantly show that no matter what their kids do is not enough. If anything they all had a messed up background except they all had money
Its honestly crazy that Taylor Momsen was only 14 in Season 1 and 16 by Season 3 with the amount of intimate scenes she had with men nearly a decade older than her.
I understand why some fans were (disproportionately) mad at Jenny’s style evolution from preppy Molly Ringwald wannabe Blair to goth barbie and for lack of a better word they “blame” this on Taylor Momsen’s real life style. But I genuinely think it makes sense for her character. Trying so hard to fit in to dress and style like the other girls to try to do Blair Waldorf style with Serena colouring on a Humphrey budget. Only to realise it’s never going to be enough. So she rejects it adopts an anti Blair style (not dissimilar to most teenagers trying to find and identify their style and rebelling) and there’s already some roots to it with her dad’s grunge rock background. To me it makes so much sense this is how Jenny would dress as she ages. Which for all the ups and downs of the show even when the outfits are a bit of a misfire like Blair dressing a tad too old and costumey it still makes sense that OF COURSE their character would do this. …except for Vanessa who I feel all the creators did not know what to do with from writing to costuming and Jessica Szohr deserved better
Jenny's style was so perfect! It was the perfect combo of preppy and goth that was like everything I dreamed of. And there was no-one else like her on tv, so it was really amazing to have someone like that. Not a full blown goth (which I love and admire but could never commit to it fully) or too emo in a scene kind of way. There was still glamour and a sort of minimalism to her style compared to other more extreme alternative icons.
I don't know if her style was the producers' decisions or Taylor Momsen's input, but I thought it was genius because it made so much sense for her character. Jenny was good and bad, main character and side character, protagonist and antagonist... she didn't fit in any category, just like her style stood out from everyone else's. she stuck out like a sore thumb. Jenny is GG's enigma for me, lmao.
I'm quite interested in doing a similar dissection for Vanessa since I agree with you on the fact that they just gave her whatever secondary plot line was available. Thank you for your comment and Thank you for watching.
People dont understand that she was simply trying to suceed in a world that was constantly telling her she wasn't good enough, unimportant, and undeserving of the same opportunities and respect everyone else around her got. Everytime she had tried to get away from the UES and focus on herself and her passions, she would get dragged back into the drama. By season 3 she was being thrusted into a life she no longer wanted and was being threatened with social oblivion if she didnt keep up with her duties as the UES queen. She was burnt out early on. We see early on in season 3 episode 7 that she secretly yearns for her old life in brooklyn and that she kinda hates the pressures that come with being queen. She is in denial that her new role as queen has changed who she is and acts as if its just a "mask" but fails to see that shes exhibiting the same behaviors she claims to hate and uses the excuse that she only does it because its whats expected from her as queen. But then she starts embracing those behaviors and is no longer in denial that being queen has changed her morals. Shes no longer being held back by the pressures of the crown and instead seeks to erase who she used to be rather than hold on to tye old version of herself and was no longer unaccepting of her new role and life on the UES like before because at the end of the day, being a good person and feiend wont stop her from getting bullied if ahe decides to trade her status for her values and relationships.
I always rooted for Jenny. The Blair/ Serena dynamic annoyed me so much especially in later season where Jenny was gone. They turned the show into a soap opera lol.
I wish the writers would have taken a different direction with her after she became queen at constance. She had the means and the platform to start her fashion empire and as Queen could have given Eric and his BF free passes for sitting higher up or whatever. That way she wouldn't have needed to become this weird villan she became. I also wish they addressed the psychological implications of her being almost sexually assaulted several times, roofied, bullied, abandoned, chased out of town etc
AGREED. She was done so dirty and the show made it look like she was still the villain after she was dragged to filth. And her ending was she now works for the wife married to the man that r**ped her? And she returns looking more watered down with wearing gold looking less •Jenny• because she’s back under their power? Justice was not served for her 😤🤮
@@Laura_Ingalls_Wilder chuck didnt actually rape her, he tried to in the first season, then later on she forgave him, and then later on she gave him her v card, willingly (even tho she wasnt in the right state of mind to make that decision and he took advantage of that, she still agreed and gave consent)
@@JustMe-vs1kjlet me tell you something, if a girl isn't in the right state of mind, she can't ever fully "consent" - at least NEVER for a younger girl. I would say older women can possibly because with age you tend to know yourself better and be more assertive with your needs (can't be easily influenced to do something you don't want) so an older woman might simply choose to have s*x not minding how they feel. Regardless, as a general rule never sleep with someone who isn't in a good mental state.
@@JustMe-vs1kjdoesn’t that count as statutory rape if she was 16 and he was around 19 or 20 though? Not sure what the laws are in the state of New York but I feel like it was on him to not go further with her.
I think the major difference between Jenny and Blair was that Blair didn't just have minions because her minions were never truly loyal to her and she NEVER forgot that; B also had an unshakable support team who KNEW how to navigate her world and would never turn their backs on her. Metaphorically, that's the one thing being born into wealth gave her that Jenny didn't have. Blair had GENUINE friends at the top, and Jenny had nobody. Eric doesn't count because he was rich but he wasn't "popular" and while he was honest with her, he never understood her ambitions. None of her family did either, they always wished for her to stop but she was never satisfied with the life they wanted for her thus creating a conflict where she felt she had to sacrifice them for her needs and desires. I think, while we can admit she compromised her values, it's a little unfair to fault Jenny for having those "darker" ambitions as if she shouldn't want them. The cautionary tale here isn't about her ambitions, it's about the dangers of being used and abused when you go out in the world without a strong sense of self- as you said looking for that outwardly instead of inward. Blair had more control because she her only goal wasn't her peers Social acceptance, it was to elevate her status higher than her school, whereas Jenny just wanted to be Queen and for others to acknowledge her as apart of their circle, but Blair's detachment and wit made her a better ruler. Jenny had such a wasted potential, and in my opinion, I don't think her story was truly finished. I envision her conquering her shadow side and being stronger because of it and going on to build her own fashion empire but I don't hate the idea that she goes for a calmer route outside of Manhattan to continue her dreams.
