Property’s Morning Obsession: Slice-of-Life Video of Kensington in 1982, Starring Philadelphia Accents

This is a really depressing video (and good morning to you!) that’s nonetheless mesmerizing. A California filmmaker follows around a bunch of teenagers in Kensington in 1982. Some kids are profoundly stupid, racist and misogynistic; others almost have some charm, and you wonder if they ever got out. The area was severely disadvantaged at the time, more so than it is now. At one point, the filmmaker drives through a part of Kensington that is so lost and abandoned, I can’t believe it’s Philly. And that’s saying something.

At one point, there’s a cop car spotted, which one teen assumes means someone is getting a ticket. Not so. “Double-parked having coffee,” says another kid. “Philadelphia Police.” Then: “Philly’s finest. Rizzo’s Raiders.” As a slice of life from that time period, it’s completely fascinating. But if you plan to watch at work, wear headphones: There’s profanity–and skin-searing Philadelphia accents.

Kensington in 1982, as a VHS fever dream [Naked City/CP]