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Jenny Solares authenticity makes us all love her

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Jenny Solares at VidCon 2025

Jenny Solares is a runner, a home cook, and a beauty aficionado, but what makes her fans love her so much is her humor — and relatability.

"ahhhh man I thought I was watching myself," one commenter said in one of Solares' TikTok videos about how her attitude changes when she drives.

"FINALLY AN AUTHENTIC VIDEO WE CAN RELATE TO. Girl!!!! Get your miles anyway you can. You where glowing," one person commented under one of Solares's running videos.

It's that relatability that has helped her garner more than 32,000 followers on YouTube, 942,000 on Instagram, and a whopping three million on TikTok.

Mashable sat down with Solares at VidCon 2025, where she was a featured creator, to talk about how she finds inspiration for her videos, how her platform has taught her how to use your voice, and what she's done to make her channel so successful.

Where do you find inspiration for your videos? How do you not run out of ideas?

Ever since I was little, I've always had these creative juices flowing. [For instance], my song parodies. I remember taking road trips from California to Arizona a lot, and I would see road signs and I'd literally make up little songs out of those signs. I'd put a little tune to it or use a tune that already existed and then just put the words on it and my parents would be like, "Oh, gosh."

Just in general, my family is always laughing, all the time. We're always making jokes. It really stems from using my real life experiences and my creativity to just bring [content] to life.

All of the comments on your singing videos are like, 'Your voice is so beautiful. It's so amazing. When's the album coming out?'

I like the idea of being a singer, but I like it more that I'm able to do everything I like under one umbrella. I know it sounds weird, but I'm outgoing with people that I'm close to, but when it comes to big groups, I tend to pull back a little bit. I'm a little bit shy. I do not like to be the center of attention or anything like that. So being on stage is scary to me. The fact that I can do something on my phone and still share what I share — that works out perfectly for me.

Another thing that I've noticed about your content particularly over the past couple weeks is that you use your voice to talk about what's affecting your community. A lot of creators talk about how scary that is.

In past situations, it's been a little trickier just because maybe I'm not fully aware of the scope of the situation, or I don't know how to speak on it per se. But with something like this… My parents were immigrants and they didn't come here legally. It's fine now, but I felt compelled [to speak on it]. I just couldn't hold back. The challenging thing for me is I never want to come from a place of hate towards anyone. It's very hard to convey your message and still sound like you're coming from a place of love. And that's what I always want to put out. Really trying to figure out the tone and your words — there's always going to be somebody that's mad at you.

I put it up and then shut my phone off for my mental health. Thankfully social media apps [can] hide the comments from [the creator].

What topics have you covered this year that have surprised or challenged you?

It's not surprising to me that I spoke about it just because, like I said, it was just like, it was like word vomit almost, you know? It was like a thing that I had to say. Look what's happening. It's not so surprising that I said something, because, even in my real life, I'll stand up for my people. I'll defend the people close to me.

But running [content] was not on my bingo card, for sure. I am not a runner — I love fitness and I love going to the gym, but last year I tried to run and it did not happen. [Recently], I've been pretty consistent.

What kind of feedback have you gotten?

Just a lot of encouragement and then people saying like, "oh, I started running too." And I'm like, "Oh my gosh." It's pretty awesome.

How do you engage with your community in that way?

I am very active in my DMs, especially when I upload stories and people reply — it makes it a lot easier to communicate that way through comments. For my mental health, I'll post something and then maybe for like 30 minutes to an hour I'll reply to comments, and then I set my phone down. For the most part, it's through DMs that community is built.

Can you walk me through your workflow?

Sometimes the idea comes to me on the spot, and I'll say, "Oh my gosh, I have to film this now." And I'll put on makeup or whatever it may be and film right on the spot. My notes app is full of pieces of an idea. Later I'm like, "Oh, okay. This is how I'm gonna bring it together." Because sometimes I'll have a part of an idea, but I don't know how I'm going to bring it to life. And then with my song parodies, sometimes I'll do it without realizing that I'm doing it and I have to write it down.

What do you use to edit?

My phone.

What app?

I've been using CapCut and am starting to play with Edits from Instagram… CapCut is a little bit more established. But I definitely want to play with Edits more.

Do you use AI in your content creation right now?

I used to have to find images for green screen backgrounds on Google, and when I had to do sponsorships and stuff like that, it was hard. But now I'll use ChatGPT. That helps a lot.

Do you use it for idea ideation at all?

