Cory Kennedy: The Internet's First It-Girl and Muse of Indie Sleaze

[@FinalGirlStudios]

Thank you for watching! Click here sbird.co/48UjNYD and use my code FINALGIRL to get 55% OFF your first month at Scentbird. What’s your favorite fragrance? Comment below!

[@ripwednesdayadams]

my riddle oil. but omg can’t believe you did a cory kennedy video. i was obsessed with her back in the day. i thought she was the coolest girl in the world. this channel has been my favorite for a minute and i love it more with each upload. 💕

[@OnsenDreamscapes]

Hey! Can you tell me who the woman you show at 9:15 is? I met her once at the peninsula BH and she was really nice but I never figured out who she was. Enjoying your videos!

[@JO-vc3zh]

This is actually really sad and disturbing: all these adults taking photos of this young girl and supplying her with drugs and alcohol and hanging out with her 🥴

[@SBBunny93]

America! Lol 😂 but seriously this happens everyday.

[@linanumber9]

Modeling

[@LoveK1]

@@SBBunny93girl, this happens all over. Not just in America, kids start smoking and drinking young in Europe and South America.

[@SBBunny93]

@@LoveK1 lol it was a joke love. I am fully aware this is a global issue lol.

[@dianalufuko]

It's everywhere the same... I start partying and drinking at 13... I'm from Belgium 🤷🏽‍♀️

[@Tenderheartedclub]

I handmade a shirt when I was 14 that said “Cory Kennedy is my hero”. She was THE ICON of the indie sleaze era, and it’s all because of “vibe”. They gave her a column in NYLON, and it was all through her club connections. She really fits into the sad girl obsession our culture has - an Ophelia. It’s wild to think that Effy of of UK Skins and her are TWO DIFFERENT PEOPLE

[@bubbles4897]

No offense but that’s you making that shirt was so pathetic

[@clivematthews95]

I’m just happy she made it out of that era. She deserves to have a life, and to not be a tragedy. I’m so happy drugs never ruined her life. I think her parents really came through for her. The whole time I was watching this, I was anxious, fearing that she might end up like so many who “fame chose them, they didn’t choose fame”. She’s still with us, I’m so happy about that, and she’s still herself, that’s awesome. Live your life, Ms. Cory Kennedy ❤

[@havingfunisnthard]

Her parents let her date a predator… they absolutely did not come through for her.

[@KatAdVictoriam]

Her and Peaches Geldoff were really close and seeing what happened to Peaches, I always expected Cory to go that same route. I am also so glad to see she made it through. So many people don't.

[@clivematthews95]

@@KatAdVictoriam so so many do, it’s really tragic 😔

[@fionah5613]

I'd never heard of her, but her style definitely reminds me of Peaches Geldof

[@berby2068]

Damn her parents were idiots lol letting your sixteen year old hang out with Vince Gallo 😅

[@please_im_a_staaar]

Or date the photographer guy when he was in his 20's and she was underaged. I don't think asking permission from parents changes anything. He was just a responsible predator.

[@sleepysartorialist]

No they were normal. She was of age to be mildly neglected at the time it was normal for the TV to play a reminder that you should know where your kids are at 10pm. Things were different and information moved very slowly.

[@berby2068]

@@sleepysartorialist what? Dude I was alive in 2005 lol it wasn’t 1985 when those “do you know where your children are” ads were famous. Younger boomer/older Gen X parents have been notoriously ripped for being helicopter parents. And even in the 60s and 70s it would have been bizarre to let your teenaged daughter hang out with notorious creeps in the Hollywood or NYC club scene. That would be pure negligence in any era. You have no idea what you’re talking about.

[@berby2068]

@@please_im_a_staaar the worst part is that they drugged and institutionalized her under the guise of being concerned about her but then simultaneously let her party with grown men. Terrible parenting in every regard.

[@2okaycola]

WHAT

[@Domhalldc]

the real effy stonem

[@Li_Tobler]

Honestly her mannerisms and overall dreaminess are giving Cassie to me

[@kiwi659]

I could see that ​@@Li_Tobler

[@aliciagonzalez8088]

@@Li_Tobler1000%

[@khplaylistyt9729]

Without the fashion sense

[@jayceannapalmer3841]

Fact!

[@havingfunisnthard]

Five year age gap is still grooming at that age. Speaking as someone who dated someone five years older than me when I was a teen because I was ‘mature’ and my parents liked the guy. It took twelve years to realize what it was and how it impacted my life. Hope Cory is doing okay.

[@havingfunisnthard]

It makes me upset to hear her parents allowed her to date a predator while simultaneously calling her a child. This should not be normal, folks.

[@LGrian]

@@havingfunisnthardto a 50 year old a 21 year old is still a kid, and when they were growing up a teenager and a 20-21 year old dating or even marrying was common. Frankly the bigger issue I take is in the power disparity. He already had celebrity when he “discovered” her. I don’t think the parents really realized the extent of that. I agree that age gap is almost never appropriate in this day and age, but the sharp developmental difference between a 17 and 20 year old is more a product of society than biology. Current science suggests 18-21 year old’s pre frontal cortex is much more similar to younger teens than to someone further into their 20s… so should we also take issue with a 21 and 26 year old dating? I’d argue yes, especially if that 21 year old hasn’t lived alone as an adult yet. On other hand, I think a 17 and 21 year old both in college can be appropriate. Sorry for the tangent but I really feel the age gap issue is just more complicated and gray than people want to make it out to be, and that the fixation on the age issue can cause us to overlook other problematic power and abuse dynamics

[@havingfunisnthard]

@@LGrian unless you’re speaking from experience as the younger person in these scenarios, your POV is completely irrelevant. I was 17 and still in high school while my groomer was a college graduate. It crippled my development and I went on to date significantly older folks, thinking it was fine and that I was ‘mature’ for my age. I wasn’t. The amount of growing one does within those years should not be overlooked, regardless of schooling. And just because something has been historically acceptable does not make it right, OBVIOUSLY. 21 and 26 is fine (although personally I don’t like dating anyone more than a couple years younger/older because we have more in common) Parents need to do a better job at protecting their girls. One should always assume the older man has predatory intentions. There are a lot of wolves out there.