I totally agree with you! Jenny’s circle never understood her sight and ambition but I believe that because of her social stratum she was constantly being pulled back by everyone that surrendered her, not so much because all she wanted was to be Queen of Constance. And I think Blair didn’t have real friends on the top, she was more secure and reach out for success because of her social stratum, on the contrary of Jenny.
I didn't know the audience didn't like her. For me Jenny and Blair made the whole thing interesting She's a complex character and let's be honest, watching the show we wanted at least one time be a part of that world. Jenny Humphrey made the show feel like you could be the one in her shoes: an outsider clever enough to achieve her goals, but destined for failure 'cause of her background and inner wars. She has an amazing style and a clear evolution trough the seasons. When she was out of the show it wasn't the same, and it felt like production didn't want her anymore, 'cause of the plot lines they gave her She was truly one of the few characters that did what it takes in order to achieve what they wanted I love Jenny Humphrey: our Brooklyn Queen🖤
The show had the most insane obsession with having Jenny be assaulted/nearly assaulted/in sketchy situations with older men. Happens in the pilot, Agnes roofies her, dances in her bra for some older photographer that Agnes introduces her to, and loses her virginity to Chuck who attempted to assault her in the pilot. Not to mention her only "real" boyfriend is Damien who is pushing her when she's not ready.
I think because they acted so old, you’re forgetting that all these “men” she’s interacting with are also supposed to be teenagers at 19 and are only two years older than her. She went to high school with Chuck for two seasons. Damien went to boarding school with Serena.
@@EggsandHam-xg2bs true but not all of them. The guys who Agnes sets her up with to assault her are definitely older and so is the photographer she dances around for. All in all the show had Jenny in all these disgusting and unsafe situations. If you wanna call them boys to make it feel better, fine. But assault and attempted assault is still assault and attempted assault
Hard agree on pretty much everything. The Jenny hate always baffled me, because you have characters like Chuck and Blair, that have done way worse but are beloved by the fandom.
I like her so much and i like how the character went to the innocent girl to a troublemaker because it totally makes sense. Jenny was influenced by everyone around her just like Dan was. In the last seasons Dan isn't the same and this is very clear (also the final revelation abt gg)but Jenny wasn't the same as well, she just get hate because she wasn't in the rich crew. chuck is totally worse
People also ignore that Jenny is younger than everyone else so when she was immature, it made sense for her character. Everyone else was older but acted like they were Jenny's age or worse, younger. They would learn lessons, then make the same mistakes over and over and OVER again. Their character development went down the train after season 1 EXCEPT JENNY's. And all of them had a false sense of morality with a "holier than thou" complex yet could NEVER take accountability for their actions and expected everyone else around them to be the bigger person. When people weren't the bigger person and tried to teach the main guys a lesson and hold them accountable suddenly THEY WERE WRONG!?!? Like bro-
Jenny was and will always be my favorite from Gossip Girl, she's the most relatable character there, she may have had made some mistakes but don't we all make mistakes, but in Jenny's case people hated her for being human.
Jenny was my favorite on the show. Her style evolution and her personality, I saw a lot of myself in her when I was younger. Loved loved loved little J
@@Ichfindekeinenanderenalias it often isn't. People sometimes need months of therapy to realize that something they did was wrong and may also turn away from the therapist in the process because facing the shame for wrongdoings is hard. Therefore it should be praised because it takes courage and humidity to admit that something you did was wrong and caused harm even if that was not your intention.
@WinX4Ever I see this misconception many times, but Jenny and Vanessa didn't know that Julliet will drug Serena. they were even confused when they called Julliet, and she told them that she's taking Serena somewhere. they only signed up for the masquerade party revenge, and although it was still wrong, I remember that Serena had done something to Jenny that caused her to want revenge, and it certainly wasn't worse than anything the other characters did in the show.
I don't care about what other people say Jenny is the most precious child of them all. I will always be on her side. While other characters hurt so many people or even were involved in some criminal stuff her actions were stupid at worst. Jenny is my favourite character in gossip girl so far. And kinda remains one of few interesting ones after season one
This show came out when I was 11 and ended when I was 16 and just like I you I refused to watch it because I wasn’t “ like other girls “. Yeah it took me years to grow out of that and I first watched the show a couple of years back and now I’m rewatching it a second time. I have to say Jenny is one of my favorite characters and she is the most relatable the character in the show. Just like Jenny, people constantly doubted me and I had to work my butt off to make it and prove them wrong. I was bullied in school and when I started working in Corporate America but I didn’t let bullied stop me. That’s why I found her so relatable. I feel like Jenny deserved so much better.
You're the only gossip girl fan with a brain. Thanks for making this video! Season one was soooo promising. Most people overlook the power dynamics of the show- which I thought should have been the point of it all. The Humphreys were supposed to be the moral center, the grounding characters whom viewers could better relate to as (upper) middle class/educated/well-adjusted to society outside school and yet treated like trash by the 1%. It's ridiculous how viewers latched onto the aesthetics of the show over the promising storyline of Season 1 (and a bit of Season 2 as well). I could write a whole dissertation on it, but would rather find similar minds on TH-cam just like you!