Sometimes. I'll have the idea and I just want to see how I can bring it to life. Sometimes it works out and sometimes it doesn't.

What are some of your tips for creating viral content?

It's a little tough because sometimes the videos that you expect to go viral don't, and the ones that you least expect to [go viral] do. I would say not to hold back on being yourself fully. Don't be scared to put your full personality into something. And be consistent.

Do you remember your first video that went viral?

It was a song parody. It wasn't like millions and millions of views, but it was 500,000. I was like, "What is happening? That's huge." It was a song parody and it was during the pandemic when none of the restaurants were open and I really wanted to go out to eat.

I was on a lunch break at my job, and I would film on my lunch break all the time. I would park in this dock where semi trucks would park. I would hide in the corner. And I was thinking of all the food that I wanted to eat. And then I made this little song.

When did you decide to quit that job and do content creation full-time?

Little by little, these bigger brands started approaching. I was at this point where I'm like, should I quit my job? Should I not quit my job? And everybody close to me said, "you're never gonna know if you don't try."

Are those brand deals mostly how you make money on social media? Or do you use other monetization methods?

I do use other monetization. But they are my main source of income. TikTok Creator Fund; Facebook has a payment system. I do the affiliate program on Amazon. I have an LTK shop.

Mashable will be live at the Anaheim Convention Center this week, covering VidCon 2025. Check back in the days ahead at Mashable.com, where we’ll be talking to your favorite creators, covering the latest trends, and sharing how creators are growing their followings, their influence, and making a living online.

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Hurdle hints and answers for September 24, 2025

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If you like playing daily word games like Wordle, then Hurdle is a great game to add to your routine.

There are five rounds to the game. The first round sees you trying to guess the word, with correct, misplaced, and incorrect letters shown in each guess. If you guess the correct answer, it'll take you to the next hurdle, providing the answer to the last hurdle as your first guess. This can give you several clues or none, depending on the words. For the final hurdle, every correct answer from previous hurdles is shown, with correct and misplaced letters clearly shown.

An important note is that the number of times a letter is highlighted from previous guesses does necessarily indicate the number of times that letter appears in the final hurdle.

If you find yourself stuck at any step of today's Hurdle, don't worry! We have you covered.

Hurdle Word 1 hint

To creep around.

Hurdle Word 1 answer

SNEAK

Hurdle Word 2 hint

A long-legged bird.

Hurdle Word 2 Answer

STORK

Hurdle Word 3 hint

To throw.

Hurdle Word 3 answer

CHUCK

Hurdle Word 4 hint

More accurate.

Hurdle Word 4 answer

TRUER

Final Hurdle hint

They show when one smiles.

Hurdle Word 5 answer

TEETH

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

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Five burning questions we have for Alien: Earth Season 2

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This summer, FX's Alien: Earth latched onto my brain like a Facehugger latches onto a new host.

Now, with the release of the show's Season 1 finale, you'd think that Facehugger would drop off and leave me be. You'd be wrong! Instead, the Season 1 finale leaves viewers with some major questions we'll be puzzling over until the show's potential return.

Here are the five biggest questions we have for Alien: Earth Season 2.

What does a Neverland run by hybrids look like?

Season 1 of Alien: Earth ends with the group of hybrids known as the Lost Boys in total control over the Neverland research facility. They've imprisoned Boy Kavalier (Samuel Blenkin), Kirsh (Timothy Olyphant), Morrow (Babou Ceesay), Dame Sylvia (Essie Davis), and Atom Eins (Adrian Edmondson). Now, with the adults out of the way, Wendy (Sydney Chandler) declares it's time for the hybrids to "rule."

But what will their rule entail? Will they stay on Neverland, or will they try to extend their authority to the rest of the world? Will they remain fast allies, or will they turn against one another and go full Lord of the Flies on their new island kingdom?

How will Weyland-Yutani and Alien: Earth's other corporations react to Boy Kavalier's plight?

Sandra Yi Sencindiver in "Alien: Earth."

Sandra Yi Sencindiver in "Alien: Earth."
Credit: Patrick Brown / FX

By the end of Alien: Earth Season 1, Weyland-Yutani is closing in on Neverland in order to take back the specimens Boy Kavalier stole. But will Yutani (Sandra Yi Sencindiver) change tack when she realizes her rival is being held captive? Will she leave the island alone or try to stage a hostile takeover? Perhaps her priorities will change entirely, shifting from trying to capture the alien specimens to trying to perfect Boy Kavalier's revolutionary hybrid tech. Either way, her looming presence does not bode well for the newly independent hybrids.