[@humanbean7884]

​@@havingfunisnthard yeah it's not just a "prefrontal-cortex" thing. Even if college graduate in his early 20's has a brainstructure more similar to 17-year olds than 26-year olds (and thus decision making capabilities), they still have a strong upper hand through life-experiences Sorry to hear your experience left you with trauma. Have you ever confronted your groomer and parents about it or is that something you don't feel a need to? I'm curious how Corry now sees her relationship with her groomer, as she still has contact with him, but also questions that phase in her life.

[@belalugosisdead4444]

​@@humanbean7884 21 year olds are closer to 26 year olds in terms of brain development than to 17 year olds. 17 year olds are in a completely different stage and children compared to people 20+.

[@architectsneedunions]

She really was like a real-life version of Effy Stonem. I wonder how much of her vibe influenced the fetishization of depression later on tumblr. Glad she made it through and is living her life now!

[@illiatiia]

Depression has been "beautiful" at least since Marilyn Monroe. It's just a think humans like, ig.

[@RED-my9hl]

​@illiatiia not really, in marilyn's era, she didn't stand out more than other actresses like grace kelly, she only became really famous decades after she died

[@allice1643]

​@@RED-my9hl not rly. Her death was glamorized (suiciide) and when she died women literally sobbed in grocery stores, homes, work etc.. she was big already

[@frillylily8005]

@@allice1643 Her death was glamorized but not her depression. Still not good. When Marlyn was alive many fans of different celebrity’s toke it to heart when there fave celebrity died. Marlyn was pretty famous but only became really insanely famous after death. Elizabeth Taylor is the bigger star. Marilyn Monroe is the bigger icon. James Dean was also Famous.

[@wildrayy]

Cory Kennedy was my everything when I was a teenager 😭 she is often overlooked, so happy you’re covering her!

[@maryvladimirovna1246]

But… why?

[@Flaubert]

She is like a shadow of time

[@aliameagan7240]

She sucked. You shouldn’t have looked up to her.

[@littlemy1773]

@@maryvladimirovna1246ikr some people need help 😂

[@Maialeen]

@maryvladimirovna1246 Because. Why is Kylie Jenner interesting to so many in today's generation? She has even less to offer. The answer is just because.

[@rachellydiab]

I had no idea she was only 16 during the period of time she was heavily photographed and interviewed! Her whole story is such a bizarre phenomenon that feels like it just couldn’t happen today because people are trying too hard to MAKE it happen.

[@FinalGirlStudios]

Yeah it’s so strange to think that her and Julia Fox are the same age, but they will be associated as it-girls of two completely different eras! Also omg hi I love ur channel 🫶🏻

[@rachellydiab]

@@FinalGirlStudios they totally do, that’s such a good point! And hiiiii ❤️ the feeling is more than mutual!

[@rowanjoy419]

I think is because nowadays we know how harmful to make a teen famous, so if someone wants to be next it girl, has to be at least 18, or look older, also have a good support system, Billie Eilish comes to mind.

[@Marsfromthestars101]

@@rowanjoy419billie’s it girl era started when she was under the age of 18

[@rowanjoy419]

@@Marsfromthestars101 I know, that is why I said looking older. Many were surprise that she was 16 when she become famous.

[@JessicaN555]

16 and 21 is NOT ok. I was 15 dating a 21-year-old, and looking back it was definitely grooming. Grateful my parents put a stop to it when they found out.

[@nos4me]

Wtf some people have no shame

[@JaVi-wf1gl]

I was 16 dating 24 yo. My parents loved him. Now 25 years later , he was the best relationship. Though this was also in Europe.. it’s just different there.

[@ActuallyAnanya]

​@@JaVi-wf1glI honestly feel bad for you if your self-proclaimed "best relationship" is the one where an adult predated on you while you were a child (whether you see it as that or not, that is the fact). Tell me, when you were 24, were you seeking out 16 year olds to date? Can you tell me at what age you feel it is suddenly inappropriate for an adult to pursue a child (with parental consent even)? 15? 13? 10? Should I keep going? Also, as someone from "Europe" (what a vague usage of the word btw), it's not "different" here. Predators are predators everywhere and sane people will judge them.

[@kittenface8577]

Eh,there are too many variables to make that kind of statement. I've known people who were 16 and 21 and were married for a long time. Back about a century ago,16 years old,you were an adult.

[@anonymmynona8219]

@@kittenface8577yeah no shit, because underaged girls have always been preyed on, our entire culture still supports it to this day

[@t4ngy]

Her story reminded me a lot of Drew Barrymore's story, as she grew up partying and getting drunk with full-grown adults while she was 12/13. She smoked a lot too and got emancipated at 16. In the 90s Drew was sort of an icon as well, for being the "wild child", doing a lot of "crazy" stuff, and having a very unique style for that time.