Rufus and jenny storylines broke my heart, and I'm not even a parent! She was so mean to her dad. Whenever the camera stayed on Rufus's face after Jenny did something awful, he'd look so sad.
he also was super patriarchal towards her and let dan do whatever he wanted. yeah dan is like two years older but even when jenny gets older he treats her like some pure princess. he fails to acknowledge her personhood and growing up! i just hate the double standards he gave to jenny just because she was a girl
exactly ! Honestly dan did a lot bs in the entire show but barely said anything even if dan was older than jenny, rufus was suppose to put limits for both of them. I think the reason is that jenny was going in the same route as him. She was about to neglect her education when she first got her internship at waldorf design where she was respect for her abilities. Rufus sure did same younger to get in music industry and have a career. That's something he probably doesn't want for his children. It explains why he is less strict with dan because he is focus on his studies and he's serious with his education
I only disagree with one thing you said. I believe that after she started fully leaning into being queen and decided to get rid of her old self and started embracing the negative behaviors that are expected from her as queen, it was weirdly empowering to her rather than making her a slave to the UES. She was no longer feeling pressured and trapped but rather liberated to fully carry on being ruthless in order to be queen and she accepted that she doesn't care if it makes her a bad person and that its necessary. Like she stopped being in denial and stopped holding herself back. Im not sure how to explain it but it allowed for her to become everything she wanted to be on the UES and gave her more power and freedom rather than taking away from her (even though technically she didnt actually want any of it she was just made to chase that because she was being forced into a position she no longer wanted and was already disillusioned by the UES and saw it for what it was by season 2/3)
Dont you just love when you get assaulted twice by the same man, he takes advantage of you when youre broken hearted and the girl youve wanted to be friends with your wholehigh school life banishes you from the state 🥰
no because everyday i mourn the potential of her character like i get taylor wanted to do music full time and i love her band but i still cry bout this lol
I loved both Jenny and Blair. I think the problem with the Brooklyn characters was that while they were narratively supposed to be our moral compas as the audience, a lot of their dialogue came off as morally superior. Which makes audience members a bit hostile when they are 'attacking' the UES characters for their immoral choices.
Not only that but by the end of the show, they try to subliminally send the message that "rich = victims, poor = villian". Like just the way they try to make you sympathise with certain characters but never Jenny n Dan when the others have actively and continuously do worse shows.
And tbh, everyone in that show gains a false sense of morality and "holier than thou" complex to me. If it was used fairly, fine. But it wasn't. Theyd shame ppl for trying to hold the main characters accountable for doing something bad and I understand but no one ever holds them accountable. These characters will do bad thing but expect everyone else to be the bigger person and if you don't, youre the bad one. This show does this consistenly and its actually crazy. Sum1 will point out something bad a character has done and the character will deflect with something the first person has done, which is nvr nearly as bad but still bad. Everyone in this show needs to just go to therapy honestly. Anyways, mb for long replies.
What the writers did to Jenny was totally unacceptable they made her seem like a villain when she really wasn’t they made her redeem herself only to ruin her again in season 3 The writers Wrote her so bad in season 3 I was so mad at how they wrote her
I was frustrated with Jenny the first season because she was my FAVORITE character in the books and Taylor Momsen didn’t fit that Jenny at all. But as all the characters changed from how they were written (ESP Chuck) in the books and took on their own life, I grew to appreciate tv Jenny more and keep book Jenny for mysef
@@QueenIrene4382 I was so upset when the It Girl series ended, I was having so much fun following these girls around and the way Tinsley’s character also changed and mature was awesome to see! I named my son Julian because of this book 😂
Jenny and Serena are definetely my 2 faves in season 1, and then they became worse and worse 😭 Like they 2 can become best friend like sisters, I love how supporting Jenny of Dan and Serena and how welcoming Serena to her. But they have to make them become terrible person each day 😭 I always love Blair and her character didn’t dissapoint me because we got what we see and she only become better.. but for Serena and Jenny it’s such a shame. They had a lot to offer especially Jenny character
Honestly, I think Georgina should’ve been Gossip Girl. A lot of gg’s posts hurt Serena, which sounds like Georgina’s handiwork. Vanessa and Ivy probably kept her in the loop. Georgina was the brains behind it, scheming and plotting.
Loved her character, but so did everyone else, and honestly shipped her with Nate. They would bave been a waaaay better couple than Nate and Vanessa imo
Jenny was too intelligent and ambitious for a girl. They had to tear her down. Blair and Serena do nothing all day so according to the writers, that's OK.
In my opinion I think the reason why Taylor Momsen, aka ‘Jenny’ got so much heat from the fans of the show was because she was quite actually always flip-flopping!! Literally that’s where her character was born from & that’s what her central storylines consisted of! She went from the nice, naive, little humble Brooklyn girl who was just dying for a seat at the table with the upper Eastside girls, into a full on con-artist, liar, manipulator, that was obsessed with getting to the top by doing whatever was necessary!Then she finally got what she wanted to only ‘realize’ it wasn’t actually what she wanted anymore.😒 A common theme I’m going to continue to describe that was also depicted pretty well in this video. ^ She went on to pursue fashion all while not wanting anything to do with that upper east side drama anymore. Jenny also did not want to go to High school anymore so she could exclusively focus on the fashion by working with Elenor Waldorf. She then switches to leaving that by wanting to branch out on her own at 14/15 to create her own line…… BUT WAIT - THE SAGA CONTINUED.🙄 After pushing EVERYONE away, practically being homeless, & begging/blackmailing her Dad to sign emancipation, papers she finds herself back in Brooklyn where she originally started in season 1. She then goes back to Constance & then eventually feels unfulfilled leading her to go back to her passion just to leave fashion AGAIN like 3 different times.😭 While she’s back in HS she claims she just wants to be ‘normal’ again but then goes back to being a social climber when Rufus got with Lilly & ultimately being crowned ‘Queen J’ by Blair when she graduated & went off to College!👑 Of course in typical Jenny fashion she grew tired of sticking with a consistent storyline for a while so of course that meant being Queen went out the window again!! LMFAOOOOO. During the mist of all this she was dying to be accepted by multiple different guys & stealing others boyfriends. Cough cough Nate & Chuck. The best one yet was when she liked Damien SO much, knew what he wanted & showed up to the hotel room for it but then again changed her mind last minute because she decided not to go through with it due to wanting to wait for love/it to be special🥺… Which was totally valid and actually one of the smarter choices she made in the show!! But of course after all that, she never fails to disappoint and change her mind. Contradicts herself YET AGAIN & loses her V card to Chuck one night when she was feeling sad & alone!!!!🤬😵💫See what I mean? The shows creators + writers constantly made a fool of the character ‘Jenny’ by having her go from 1 extreme to the next. The show and it’s players were already hard enough to keep up with so by adding Jennys bipolar personality into it just made it easier for fans to ‘hate’ on her character. It just became too much & that’s saying a lot with a show like Gossip Girl!😂 I mean Serena & Blair were messy but we also all knew what we would get from them. It was part of both their characters from literally S1 E1 so it wasn’t such a surprise to anyone when things happened between them. They were either best friends or the worst of enemies. We knew that’s how their characters were, we expected it from them & most loved them for it too. Gossip Girl was truly at the end of an Era when it came to an actual GOOD teenage/young adult drama TV show. Of course it definitely had its hiccups but the fact that people are still talking about it 13+ years later says something, don’t you think? I’ll forever be a GG Stan!! Even got my fiancé (who is a manly man) to watch it years back & he actually LOVED IT!! He still makes references and jokes about it til this day. I remember a few years ago he was in the car on a drive home from the gym, just casually chatting with his brother in law about how I got him into GG & he was like “bro your sister got me into watching it too! I actually like it” They thought it was like the coolest thing lol. Then as my guy was getting out of his car his bro goes to say goodbye & ends it with “xoxo gossip girl’. LMAOOO!💀🤣 My man was in hysterics & still to this day they end their texts threads with one another off with that very same line!😅 The level of influence by GG remains unmatched!!!