Weyland-Yutani isn't the only other major corporation on the board in Alien: Earth, though. There are three other corporations we haven't truly met yet: Dynamic, Lynch, and Threshold. Could they be joining the party in Alien: Earth's future?

Don’t miss out on our latest stories: Add Mashable as a trusted news source in Google.

What's next for the loose orchid and eyeball aliens?

While the Xenomorph may be under Wendy's control, there are still several alien threats running wild on the island. In the Season 1 finale, the orchid alien (aka D. Plumbicare) revealed that it could turn into a floating, octopus-like creature and got loose in Neverland. I would not want to be walking around the island with that out there, that's for sure.

But that's not all: Alien: Earth's breakout star, the eyeball alien T. Ocellus, found a new host in the corpse of Arthur Sylvia (David Rysdahl). We've seen T. Ocellus take over a cat corpse and a human body, but now we get to see it go full zombie mode in what might be Alien: Earth's coolest development yet. But what's T. Ocellus's plan while in Arthur's body? Will it try to find a new, stronger host in, say, a hybrid? (And what would that look like?) Will it finally have a conversation with its biggest fan, Boy Kavalier? And how in the world will Dame react when she sees her beloved husband with a massive new eyeball and a burst-open chest? Bring on the zombie shenanigans!

Will the Xenomorph continue serving Wendy, or will it rebel?

Sydney Chandler in "Alien: Earth."

Sydney Chandler in "Alien: Earth."
Credit: Patrick Brown / FX

For now, Wendy and her Xenomorph seem pretty tight. But what happens if the Xenomorph goes through a rebellious teenage phase and decides it doesn't want to serve its human mother figure anymore? Could the hybrids lose their grip on Neverland if the apex predator at their disposal decides to turn on them?

Wendy's Xenomorph also isn't the only Xenomorph on the island. There's also the specimen that burst out of Arthur's chest. As it grows, will it become territorial with Wendy's Xenomorph, or will it join the hybrid-Xeno family and view Wendy as its queen? If so, what are the odds Wendy tries to build a whole Xenomorph army?

How will Alien: Earth tie back to Alien?

The question hanging over any prequel is "how will this tie back to the original?" and with Alien: Earth, that question is especially pressing, given that it takes place two years before the events of Alien. By that point, there are no mentions of hybrid technology, nor are there any mentions of them in the sequels. So what will happen to the hybrids between then and now to render them obsolete? It's a daunting question, but it's one that Alien: Earth will certainly have to contend with as it closes in on the original films.

Alien: Earth is now streaming on Hulu.

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Alien: Earths game-changing ending, explained

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After eight episodes of terrifying new creatures, Alien homages, and existential questions about the future of humanity, Alien: Earth Season 1 has come to a close. And what a close it was.

The finale, titled "The Real Monsters," flips the power dynamic that's been in place for the entire season. By the end of the episode, the hybrid Lost Boys, led by Wendy (Sydney Chandler), have gained total control over their keepers, including Boy Kavalier (Samuel Blenkin) and Dame Sylvia (Essie Davis). This power shift has been in the cards since Alien: Earth's first episode, but how do we get here? Let's break it down.

Alien: Earth's hybrids finally realize how strong they are.

Alex Lawther, Sydney Chandler, and Lily Newmark in "Alien: Earth."

Alex Lawther, Sydney Chandler, and Lily Newmark in "Alien: Earth."
Credit: Patrick Brown / FX

From the first moment Alien: Earth introduces Wendy in her super-strong, super-fast, super-durable hybrid body, it's clear that she and her fellow Lost Boys could absolutely wreck Prodigy's Neverland security team if they wanted to. That idea doesn't cross their minds, though. Instead, the Lost Boys are still children in consciousness, and they believe Neverland to be a safe paradise for them.

However, this idea erodes over the course of Alien: Earth's first season, as the Lost Boys lose confidence in the people they've been told to trust. They're endangered and experimented on. Nibs' (Lily Newmark) traumatic memories were manipulated. Isaac (Kit Young) died while tending to the alien specimens. Morrow (Babou Ceesay) threatened to kill Slightly's (Adarsh Gourav) family. Each horrifying incident wears away at the Lost Boys' childlike innocence, turning the idyllic Neverland into a hell on Earth.