[@shaimonaster1080]

Cory wasn’t the only teen that mark dated. I was at some of the shows and parties he would be at and he was always hitting on young teens, around the age of Cory when he met her. These were also shows and parties with tons of other men who loved to date teens.

[@Ebathora]

i met mark last year and he gives off the vibe. still hanging around, still hitting on girls who look barely legal

[@janicechrist666]

yeah i highly doubt he "asked for parental permission" for corey and the other "interns." that's just a line to cover his own ass, i'd bet money on it. dude's a certified creep

[@roxassora2706]

Ew.

[@Maialeen]

I wouldn't call what these gross men do, "dating"

[@tessaelto1472]

Yup, that's the indie/hipster/punk scene for ya

[@AlinaRostova]

I absolutely obsessed over her, but to know about her you had to be approximately the same age, and also hang out in the part of the internet where emotionally fragile teenage girls at the time made eating disorders and emo/indie bands their entire personality lol! No shade, this was my entire friend group 😂

[@fragilecadaver]

this is true TT TT I was like wow! no way she didn't hear about her before but then I had to remind myself what parts of the internet I was focused on at the time xD

[@indiefairy09]

i wasnt even on the internet like that in the early 2000s but i read nylon and every indie music magazine out there so she came across my radar and i was obsessed. it was truly a sub culture! my youtube name is even a reflection of that. i stiill havent updated it

[@seroquelchamber]

kind of shaped my entire personality into adulthood im not going to lie lol. kinda uh, unfortunate...

[@apseudonym]

she was my original thinspo

[@bunnycat4153]

I love this explanation because I feel like I lived a life that was vaguely similar to hers (like I was one of the 20-somethings at similar parties and I also had my photo plastered all over countless party photog sites) and yet I was today years old when I first learned about this girl. It makes so much sense to hear that she was really only niche to her actual peers! Thanks so much for sharing your perspective!

[@CoastGhost156]

You are being far too kind to Marc. 20 and 15 is seriously f*****d up

[@brendamoon2660]

I'm always amazed how some men get prison and some men get a pass

[@Manuelitoohnovideos]

Not to weird I was 21 and my kids mom was 16 when we first met but then again Nevada legal law is 16 not 18

[@rayanneflorence1830]

Me at first: Mark seems like a good guy he didn’t want to bring teens into the party scene without parental permission “Mark and Corey started dating in 2006” Me: ohhhhhh

[@maryvladimirovna1246]

💯💯💯

[@Lovedlittledove]

Met him as a teen at a photo shoot right after he and Cory broke up. He was super nice. Was he friendly because he’s a decent guy or was he creeping on me as an underage model. Hollywood warps your mind- at the time I thought it was fine.

[@redbluebae4397]

Yes! Watch the language and tiptoeing that is used around these predators

[@redbluebae4397]

@@Lovedlittledovesuch a cesspool ofc pedos

[@Noitsbeckyy13]

Yeah their relationship even before dating always felt creepy to me.

[@bunnywavyxx9524]

Everyone sees Cory Kennedy as this icon but all she saw it was drugs and drinking plus celebrities and influencers of the time. I gotta applaud her for capturing the interest of so many high-profile people and teens alike when she never even felt like a celebrity. She was just the center of era, but apart of the wave like everyone else nonetheless. She is beautiful but normal-looking. What I think stands out that fits the time? The sanpaku eyes, gives a faraway, unaware look, dark hair, obviously skinny, and pale skin. The girl next door is normal-looking but there's something people that makes her standout. She probably felt just like a crazy teen with too little supervision then. It could've been anyone, it just happened to be her.

[@AvecPoesie]

I am very close in age to Cory Kennedy. I was a subscriber of Nylon Magazine, Teen Vogue, and Paper Magazine, too, in addition to the more mainstream fashion magazines. I learned of Cory Kennedy and kept up with her as best as one could in the pre-social media era. I was a teen girl watching Sofia Coppola films an inordinate number of times, over and over again. I was afflicted with severe, Clinical Depression, PTSD, Complex Grief, and an Eating Disorder. I was the target audience for the Cory Kennedy part of the internet and print. When I moved to NYC in September 2007 to study acting, a lot of that Indie-coolness was still prevalent. I became turned off from that judgemental realm of parties in a major city VERY quickly due to personal experiences. The environments I had fantasized about being in as an impressionable teenage girl sitting at our Home computer envisioning a cooler, more fun, and exciting Life from the quiet suburb I wanted to break free of turned out to be places where Trauma and discrimination thrived. It is evident Cory endured quite a lot with her Depression and drinking. I sincerely hope that she is well. I, too, have recently purchased my first Home in a lovely, peaceful, idyllic suburb, FAR AWAY from the toxicity I had known and endured during my teens and twenties. How interesting that Cory Kennedy is still profoundly relatable. 🖤

[@BrooklynBaby100]

All of the above. 👆 same. I was in NYC around the same time. I miss it sometimes. It was a time, not the most happiest but the most chaotic and interesting in a wild way.

[@xoliyah6553]

i hope this isn’t offensive to you in any way but i am SO envious of your upbringing. to be able to even witness the early days of the internet at its most authentic stage and to see fashion trends bloom before the constant tiktok micro trends..man.

[@bubbles4897]

@@xoliyah6553the grass isn’t greener

[@haute03]

@@bubbles4897 This. Also, I feel like the younger gen always idolizes/romanticizes the time period that the previous gen lived through as teens/young adults.

[@fidgetykoala]

​@@xoliyah6553craps were still around, just we weren't able to broadcast every second of our life. One thing for sure it's that specific party vibe it's not longer available. I think up until 2016 was still going on, just now everything looks bleak.