The rich characters being bad is basically what the show is about! Jenny is just frustrasting, because she just can't see what kind of community she is involved in. Her understanding are superficial. She is a better person in some aspects, but like she is ALWAYS getting played because she seem to refuse to learn the lessons. For a long time. Also her style change is not Jenny! It's just Taylor. Good for Taylor. But I came here to see Jenny. She just seems incredibly dumb and naive. Blair goes through some crazy shit too, but she always finds her way back. Blair also refuses to learn many lessons, but we can see that's out of pride, comfort and having her feeling dominating her, not for being naive. Everything surrounds Blair. Without Blair there is no story. Without Jenny? Nothing really changes that much. Cause it's not about her. Blair is an effective queen just because hse mean, but because she knows how to play the games; Blair understands the meanings and consequences of everything. Blair is THE most realistic person in the series. More than Chuck or Dan. Blair chooses to pplay the game because she knows what it coasts. She understands the differences between her possiotn and Serena's for example. Even Jenny reconizes this at some point "You are too good in a game I don't wanna play. And I see that now"
She just seemed like a sociopath to me. Blair was given vulnerabilities and empathy same with Serena. Jenny did not get the same options to show vulnerability unless it was not having a goal.
What the writers did to Jenny was totally unacceptable they made her seem like a villain when she really wasn’t they made her redeem herself only to ruin her again in season 3 The writers Wrote her so bad in season 3 I was so mad at how they wrote her
All the other characters on the show did much worse on the show, but somehow Jenny gets the most hate . Chuck traded Blair for a hotel!! Dan was Gossip girl !! , and Serena left someone to die of a overdose in a hotel room…but sure , let’s hate on Little J .
What annoyed me was that she played the poor little girl from a poor neighborhood which definitely was not true. All the characters did horrendous things but stayed true to themselves and didn't pretend to be someone they weren't except Serena. She was the other one who pretended
Ah and then she kept playing the victim when she was facing the consequences of her on actions. Kind of like Serena
@@Mel-jl8dt I mean, she was an actual child ffs. Kids do stupid sh!t; it's part of growing up. It also doesn't help that the environment that she grew up in and the people she was surrounded by were genuinely awful people.
@@XxVirginBabyxX by that logic they're all kids? All of them were under 18. Besides they all grew up in a pretty loveless environment with narcissistic parents who constantly show that no matter what their kids do is not enough. If anything they all had a messed up background except they all had money
She gets the most hate cuz she’s annoying. She hasn’t done anything horrible per say. She’s just annoying.
Its honestly crazy that Taylor Momsen was only 14 in Season 1 and 16 by Season 3 with the amount of intimate scenes she had with men nearly a decade older than her.
She said on Podcrushed that she was 12 in season 1 which makes it even wilder
@@paryana7936HUH?
She was 12!!
What intimate scenes???
@@paryana7936 she was 12 in the pilot and 13 for the rest of the season
I understand why some fans were (disproportionately) mad at Jenny’s style evolution from preppy Molly Ringwald wannabe Blair to goth barbie and for lack of a better word they “blame” this on Taylor Momsen’s real life style.
But I genuinely think it makes sense for her character. Trying so hard to fit in to dress and style like the other girls to try to do Blair Waldorf style with Serena colouring on a Humphrey budget. Only to realise it’s never going to be enough.
So she rejects it adopts an anti Blair style (not dissimilar to most teenagers trying to find and identify their style and rebelling) and there’s already some roots to it with her dad’s grunge rock background.
To me it makes so much sense this is how Jenny would dress as she ages. Which for all the ups and downs of the show even when the outfits are a bit of a misfire like Blair dressing a tad too old and costumey it still makes sense that OF COURSE their character would do this.
…except for Vanessa who I feel all the creators did not know what to do with from writing to costuming and Jessica Szohr deserved better
it makes sense, however its not my personal favorite style as i would think a lot of others feel the same
Jenny's style was so perfect! It was the perfect combo of preppy and goth that was like everything I dreamed of. And there was no-one else like her on tv, so it was really amazing to have someone like that. Not a full blown goth (which I love and admire but could never commit to it fully) or too emo in a scene kind of way. There was still glamour and a sort of minimalism to her style compared to other more extreme alternative icons.
I don't know if her style was the producers' decisions or Taylor Momsen's input, but I thought it was genius because it made so much sense for her character. Jenny was good and bad, main character and side character, protagonist and antagonist... she didn't fit in any category, just like her style stood out from everyone else's. she stuck out like a sore thumb. Jenny is GG's enigma for me, lmao.
I'm quite interested in doing a similar dissection for Vanessa since I agree with you on the fact that they just gave her whatever secondary plot line was available. Thank you for your comment and Thank you for watching.
