Social media powerhouse GloZell, best known for her neon green lipstick and viral YouTube videos, brought comedy and conversation to Delta’s Tillie Lewis Theatre on March 30.
The discussion panel was put on by the Women’s History Month Committee, the Cultural Awareness Program, and Delta College Digital Media to commemorate and celebrate the accomplishments of women in the community.
GloZell has a unique tie to the Delta College campus — Dr. Monique Fortunato, Associate Professor of Biological Anthropology at Delta — is her cousin-in-law.
During the panel moderated by Mass Communication/Journalism Professor Tara Cuslidge-Staiano and Digital Media Professor Adriana Brogger, the social media powerhouse gave Delta students a look into her world as an influencer.
After graduating from the University of Florida, the aspiring comedian moved to Los Angeles to pursue her dreams of stardom.
Eager to learn the trade, she became a mainstay in the audience of the Tonight Show with Jay Leno.
GloZell said she attended more than 600 screenings of the show, and cites Leno’s professionalism and work ethic as inspirational to her during her own journey to stardom.
The comedian and content creator first came into the public eye in the late 2000s after posting videos on YouTube.
She became widely known for her song-parodies and comedy videos, and gained nation-wide recognition when actor Elijah Wood mentioned her vlog-style videos during an interview on Jimmy Kimmel Live.
Her iconic take on the cinnamon challenge in 2012 opened a whole new world of social media influence for the star.
“I clearly did not know what I was doing,” she said about the viral video where she attempts to swallow an entire spoonful of cinnamon.
GloZell has maintained this curious and joyful attitude throughout her entire online career, opting for clean comedy videos that appeal to a wide audience.
“Let’s just laugh and do something silly,” said the creator about her joyful and fun videos.
Despite her massive success with pursuing clean and family-friendly comedy, the star said that the development of online trends and the evolving state of media has pushed her to make changes in her approach to content creation.
“You evolve, or you’re gone,” said GloZell about the move towards short-form video like TikTok in contrast to the traditional long-form videos that she first made on YouTube.
“You have to adapt, and go with the flow, or get out,” she said.
The work is worth it to GloZell, who said she has created an inclusive community all while monetizing her content.
“Just like they needed me, I needed them,” GloZell said of her audience.