[@neonvisuals]

it's weird to realize that since that time, we were no longer looking up to the adults, we were looking up to other teenagers. and they were going through all that shit, just like we were.

[@bunnywavyxx9524]

perfectly put.

[@naufrage0]

So true

[@izzapartier9068]

I remember everyone wanting to emulate her effortless look + CobraSnake kind of party photos. It was giving Skins.

[@americameza8450]

Im 19 right now and something about her captivated people in ways I don’t think anyone has since. She was mysterious but everywhere. She was popular but kept to herself. You gotta give her credit she did something influencers now Can only dream of

[@bubbles4897]

Those photos were taken when she was inebriated. Y’all are romanticizing a 16 year old girl getting drunk and high and people taking pics of that. there’s nothing cool about this

[@bunnywavyxx9524]

@@bubbles4897 exactly. she herself talked about how she never felt like a celebrity. i gotta give it to her though, all these celebs and influential people were interested in high when all she saw it as getting high and drunk as a teen which wasnt uncommon. she just got the elevated status of it through people.

[@americameza8450]

@@bubbles4897 she was 16. I’m sorry but a 16 year old getting high and drunk and going to parties isn’t out of the ordinary. I didn’t like her grown man boyfriend though he was a creep but other than that she was a cool party girl who really made a name for herself

[@SidVacant69]

It's because she gave girl next door vibes except with party flair. It's not that deep

[@americameza8450]

@@SidVacant69 it is that deep if she was just that and was still able to be in magazines, fashion shows, meet and party with celebrities.

[@jenniferch3ck]

It creeps me out to see people commenting that they "couldnt take their eyes off her"... Shes a teenager and i bet these people were adults. Not okay.

[@shaunasugar]

She had the manic pixie dream girl essence. I’m almost positive that’s what drew people to her.

[@bubbles4897]

Can we stop “manic pixie dream girling” ACTUAL people lol?

[@t4ngy]

I agree, considering that we didn't have social media like today and she was so young, people probably saw her as this one-dimensional mysterious girl, who they would see partying hard and then "disappearing" for days, just to reappear in a magazine cover or something. She had a very unique style for that time period, which made her stand out also.

[@inescastro2780]

Honestly it’s just because she is effortlessly very pretty

[@RED-my9hl]

​@@bubbles4897 tell it louder

[@rossrreyes]

I was 25 & was shot a few times by the cobra snake at mid 2000’s LA underground events, not sure if I met Cory or not because there were dozens of girls that look exactly like her. Back then it wasn’t hard for underage kids to get into these indie events. It really was a glorious time to be young and crazy in Los Angeles back then

[@estefaniaboujon6830]

Im also from that time and never heard of her

[@bubbles4897]

So you’re like 40 now or something?

[@AsSeenOnTV0893]

Real life Effy Stonem. I caught the end of this era just as MySpace was fading out for Facebook and, good lord, media was so gruesome to teenage girls. Building them up just to tear them to shreds after a year or two. She's 100% right about the current set of teens looking back at this time period and wanting genuine connection outside of apps. It was messy af, but at least we all got to be young, free, and stupid with relative privacy compared to now. All those real candid moments on digital camera SD cards or to time on T-Mobile Sidekicks, where now it seems like people are ALWAYS recording, always ready to report something back to some app - so the care-free fun and spontaneity are harder to come by. Great video!

[@chrishenniker5944]

Lo-Fi is where it’s at. I heard that Northern Soul clubs are getting more popular, kids are crate digging for nineties underground electronic music, cassettes are becoming more popular in the dungeon synth genre.

[@hyperfeminal]

Omg I was obsessed with her as a teenager! I have so many Nylon magazines from that era in my mom’s house lol, I need to dig them out. So happy she’s healthy and thriving now 💚 she deserves that bucolic life she’s going for

[@asdjklasdjkl105]

Would totally see a video of you going through them!

[@CharmsCl0set]

Make a video

[@anthonypc-248]

Pretty risky for parents to let a particularly vulnerable depressive teen daughter spend her time in the fashion scene without their supervision. I suppose it's hypothetically possible for a kid to not be exposed to drugs, toxic body shame and eating disorders, or sexually exploited... but that's an irresponsibly naive gamble to take with their child's wellbeing.

[@d0ttiej]

"Childlike face" BECAUSE SHE WAS A CHILD!!!!!

[@_bebeboudeur_]

exactly!!

[@8877dksljfa]

THIS IS UNREAL I LITERALLY HADNT THOUGHT ABOUT HER IN OVER A DECADE UNTIL YESTERDAY WHEN I REMEMBERED AND WENT ON A DEEP DIVE GOOGLING 'NYC IT GIRL INDIAN FOOD COBRASNAKE' TRYING TO FIND HER. I HAVE BEEN BINGE WATCHING YOUR VIDEOS ALL WEEK AND NOW WE ARE CONNECTED BY THE BRAINSTEM OH MY GOD THIS IS SO WEIRD.

[@spacebar9733]

Manifested 🫶🏾

[@jordanqualls97]

i love this 😂

[@lilmonsta6701]

Omgawddd, I remember this girly! If you were born between 1980 - 1994 the internet was our bffl at one point. Forums, AIM, MySpace, Mucospacre etc. Thanks for these throwback back videos

[@longlivebeans]

I remember those days lol I wasn’t an indie sleaze girl but I hung around a lot of them & Cory was all the rage. They were all running around dressing like her & all the boys wanted to date her & it’s kind of a fever dream looking back. As an adult though I’m kinda weirded out by how they let that old guy start dating her. I wouldn’t give my consent if that were my kid.