People dont understand that she was simply trying to suceed in a world that was constantly telling her she wasn't good enough, unimportant, and undeserving of the same opportunities and respect everyone else around her got. Everytime she had tried to get away from the UES and focus on herself and her passions, she would get dragged back into the drama. By season 3 she was being thrusted into a life she no longer wanted and was being threatened with social oblivion if she didnt keep up with her duties as the UES queen. She was burnt out early on. We see early on in season 3 episode 7 that she secretly yearns for her old life in brooklyn and that she kinda hates the pressures that come with being queen. She is in denial that her new role as queen has changed who she is and acts as if its just a "mask" but fails to see that shes exhibiting the same behaviors she claims to hate and uses the excuse that she only does it because its whats expected from her as queen. But then she starts embracing those behaviors and is no longer in denial that being queen has changed her morals. Shes no longer being held back by the pressures of the crown and instead seeks to erase who she used to be rather than hold on to tye old version of herself and was no longer unaccepting of her new role and life on the UES like before because at the end of the day, being a good person and feiend wont stop her from getting bullied if ahe decides to trade her status for her values and relationships.
You're right. She's such a complex character and she went through a lot being so young. Thank you for watching :3
I always rooted for Jenny. The Blair/ Serena dynamic annoyed me so much especially in later season where Jenny was gone. They turned the show into a soap opera lol.
Literallyy. I think the Blair and Jenny dynamic was so much better
It was so much more creative and interesting too than serenaa dynamic with ANYONE lol@@ameliex
@@ameliex It was toxic and ugly. No wonder Taylor hated it. I would too.
I wish the writers would have taken a different direction with her after she became queen at constance. She had the means and the platform to start her fashion empire and as Queen could have given Eric and his BF free passes for sitting higher up or whatever. That way she wouldn't have needed to become this weird villan she became.
I also wish they addressed the psychological implications of her being almost sexually assaulted several times, roofied, bullied, abandoned, chased out of town etc
AGREED. She was done so dirty and the show made it look like she was still the villain after she was dragged to filth. And her ending was she now works for the wife married to the man that r**ped her? And she returns looking more watered down with wearing gold looking less •Jenny• because she’s back under their power? Justice was not served for her 😤🤮
@@Laura_Ingalls_Wilder chuck didnt actually rape her, he tried to in the first season, then later on she forgave him, and then later on she gave him her v card, willingly (even tho she wasnt in the right state of mind to make that decision and he took advantage of that, she still agreed and gave consent)
@@JustMe-vs1kjlet me tell you something, if a girl isn't in the right state of mind, she can't ever fully "consent" - at least NEVER for a younger girl. I would say older women can possibly because with age you tend to know yourself better and be more assertive with your needs (can't be easily influenced to do something you don't want) so an older woman might simply choose to have s*x not minding how they feel. Regardless, as a general rule never sleep with someone who isn't in a good mental state.
@@JustMe-vs1kjdoesn’t that count as statutory rape if she was 16 and he was around 19 or 20 though? Not sure what the laws are in the state of New York but I feel like it was on him to not go further with her.
Literally why we need sex education... SA involves more than rape and sex with a minor IS rape
I think the major difference between Jenny and Blair was that Blair didn't just have minions because her minions were never truly loyal to her and she NEVER forgot that; B also had an unshakable support team who KNEW how to navigate her world and would never turn their backs on her. Metaphorically, that's the one thing being born into wealth gave her that Jenny didn't have. Blair had GENUINE friends at the top, and Jenny had nobody.
Eric doesn't count because he was rich but he wasn't "popular" and while he was honest with her, he never understood her ambitions. None of her family did either, they always wished for her to stop but she was never satisfied with the life they wanted for her thus creating a conflict where she felt she had to sacrifice them for her needs and desires.
I think, while we can admit she compromised her values, it's a little unfair to fault Jenny for having those "darker" ambitions as if she shouldn't want them.
The cautionary tale here isn't about her ambitions, it's about the dangers of being used and abused when you go out in the world without a strong sense of self- as you said looking for that outwardly instead of inward. Blair had more control because she her only goal wasn't her peers Social acceptance, it was to elevate her status higher than her school, whereas Jenny just wanted to be Queen and for others to acknowledge her as apart of their circle, but Blair's detachment and wit made her a better ruler.
Jenny had such a wasted potential, and in my opinion, I don't think her story was truly finished. I envision her conquering her shadow side and being stronger because of it and going on to build her own fashion empire but I don't hate the idea that she goes for a calmer route outside of Manhattan to continue her dreams.
Excellent. Thank you for watching
I totally agree with you!
Jenny’s circle never understood her sight and ambition but I believe that because of her social stratum she was constantly being pulled back by everyone that surrendered her, not so much because all she wanted was to be Queen of Constance. And I think Blair didn’t have real friends on the top, she was more secure and reach out for success because of her social stratum, on the contrary of Jenny.
I didn't know the audience didn't like her.
For me Jenny and Blair made the whole thing interesting
She's a complex character and let's be honest, watching the show we wanted at least one time be a part of that world.
Jenny Humphrey made the show feel like you could be the one in her shoes: an outsider clever enough to achieve her goals, but destined for failure 'cause of her background and inner wars.
She has an amazing style and a clear evolution trough the seasons.
When she was out of the show it wasn't the same, and it felt like production didn't want her anymore, 'cause of the plot lines they gave her
She was truly one of the few characters that did what it takes in order to achieve what they wanted
I love Jenny Humphrey: our Brooklyn Queen🖤
The show had the most insane obsession with having Jenny be assaulted/nearly assaulted/in sketchy situations with older men. Happens in the pilot, Agnes roofies her, dances in her bra for some older photographer that Agnes introduces her to, and loses her virginity to Chuck who attempted to assault her in the pilot. Not to mention her only "real" boyfriend is Damien who is pushing her when she's not ready.
