September 25, 2017
'South SillyCAM'/YouTube
Hardena on Hicks Street, as featured in the newest episode of 'South SillyCAM.'
Where can you find a delicious Indonesian restaurant, advice on how to wear a muumuu and a band playing in a bathroom?
Only in the Silly!
Silly is short for South Silly, the private Facebook group with more than 7,000 members that serves as an open forum for residents of South Philadelphia. It's where pasta memes are posted, personal gripes are drawn out in the comments and residents give each other a heads-up on events, free stuff left on curbs and other goings-on.
The popular group has spawned its own television show: "South SillyCAM." It attempts to capture greater South Philly's inherent weirdness, mixing the interesting with the absurd.
In episode four (labeled three, but the first episode was "zero"), released Monday, viewers get a cooking lesson from Maylia of recently renovated Hardena, some rather Silly style tips and a performance from Hannah Taylor and the Rekardo Lee Trio.
Sam Weinrott, one of the administrators for South Silly, produces and directs "South SillyCAM," which is on YouTube and also airs on Philadelphia Community Access Media. We caught up with Weinrott to find out more about the series.
So, what is 'South SillyCAM'?
Weinrott: 'South SillyCAM' is a webseries highlighting local personalities – each episode features an animation, two segments on varying topics and a musical guest.
How many episodes have you done, and how many are you planning on doing?
We've done four so far – we name the episodes for the cross streets on Broad heading south from South Street, so there could potentially be as many as 40 if there's enough interest. Episode 39 would be FDR, if we get there.
Generally speaking, what about South Philly does this show display?
The show offers a look at all the silly people down here and what they do! A lot happens every day in the neighborhood, so we try to capture a small slice in every episode.
The style of the show seems to mix being informative with being (appropriately) silly. Is that kind of what you're going for?
We're definitely going for silly and occasionally for informative. The show may eventually turn fiction, once we've introduced enough characters – we've got some (predictably) pretty silly plot ideas!
Anything else you want to add?
Stay silly, Philly!