[@bubbles4897]

A 20 year old is not old lmaooooo Yes they shouldn’t have been dating, but referring to him as an “old guy” is so 💀

[@user-et7og2wr9q]

i gasped when u said caterpillars instead of capillaries

[@FinalGirlStudios]

Oops lol

[@em84c]

😂

[@panikiczcock2891]

I've never heard about her. This era reminds me of scene girls and the later indie years of Alexa Chung, Aggyness Deyn and Charlotte Free.

[@alexhauser5043]

Because she's a manufactured, retrospective celebrity. Her 'legacy' is as unreal as seapunk's.

[@cultivatepod]

Yes! I remember when Alexa and Agyness were everywhere, too. Also: Sky Ferriera, Devon Aoki, and the MisShapes!

[@hammylammy2832]

Not the caterpillars lmao

[@milaces1323]

It's bizarre to think that today this lovely but ultimately normal looking young girl wouldn't become this internet famous because she doesn't look like a Bratz doll.

[@mimiloforte]

honestly, the fact that she was so normal "girl next door" was part of her appeal The way she acted, the people she hung out with and her style were the main thing. The girls could see themselves in Cory and the boys could see themselves getting a girl like Cory.

[@gtg488w]

Ok but that look wasn’t popular then. She looks like the prototype for what was popular then

[@jumpdumppyy]

But she was white, skinny and young w huge eyes too, that was the unattainable vibe.

[@LoveMyUnusual]

She gives me a Shelley Duvall vibe.

[@Elhastezy888]

🎯​@@LoveMyUnusual

[@aiver.a]

I wish someone would had told me at that time that this was the last era to be present in the moment. It was a short lived era, but I'm glad I got to experience it

[@sagewowomg]

I’ve never heard of her until now, also because I was too young during the height of her fame. Cory reminds me so much of Alana Champion though (and that whole crew she hung out with in her teens) to the point where I wonder if Alana was ever inspired by her and her style. It’s making me realize that Cory paved the way for a lot of people’s personal style/brands which is crazy considering she was just a completely non-famous teen partly inspiring a whole era of nepotism babies lol.

[@RainbowHarmony]

THIS

[@imcaradelucia]

Was waiting for this one, there used to be a ton of old videos of her on KZbin when she worked for nylon , they were scrubbed from the internet about a year or two ago!

[@FinalGirlStudios]

Damn I wish they were still up it was so hard to find any videos of her!

[@okaythanksmaria]

ooooh i wonder if they are on the Internet Archive???

[@indiefairy09]

Booo! I want to see those videos. I've followed her on IG for years but she doesnt post at all. Cory Kennedy had me in a chokehold in high school ever since I read about her in teen vouge. indie sleaze. what an era!

[@bunnywavyxx9524]

she wants to put it all behind her. not a glorious time to her.

[@khplaylistyt9729]

Why

[@newdecada]

"her child like face" it was a child's face

[@StopThatSquirrel]

I remember logging onto The Cobrasnake every single day of 8th grade computer lab homeroom just to see where everyone was partying in LA the night before. And yes, for whatever reason, Cory's photos really did stand out. Now I actually live in LA and go to parties he photographs. This whole era was so aspirational that I literally made it my life lmao

[@heatherowl]

How does it feel now?

[@StopThatSquirrel]

@@heatherowl Honestly LA has lost a lot of its cool factor compared to back then. Once influencer culture took over around 2017 it made the whole city feel way more inauthentic. The indie scene doesn't really exist today in the way that it did then :(

[@chloe41120]

Never heard of her. Im from that era too and guess she went outside my radar. My internet girlies were the scene queens, tila tequila, etc

[@Pinkladyisv]

Same here. I was also into this sort of this thing but this name is unfamiliar with me.

[@eiephants]

It's because they are in different scenes (no pun intended). The internet, even in its early days, had so many fragmented subgroups that it's easy to not know of ones existence.

[@sylasgirl]

I remember this very well. As an early ‘influencer’ around this time, I was deep in the fashion industry and Cory was everywhere. There were other girls around at the same time too like Leigh Lezark. The Cobrasnake was a MUST visit for fashion inspiration for the editorials at the time.

[@liliesofthefieldyt]

This video reminded me that I totally forgot that Cory Kennedy even existed, and now your comment reminds me that I TOTALLY FORGOT THAT LEIGH LEZARK EVEN EXISTED. They were all going for the underaged vintage-inspired/club kid/heroin chic vibe.

[@haute03]

Facts. As someone who was so into fashion back then, this comment really resonates. Also, Leigh! My gosh, I haven't thought about her in ages.

[@JiixBooks]

This is always so fascinating bc back then Germany had their own internet social platforms that have all died due to Facebook and Instagram taking over the world

[@NB-lx6gz]

Same was in Hungary with MyVip and iwiw.

[@bunnycat4153]

I love how much this story about her took me back to my own experiences with that era! That is definitely one of the very few times of my life that I would go back to in a heartbeat, if given the opportunity! That was basically the last run of real fun that happened right before alcohol took almost all of my friends’ lives. She’s very lucky she got out when she did… and so I wish her all the best with her quiet life in Connecticut because that sounds like a truly lovely existence to me!

[@PenelopeSnowe]

14:40 Sky Ferreira! I love her. She was like my Roman Empire when I was like 14 and on MySpace.

[@_bebeboudeur_]

and she's finally free from her contract and releasing new music i think!