Personally I found it relatable and realistic. Men are dangerous. Other women can be dangerous too
@@hypatiakovalevskayasklodow9195 True but Gossip Girl wasn't realistic about anything else so it just feels icky.
It was very weird considering the actresses age at the time@@MarthaRose92
I think because they acted so old, you’re forgetting that all these “men” she’s interacting with are also supposed to be teenagers at 19 and are only two years older than her. She went to high school with Chuck for two seasons. Damien went to boarding school with Serena.
@@EggsandHam-xg2bs true but not all of them. The guys who Agnes sets her up with to assault her are definitely older and so is the photographer she dances around for. All in all the show had Jenny in all these disgusting and unsafe situations. If you wanna call them boys to make it feel better, fine. But assault and attempted assault is still assault and attempted assault
Hard agree on pretty much everything. The Jenny hate always baffled me, because you have characters like Chuck and Blair, that have done way worse but are beloved by the fandom.
I like her so much and i like how the character went to the innocent girl to a troublemaker because it totally makes sense. Jenny was influenced by everyone around her just like Dan was. In the last seasons Dan isn't the same and this is very clear (also the final revelation abt gg)but Jenny wasn't the same as well, she just get hate because she wasn't in the rich crew. chuck is totally worse
Jenny was the most complex character AND all her episodes are top gossip girl flair
Yes
The writers had zero respect for a girl who is an artist, incredibly smart, ambitious and doesn't care too much about boys. They had to destroy her.
People also ignore that Jenny is younger than everyone else so when she was immature, it made sense for her character. Everyone else was older but acted like they were Jenny's age or worse, younger. They would learn lessons, then make the same mistakes over and over and OVER again. Their character development went down the train after season 1 EXCEPT JENNY's. And all of them had a false sense of morality with a "holier than thou" complex yet could NEVER take accountability for their actions and expected everyone else around them to be the bigger person. When people weren't the bigger person and tried to teach the main guys a lesson and hold them accountable suddenly THEY WERE WRONG!?!? Like bro-
Jenny was and will always be my favorite from Gossip Girl, she's the most relatable character there, she may have had made some mistakes but don't we all make mistakes, but in Jenny's case people hated her for being human.
Jenny was my favorite on the show. Her style evolution and her personality, I saw a lot of myself in her when I was younger. Loved loved loved little J
I understand everyone loves Blair but she was so rude and toxic towards Jenny
@WinX4Evershe was the only one who regretted and tried to say that the overdose thing was too much, and they put the WHOLE blame on her back.
@WinX4Everof course it should be, that's self reflection
@@izabella7174which should be common sense?
@@Ichfindekeinenanderenalias it often isn't. People sometimes need months of therapy to realize that something they did was wrong and may also turn away from the therapist in the process because facing the shame for wrongdoings is hard. Therefore it should be praised because it takes courage and humidity to admit that something you did was wrong and caused harm even if that was not your intention.
@WinX4Ever I see this misconception many times, but Jenny and Vanessa didn't know that Julliet will drug Serena. they were even confused when they called Julliet, and she told them that she's taking Serena somewhere. they only signed up for the masquerade party revenge, and although it was still wrong, I remember that Serena had done something to Jenny that caused her to want revenge, and it certainly wasn't worse than anything the other characters did in the show.
People prefer her style is season 1&2 but for me she serves the best looks in season 3
Agreed, i hate the style Jenny had during around her time with agnes
I loved everything but s1 but I do get why it was like that
Edgy Jenny was a baddie
@@asoiaf__ Your grace ! 🙇🏻♀️
@@asoiaf__queen Rhaenyra Targaryen 🙇♂️🙇♂️🙇♂️
I don't care about what other people say Jenny is the most precious child of them all. I will always be on her side. While other characters hurt so many people or even were involved in some criminal stuff her actions were stupid at worst. Jenny is my favourite character in gossip girl so far. And kinda remains one of few interesting ones after season one
This show came out when I was 11 and ended when I was 16 and just like I you I refused to watch it because I wasn’t “ like other girls “. Yeah it took me years to grow out of that and I first watched the show a couple of years back and now I’m rewatching it a second time. I have to say Jenny is one of my favorite characters and she is the most relatable the character in the show. Just like Jenny, people constantly doubted me and I had to work my butt off to make it and prove them wrong. I was bullied in school and when I started working in Corporate America but I didn’t let bullied stop me. That’s why I found her so relatable. I feel like Jenny deserved so much better.
Jenny was my favorite and I hate that so many people turned on her. She and Nate were my favorite pair on the show.
This is such a High Quality Jenny redemption analysis that we all needed 👏👏👏
She wins Gossip Girl! I really love Jenny and her style (specifically on season 3) it’s amazing
You're the only gossip girl fan with a brain. Thanks for making this video! Season one was soooo promising. Most people overlook the power dynamics of the show- which I thought should have been the point of it all. The Humphreys were supposed to be the moral center, the grounding characters whom viewers could better relate to as (upper) middle class/educated/well-adjusted to society outside school and yet treated like trash by the 1%. It's ridiculous how viewers latched onto the aesthetics of the show over the promising storyline of Season 1 (and a bit of Season 2 as well). I could write a whole dissertation on it, but would rather find similar minds on TH-cam just like you!