Ironically, these incidents only increase the Lost Boys' feelings of powerlessness, even though they're the most powerful beings on Prodigy's remote island. But it's also in one of those scenes of powerlessness — when Prodigy forces corner Nibs, Wendy, and her brother Joe aka Hermit (Alex Lawther) on their escape boat in episode 7 — that the Lost Boys begin to realize their power. Nibs fully rips a soldier's jaw off, leaving Hermit to shoot (but not kill) her. Here, a horrified Wendy learns two things. First: Humans, including her brother, are terrified of the hybrids. Second: They have good reason to be. The hybrids are extremely dangerous. So why not embrace that?

That's the realization Wendy comes to in Alien: Earth's Season 1 finale. "All this time, we've been afraid of them," she tells the Lost Boys as they sit trapped in a Neverland cage. "But I think they should be afraid of us."

The Peter Pan allegories come to a head in the Alien: Earth Season 1 finale.

Sydney Chandler and Alex Lawther in "Alien: Earth."

Sydney Chandler and Alex Lawther in "Alien: Earth."
Credit: Patrick Brown/FX

Embracing the Neverland staffers' fear of them is the final stage in the Lost Boys' loss of their childish innocence. Or, in terms of Boy Kavalier's relentless Peter Pan references, this is them finally "growing up." However, that's exactly what the Prodigy founder and the rest of Neverland don't want to happen. As Wendy puts it, "We're all in this cell because we can't be kids anymore, but they won't let us be adults."

Nibs has another suggestion for what they are, one that's especially fitting after seeing the graves of their dead human bodies. "We're all ghosts," she says.

So what do these ghosts do? They turn Neverland into a haunted house, with Wendy using her in-built connection to the facility to manipulate video feeds, elevators, and doors to terrify every last soldier and scientist. Of course, having a Xenomorph at your beck and call helps too.

The entire episode serves as both a liberation for the Lost Boys and an identity crisis for Wendy, otherwise known by her human name, Marcy. She tells her brother, "I don't know what I am. I'm not a child. I'm not a grown-up. I'm not Marcy. I'm not Wendy. And I can't be what everyone wants me to be."

(Earlier in the season, Joe even questions whether Wendy truly holds his sister's consciousness, yet another blow to one of the pillars of Wendy's identity.)

Wendy's statement reflects the binaries in the world of Alien: Earth. Child and adult. Human and synthetic. Hybrids exist somewhere in between, blurring boundaries and creating a new kind of personhood. Wendy and the Lost Boys have spent the entire series having not just new names but entirely new identities imposed on them by exterior forces. Now, they get to make their own. Fellow hybrid Curly (Erana James) embraces her former name, Jane, as Wendy reminds each of the Lost Boys of theirs — a move the late Isaac, formerly Tootles, only enjoyed for an afternoon.

Wendy's identity crisis also explains her affinity for the Maginot aliens, whom she considers "honest." These creatures are wholly themselves, unlike liars such as Boy Kavalier. As Wendy points out, he considers himself Peter Pan, but he was never truly a boy. He was always a "mean, angry little man," just like his abusive father. Ouch. I'm not sure he'll be picking up a copy of Peter Pan any time soon after that.

"Now we rule."

Sydney Chandler in "Alien: Earth."

Sydney Chandler in "Alien: Earth."
Credit: Patrick Brown / FX

"The Real Monsters" ends with Wendy and the Lost Boys holding all of the authority figures in their lives hostage in the same cage they were formerly incarcerated in, prompting Wendy's declaration that, "now, we rule." Even Kirsh (Timothy Olyphant), their Prodigy synth senior, and Morrow, their cyborg antagonist, now answer to them.

The hybrids finally taking control is undoubtedly worthy of Alien: Earth's last hard-rocking needle drop. But it's certainly not the end of the Lost Boys' story. After all, the Weyland-Yutani forces are still encroaching on the island with numerous Prodigy forces still left, hinting at more conflict ahead. Plus, the alien orchid is loose, and T. Ocellus has found a new host in the chestburst corpse of Arthur Sylvia (David Rysdahl). That's a lot of threats for these still-young hybrids to deal with. How will they be able to fight off their enemies and learn how to rule their island?

That question of what it will look like for hybrids to "rule" hints at an intriguing new literary reference point for a possible Alien: Earth Season 2. If Season 1 was the Lost Boys growing up in the style of Peter Pan, then Season 2 might just see them learning to survive on an island in the vein of Lord of the Flies. With that in mind, who's Piggy, who's Ralph, and will the Xenomorph's head somehow wind up on the end of a pointy stick?

Alien: Earth is now streaming on Hulu.

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