[@cultivatepod]

I remember when the Waffles Girls Twitter account would always have her in their photo shoots! Those were the days.

[@PenelopeSnowe]

@@cultivatepod Waffles Girls! “Waffles girls don’t die. We multiply.” Lmao I thought it was a fever dream and tried to look that up a couple of weeks ago. I don’t even think I found anything lol. What a time.

[@KatAdVictoriam]

If you were on MySpace in 2007-2011 you definitely knew who Cory was. I remember fan pages of this girl and she was definitely the trend setter at the time for anyone into "Indie" scene and NY music and style and such for girls around that age group. I can remember seeing her street interviews and how she suddenly blew up and that she was still in HS and getting into the clubs and it's gross. Indie Sleaze indeed. My experience of that time, I was in my early 20s already but she definitely gave style inspiration at the time. Seeing this video of her -- wow. Nostalgia and flashback!

[@_milkysoup]

I’m six minutes in but this is extremely uncomfortable to watch because Mark’s words are being taken as fact as if he’s not a groomer? Saying “he caved” to their demand to intern and “it was uncomfortable” to bring underaged girls to parties when HE initiated the contact??? And he dated her?? He wanted it and be was not uncomfortable OBVIOUSLY what the hell

[@sunnyday6680]

I lived in the East Village in NYC during the Indie Sleaze era and I worked in fashion so I was at many parties where Cory and Mark Hunter were present. The Beatrice Inn and Pianos come to mind as some hot spots. LOL. I was snapped by Mark for the Cobrasnake a few times and let me tell you how THRILLING that was. Haha. It was like BETTER than Instagram back then. 😂 Cory was the coolest and everyone including me wanted to be her. That’s what made her an It girl.

[@avablue1]

Cory Kennedy was definitely an online staple of the early 2000’s. Cobra Snake always gave a sleezy vibe.

[@okaythanksmaria]

mmmm LOVE the indie sleaze era. thanks for this

[@CamiDL29-mh1xx]

Even if she wasn't very well known and I only know her just by this video, Cory Kennedy still leaves an impact on fashion and influencer culture. For her aesthetic, enigma, and intrigue were the star factor and that she wasn't a ideal glamorized version of what a celebrity would look like. She paved the way for the persona of the "internet muse" because "celebrity" is reserved for the rich and famous, the people who perform and entertain. But she inspires the things around her and people as well. And like a true muse, she disappeared and became a "real" person for herself that inspires herself.

[@bosheepsheep]

I can't tell you how excited I was when I saw this. It's so crazy how little coverage is only the early ots indie/ scene/ emo kids. I want to see a movie with this time and fashion in mind. Anyway! This brought back so many memories of my teen years❤ thanks!😊

[@imdoneplus]

It’s easy to forget how ever present photographers were in the hipster social media environment. There’s a Cobrasnake picture of my dj partner and I somewhere. If I remember correctly it was a lesbian night at this club and they announced he was going to be there on the flyer. I miss randomly driving to Chicago in the middle of the week, getting back home at 2-3am and waking up at 8am to work by 10am, and maybe do it all again.

[@prettiestargirl]

The first thing I'm gonna do as soon as I get money/a job is subscribe to your substack, you deserve all the support in the world and I love every inch of your content. Plus the essay on the Wh***, the Madonna and the Lolita sounds so so so compelling!!!!

[@Proserpherity]

Same

[@FinalGirlStudios]

You’re so sweet I appreciate the support so much, thank you 💕🫶🏻

[@oldtimesong]

I was in my early 20s when this girl became an internet sensation. She was everywhere!

[@xoliyah6553]

although i was much too young to remember this era thankfully due to tumblr and pinterest i know of Cory. the era of her, Sky Ferreira, and Alexa Chung is something i wish i could’ve been apart of so bad

[@groovegrown]

You did a really good job on this documentary. Thanks

[@dodi-wankenobi]

I was 23 in 2006 and she was the wild child manifestation of all my dark secrets

[@muddy_spaghetti]

Totally forgot about Corey Kennedy. Magazines like Paper and Nylon loved her. Hopefully you can give us an update.

[@jennd2515]

This is so fascinating! I never heard of her growing up. She kinda reminds me of Sky Ferreira which I was obsessed with when I was in HS and lived on Tumblr 😅

[@3klamarie]

We’re one year apart and I would’ve been obsessed with her. I can’t believe I never heard of her before this video. Love it! Great video

[@ruled_by_pluto]

this was a beautiful tribute. i don't even know who this chick is but now i really feel like i know her. and, we have really similar (past) lives. i think this story is very relatable to people who came up partying in that era. from the troubled teen to being overmedicated, so close to home, and all hidden from the public by a bunch of cool photos taken by party photographers with a great eye.

[@totallywireddd]

I was OBSESSED with her (and Effy Stonem) when I was a teen

[@rlc322]

Me too😂😂

[@lizmldnd]

never heard of her! then again, i'm from Argentina. but she reminds me of this belgian actress called Verlee Dejeager, she looks so much like her

[@psychedelicyeti6053]

I'm suddenly getting all these indie sleeze videos and I'm liking this blast to the past. Although I was on MySpace, there were definitely some niches I avoided or missed. It wasn't until recently I finally understood why everyone changed their avatars to find a murderer, but at the time I thought it was just people advertising a new artist 😅

[@Mariana-ie5ig]

I'm a huge fan of your "it girl" series! I make sure to always tune in. Im sure many other people and I would l;ove to see a vid of a WOC it girl!