Rufus and jenny storylines broke my heart, and I'm not even a parent! She was so mean to her dad. Whenever the camera stayed on Rufus's face after Jenny did something awful, he'd look so sad.
he also was super patriarchal towards her and let dan do whatever he wanted. yeah dan is like two years older but even when jenny gets older he treats her like some pure princess. he fails to acknowledge her personhood and growing up! i just hate the double standards he gave to jenny just because she was a girl
exactly ! Honestly dan did a lot bs in the entire show but barely said anything even if dan was older than jenny, rufus was suppose to put limits for both of them. I think the reason is that jenny was going in the same route as him. She was about to neglect her education when she first got her internship at waldorf design where she was respect for her abilities. Rufus sure did same younger to get in music industry and have a career. That's something he probably doesn't want for his children. It explains why he is less strict with dan because he is focus on his studies and he's serious with his education
I only disagree with one thing you said. I believe that after she started fully leaning into being queen and decided to get rid of her old self and started embracing the negative behaviors that are expected from her as queen, it was weirdly empowering to her rather than making her a slave to the UES. She was no longer feeling pressured and trapped but rather liberated to fully carry on being ruthless in order to be queen and she accepted that she doesn't care if it makes her a bad person and that its necessary. Like she stopped being in denial and stopped holding herself back. Im not sure how to explain it but it allowed for her to become everything she wanted to be on the UES and gave her more power and freedom rather than taking away from her (even though technically she didnt actually want any of it she was just made to chase that because she was being forced into a position she no longer wanted and was already disillusioned by the UES and saw it for what it was by season 2/3)
Dont you just love when you get assaulted twice by the same man, he takes advantage of you when youre broken hearted and the girl youve wanted to be friends with your wholehigh school life banishes you from the state 🥰
This was so good! Jenny has always been my fave, love deep dives on her character. Especially bc imo she was the most layered.
SHES MY FAVORITE CHARACTERR OMGGGGG. Plus she wasnt even that bad but oh well
Jenny was THE best character in gossip girl.
@WinX4Ever Sage 🫡
Thank you !!! Cuz sorry but I never finished the a whole series I stop watching when she leaves
@WinX4Everit doesn’t
Nah, Blair is the best character. Love Jenny tho
No
That shade on Hilary Duff is well on point.
no because everyday i mourn the potential of her character like i get taylor wanted to do music full time and i love her band but i still cry bout this lol
I loved the episode where Blair “crowned” Jenny Queen before going off to college because she knew that Jenny was really her only true equal.
I loved both Jenny and Blair.
I think the problem with the Brooklyn characters was that while they were narratively supposed to be our moral compas as the audience, a lot of their dialogue came off as morally superior. Which makes audience members a bit hostile when they are 'attacking' the UES characters for their immoral choices.
Not only that but by the end of the show, they try to subliminally send the message that "rich = victims, poor = villian". Like just the way they try to make you sympathise with certain characters but never Jenny n Dan when the others have actively and continuously do worse shows.
And tbh, everyone in that show gains a false sense of morality and "holier than thou" complex to me. If it was used fairly, fine. But it wasn't. Theyd shame ppl for trying to hold the main characters accountable for doing something bad and I understand but no one ever holds them accountable. These characters will do bad thing but expect everyone else to be the bigger person and if you don't, youre the bad one. This show does this consistenly and its actually crazy. Sum1 will point out something bad a character has done and the character will deflect with something the first person has done, which is nvr nearly as bad but still bad. Everyone in this show needs to just go to therapy honestly. Anyways, mb for long replies.
Love her she SLAYED
What the writers did to Jenny was totally unacceptable they made her seem like a villain when she really wasn’t they made her redeem herself only to ruin her again in season 3 The writers Wrote her so bad in season 3 I was so mad at how they wrote her
Jenny my favorite character still to this day I only watch the series until she leaves and I never finish the series
I was frustrated with Jenny the first season because she was my FAVORITE character in the books and Taylor Momsen didn’t fit that Jenny at all.
But as all the characters changed from how they were written (ESP Chuck) in the books and took on their own life, I grew to appreciate tv Jenny more and keep book Jenny for mysef
SAME. I adore book Jenny!
@@TheRealJulimar the it girl was such a good series too. I was hoping this Jenny would get her own spin off too.
@@QueenIrene4382 I was so upset when the It Girl series ended, I was having so much fun following these girls around and the way Tinsley’s character also changed and mature was awesome to see! I named my son Julian because of this book 😂
Jenny and Serena are definetely my 2 faves in season 1, and then they became worse and worse 😭 Like they 2 can become best friend like sisters, I love how supporting Jenny of Dan and Serena and how welcoming Serena to her. But they have to make them become terrible person each day 😭 I always love Blair and her character didn’t dissapoint me because we got what we see and she only become better.. but for Serena and Jenny it’s such a shame. They had a lot to offer especially Jenny character
She was 12 when she started gossip girl
She was 14 lol
@@caitlingill- She mentioned on the podcast Podcrushed that she was 12 when Season 1 was filmed. She was 14 when it aired.
@@sabrina.natalie TELL HER LMAO
Jenny Humphrey is my frickin’ favorite in the seasons.🤩🤩🤩👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾
Honestly, I think Georgina should’ve been Gossip Girl. A lot of gg’s posts hurt Serena, which sounds like Georgina’s handiwork. Vanessa and Ivy probably kept her in the loop. Georgina was the brains behind it, scheming and plotting.
exactly! she should've been the ultimate Gossip Girl
I love Jenny. I love her and Nate . They were so cute together.
This was such a good analysis great insight 🥰
Loved her character, but so did everyone else, and honestly shipped her with Nate. They would bave been a waaaay better couple than Nate and Vanessa imo
Jenny became one of my fave characters next to Serena
I agree with you ON EVERYTHING you said tbh. This was so on point i love this deep dive. I look foward to your next videos i already love your channel
Thank You. I'm glad you liked it and appreaciate the energy and time you are giving to this project. More it's coming soon. Stay Tuned.
P
Jenny was too intelligent and ambitious for a girl. They had to tear her down. Blair and Serena do nothing all day so according to the writers, that's OK.