[@hechovisto]

Yessss I agree. I loved Cory Kennedy back in this era, and I remember how much I wanted to look like her but I was a south asian girl who wasn’t stick thin. It messed with my self esteem as a teenager

[@csjobson7763]

For someone that didn't know who Cory was prior to, great job on this video! Like a few others have commented, I too witnessed the Cory era.

[@FinalGirlStudios]

Thank you!! I was so fascinated by her as soon as I saw the magazine cover. If I was in the age group I definitely would’ve been infatuated with her at the time lol

[@Daydreamerr13]

Indie sleaze was such a good time I think it is my favorite era tbh. 😂 always thought my twenties would be like that as a kid lol

[@Bookshoneyandtea]

My 20s are currently like that. The sadness that comes with it is real.

[@stoppipela]

my 20s are like this but a part of It Is based or normalizing toxic behaviours, drugs and alcool soo It's a jungle.....

[@Daydreamerr13]

@@stoppipela i mean i wish my 20s was like this in that era. The 2020s have been TRASH, lmao falling economy, and our govt is shit the world is shit. I don’t judge anyones vices, how could you not have one in today’s world? I sound nihilistic but shits bleak out here. I think that’s why Gen Z romanticizes the past so much and we are so stuck in this nostaglic loop of hell. The pandemic & covid just fucked us all and now this timeline is absolute hell, imo

[@stoppipela]

@@Daydreamerr13 as a Gen Z dude I can only Say that It's like impossible to US to not glorify 2010s or years before since them are our childhood I Remember seeing Lorde, Joey Badass, Sky Ferreira, Charli XCX, Odd Future and many other icons on MTV at like 11 2020s Is cool, music Is still great, literally Charli XCX and Snow Strippers are dropping soo much classical staff tight now They're multiple bands that are some other Classical stuff I'm not interessed anymore in current politics or something similiar however for the same reasons that you've just quoted

[@stoppipela]

COVID fucked up a lot of people Not me My fortune, however, was that I lived my graduation at 2022, It was great At 2023 i was unemployed until Summer At Summer 2024 I returned unemployed, returned depressed and choose, On June, tò live an indie sleaze based trap life Some experiences were like a movie and probably I'll never live them again but the majority of It were more negative than positive I was fucking dying and becoming addicted tò toxic dynamics and people Plus, doing all of this shit on your 20s Is stupid asf, Better on your adolescente without exageration Soo, I save some Money from work Did 3 beatiful trips, everything special again And throw away all that beatiful but really toxic lifestyle and friendships I still desire to party and do iconico indie photos, but, It's very difficult tò have that lifestyle without toxic people around Now, I still suffer for unemployment but I'm trying to attend uni and tò see Life in a more positive way Soo, I fell you when you talk about the shitty part of the 2020s

[@Illyriamars]

I’m only a few minutes in but I’m curious if other Nylon-era indie muses like Peaches Geldof and Megan Boyle will get their due.

[@bewarethewater.]

Someone's finally talking about her! I would love to see Your take on Effy Stonem too 🤔

[@Miranda.2006.]

she honestly seems so cool and kind.

[@minttjulep]

i am not too young for myspace in fact i was very involved in “the scene” & internet culture. i was 16 in 2006. i have no idea who this person is.

[@XiomaraThaGoddessMeow]

Same 😅✨

[@sylasgirl]

She’s more recognisable to those of us in the fashion scene.

[@daturagirl]

was around the same age as her when she was getting big online. she used to have a wordpress blog where she posted her disposable film photos, she's such a great photographer too. she's always been such a cool creative and had an excellent taste in fashion and music. i don't think "it girls" now are all that interesting tbh bc we just know too much about them and there's tons of oversharing now. cory came right in time when the internet was booming with the start of internet personalities, but right before social media like twitter and instagram. her personal sense of style was great bc it was just thrifted stuff that she'd put together, which was attainable for most teens (including myself at the time). she was always so elusive and cool. she seems to have a low profile now, but she was the blueprint whether people are aware of it or not.

[@bubbles4897]

Y’all are hyping up this random ass teen girl is hilarious to me

[@daturagirl]

@@bubbles4897​​⁠this teen is super influential & totally deserves all the hype tbh regardless if you think so or not

[@bubbles4897]

@@daturagirl deserve hype for what? Having her pictures taken whilst being inebriated when she’s 16? Like lol y’all can’t give credit to the black girls who make tiktok dances, but y’all are more than willing to hype up some average looking drunk white girl who went around the city looking like a bum. white girls can look like they just rolled out of bed and be “iconic” but if black girls do the same we’re “ratchet”. Good fucking bye.

[@bubbles4897]

@@daturagirldeserves the hype for what? Having her pictures taken whilst being inebriated when she was a kid? Y’all can’t even give credit to the black girls who created all the viral tiktok dances yet y’all are more than willing to hype up an average looking drunk white girl who went around nyc looking like a bum. white people are so unserious I swear.

[@FusionDelAcier]

I remember reading her column in Nylon and thinking she was so cool

[@humanthetooth]

I totally remember Cory Kennedy! Totally forgot about her until the video started, didn't even recall her when I first read her name and glanced at the thumbnail. I have always loved your videos and know I will continue into the future. Your way of telling stories about women that intrigue you is uplifting and a type of feminism that isn't over-bearing and assertive. Keep up the good work and I hope you are able to recognize how impactful and appreciated it is!

[@emily-xg1eq]

can I just say you're so beautiful??!!! when the sponsorship started I thought you were one of the celebrities!!