In my opinion I think the reason why Taylor Momsen, aka ‘Jenny’ got so much heat from the fans of the show was because she was quite actually always flip-flopping!! Literally that’s where her character was born from & that’s what her central storylines consisted of! She went from the nice, naive, little humble Brooklyn girl who was just dying for a seat at the table with the upper Eastside girls, into a full on con-artist, liar, manipulator, that was obsessed with getting to the top by doing whatever was necessary!Then she finally got what she wanted to only ‘realize’ it wasn’t actually what she wanted anymore.😒 A common theme I’m going to continue to describe that was also depicted pretty well in this video. ^ She went on to pursue fashion all while not wanting anything to do with that upper east side drama anymore. Jenny also did not want to go to High school anymore so she could exclusively focus on the fashion by working with Elenor Waldorf. She then switches to leaving that by wanting to branch out on her own at 14/15 to create her own line…… BUT WAIT - THE SAGA CONTINUED.🙄 After pushing EVERYONE away, practically being homeless, & begging/blackmailing her Dad to sign emancipation, papers she finds herself back in Brooklyn where she originally started in season 1. She then goes back to Constance & then eventually feels unfulfilled leading her to go back to her passion just to leave fashion AGAIN like 3 different times.😭 While she’s back in HS she claims she just wants to be ‘normal’ again but then goes back to being a social climber when Rufus got with Lilly & ultimately being crowned ‘Queen J’ by Blair when she graduated & went off to College!👑 Of course in typical Jenny fashion she grew tired of sticking with a consistent storyline for a while so of course that meant being Queen went out the window again!! LMFAOOOOO. During the mist of all this she was dying to be accepted by multiple different guys & stealing others boyfriends. Cough cough Nate & Chuck. The best one yet was when she liked Damien SO much, knew what he wanted & showed up to the hotel room for it but then again changed her mind last minute because she decided not to go through with it due to wanting to wait for love/it to be special🥺… Which was totally valid and actually one of the smarter choices she made in the show!! But of course after all that, she never fails to disappoint and change her mind. Contradicts herself YET AGAIN & loses her V card to Chuck one night when she was feeling sad & alone!!!!🤬😵💫See what I mean? The shows creators + writers constantly made a fool of the character ‘Jenny’ by having her go from 1 extreme to the next. The show and it’s players were already hard enough to keep up with so by adding Jennys bipolar personality into it just made it easier for fans to ‘hate’ on her character. It just became too much & that’s saying a lot with a show like Gossip Girl!😂 I mean Serena & Blair were messy but we also all knew what we would get from them. It was part of both their characters from literally S1 E1 so it wasn’t such a surprise to anyone when things happened between them. They were either best friends or the worst of enemies. We knew that’s how their characters were, we expected it from them & most loved them for it too. Gossip Girl was truly at the end of an Era when it came to an actual GOOD teenage/young adult drama TV show. Of course it definitely had its hiccups but the fact that people are still talking about it 13+ years later says something, don’t you think? I’ll forever be a GG Stan!! Even got my fiancé (who is a manly man) to watch it years back & he actually LOVED IT!! He still makes references and jokes about it til this day. I remember a few years ago he was in the car on a drive home from the gym, just casually chatting with his brother in law about how I got him into GG & he was like “bro your sister got me into watching it too! I actually like it” They thought it was like the coolest thing lol. Then as my guy was getting out of his car his bro goes to say goodbye & ends it with “xoxo gossip girl’. LMAOOO!💀🤣 My man was in hysterics & still to this day they end their texts threads with one another off with that very same line!😅 The level of influence by GG remains unmatched!!!
Great comment. You captured Jenny's flip flopping perfectly. It was tiring to watch tbh.
Everyone saying “Jenny” for 41 mins 😂😂😂😂😂😂
Jenny was the most underrated best character of this show
I loved Jenny. I hated Vanessa lol
The rich characters being bad is basically what the show is about! Jenny is just frustrasting, because she just can't see what kind of community she is involved in. Her understanding are superficial. She is a better person in some aspects, but like she is ALWAYS getting played because she seem to refuse to learn the lessons. For a long time. Also her style change is not Jenny! It's just Taylor. Good for Taylor. But I came here to see Jenny. She just seems incredibly dumb and naive. Blair goes through some crazy shit too, but she always finds her way back. Blair also refuses to learn many lessons, but we can see that's out of pride, comfort and having her feeling dominating her, not for being naive. Everything surrounds Blair. Without Blair there is no story. Without Jenny? Nothing really changes that much. Cause it's not about her.
Blair is an effective queen just because hse mean, but because she knows how to play the games; Blair understands the meanings and consequences of everything. Blair is THE most realistic person in the series. More than Chuck or Dan. Blair chooses to pplay the game because she knows what it coasts. She understands the differences between her possiotn and Serena's for example. Even Jenny reconizes this at some point "You are too good in a game I don't wanna play. And I see that now"
Jenny could either be the best character or the worst character on gossip girl
Still love her tho
Jenny was my favorite!! Idk what anyone else says!!
Jenny is one of my favorite characters on this show and I don’t care what anybody says
I love Jenny
Jenny should have been THE Gossip girl, it would have made more sense.
its because of taylor growing up and everything that was going on with her life off the screen
Lol at Hilary duff acting 🎭 of course she was a Disney actor
Boosting to help the algorithm!
Thank you. I appreacite it :3
It’s a shame Taylor didn’t want to do the show anymore bc we deserved an It Girl spin off!!
well, you can't blame her
SO GOOD
Jenny was a wholesome character. She wasnt a so called elite but she had it all, beauty, attitude, talent unlike Serena, good for nothing.
And Blair who only relied on money and her family connection to feel superior. Jenny didn't have any of that and made a foul of Blair every time
I really hate her 😅 it’s unbelievable to me how fast she forgets her morals everytime. She’s Rufus daughter. She should know better
Lol she just wanted to fit in
Her only redeeming quality was that Vanessa was always a little worse than her.
In what way?
Americans call it Coming Soon for obvious reasons.
🥲
She just seemed like a sociopath to me. Blair was given vulnerabilities and empathy same with Serena. Jenny did not get the same options to show vulnerability unless it was not having a goal.
Blair has done way worse bro. This is crazy 💀.
This video could have been shorter without the repetitiveness.
I think you all forgetting that she became a problem in real life that's why the direction got so f-up.
In what way? Wanting to focus on music?
I dont like her 😂
What the writers did to Jenny was totally unacceptable they made her seem like a villain when she really wasn’t they made her redeem herself only to ruin her again in season 3 The writers Wrote her so bad in season 3 I was so mad at how they wrote her