[@Starry_Skye22]

I was a teenager and my best friend and I loved Cory Kennedy. I literally wanted to be like her. Later in my life I had become an opiate addict. I'm in recovery now, but when I see things I forgot about and now and look back, jeez I needed help. Poor Cory. As a teenager myself I had no idea this was going on. 😢

[@cosmicemilia]

I was so obsessed with Cory and her Nylon mag editorials!

[@namoraxo]

Ah yes this takes me back to physical copies of magazines 💞

[@liliesofthefieldyt]

I remember Cory Kennedy from back then. I was interested in fashion, and I would be looking at the old websites and blogs. (I was never an admirer of her style - messy club kid wasn’t my oeuvre - but I had nothing against her as a person.) I was already an grown up then, and teaching middle school, and I remember being extremely worried about this young teenage girl. “Where are her parents?!” I would wonder. She was openly using drugs and alcohol, surrounded by adults in situations that she should never have been in. She looked so sad and lost, with empty eyes. Interesting that Cory herself confirmed that my assessment of her situation was 100% accurate. I am a mother of teenagers now, and I cannot fathom how her parents allowed Cory to be in dangerous situations and be exploited. Cory’s own mom would drive her and drop her off at parties with Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan. Just the thought of that makes me feel sick. I had totally forgotten that Cory Kennedy even existed, and I’m so happy to see that Cory seems healthy and stable now.

[@citrus8944]

I absolutely adore of these pop culture history videos, I'm currently binging them while sewing they make for excellently informative background noise the effort you put into all this research is just fantastic

[@sashatheelf]

It is bizarre to be 37 and watching this now having been intricately part of that world in my 20s.

[@iangrant9958]

I was OBSESSED as a teenager seeing the girls who were associated with The Cobrasnake like Cory Kennedy, Atlanta De Cadenet Taylor, and Jesse Jo Stark. I used to form my outfits from them as a teen and would wish I was them or hung out with them. I also think Mark Hunter dated Atlanta when she was a teen also. He was definitely a predator.

[@chelsea5466]

gosh I was so obsessed with her!

[@societycrumbles]

While we're on topic of teen internet It girls, do you think you might cover Tavi Gavinson and style rookie / rookie mag?

[@AvecPoesie]

Yes to Tavi! Tavi is incredible in a multitude of ways...

[@spacebar9733]

Love her !!

[@MishaSalud]

I miss rookie mag 😭

[@societycrumbles]

@@MishaSaludI found all the Rookie mag yearbooks on Amazon, I am so tempted to buy them whenever I have money...

[@psychekaleidoscope7665]

“The little red dot of broken caterpillars under her right eye”. 😂

[@bluegypsy71]

I’d argue that Ana Voog preceded her by at least 10 years, one of the internet girl trail blazers❤

[@bdebakedbeans]

I was obsessed with her, I'm her age. She was such an inspiration, and definitely had this attitude we were all obsessed with- emotionally detached, disheveled, and yet beautiful. All of us could only hope to be so effortlessly interesting. I googled her recently because I realised she was never mentioned again. In a way that is why she belongs to this specific era.

[@BRITTSSSSS]

Your videos are so interesting and you do so much research ! I always look forward to them

[@sarahtaylor546]

This takes me back

[@Illyriamars]

I found Cory through Nylon Magazine and was absolutely OBSESSED. Thank you for shining light on My personal IT GIRL.

[@carebodai1440]

when i was 16, my friend and i used to hang out with this emo dudes who had a band. they were the cool dudes of this tiny town, with the cool hair and the cool suburb "touring" life. i actually started smoking and drinking when i met this guys. they were also super old to be hanging out with barely teens since all of them were 24/25/26/27 old. my friend in fact did date the 27 emo dude when she was 16 because he was muscular with abs and obliques. i make out several times with this guys when i was intoxicated because they were, you know, "cool" and i was entering high school thinking i was so "mature" and different for hanging out with adults. i am 33 now ha and is truly disturbing to rationalize what the frick happened during my teenager era. i feel cory was actually a teen like me. with better social connections of course, but still a pretty impressionable teen, so she indeed put herself in dangerous situations because you know, you think you are cool for doing all that stuff and hanging out with the "cool" people.

[@leticiarodrigues2274]

omg i've always wondered what had happened to her and i'm so glad to hear she's doing great! love the video ♥

[@capybara8477]

i can't believe she was 15/16 when she started getting famous. it's all quite disturbing

[@Luftballon1970]

This is so scary. It shows how young girl are viewed like the publics property, like an image people project their desires to. they forget that she was a CHILD. Nobody protected her! How could their parents allow her to hand out with this FIVE YEARS OLDER guy?! The hell was wrong with them. The patriarchy is just so harmful.

[@srose1088]

As someone who was a teen back then, and had detroit as my stomping grounds (a place where inde music was popin) I don't know who this is.

[@chrishenniker5944]

One of my friends was in the first indie band, The Count Bishops, back in the seventies.

[@WowJustWow37]

I’m ten years older than her, but I saw her around a few times. She seemed fun. Happily I saw a photo of me posted by cobra snake a few years ago. I don’t even remember taking the photo. Great times!

[@ergosteur]

I had forgotten but remembered her as soon as I heard the name. Thanks for telling the story! Definitely had a fascination/envy/crush back in the day. Didn’t really thing about what she was going through. Glad she’s doing well now.

[@ZombieSharky]

the way i had to pause and rewind when you said they started dating. i've experienced that age gap and i wouldn't wish that on anyone.

[@ArchiesLens]

this was fascinating great video essay!🌸