John Kass Says Good Riddance to Camelot

I agree with him; "'tis a silly place".

His is a good article, avoiding invectives and shooting for the almost impossible journalistic objectivity when dealing with the mythologized celebrity of the Kennedy family. His conclusion deals with an image which could have changed our political iconography substantially.

During her interview with White, Mrs. Kennedy also spoke of drama and history in those moments before photographers made the iconic pictures on the day the president was assassinated.

"Everybody kept saying to me to put a cold towel around my head and wipe the blood off. Later I saw myself in the mirror, my whole face spattered with blood and hair. ... I wiped it off with Kleenex. ... History! ... I thought, no one really wants me there. Then one second later, I thought, why did I wash the blood off? I should have left it there. Let them see what they've done.

"If I'd just had the blood and caked hair when they took the picture. ... Then later I said to Bobby -- what's the line between history and drama? I should have kept the blood on."

That line between history and drama for the Kennedys was never very thick, like the line between American realism and our yearning for royalty, and for comforting political myths.

He's right about the confusion of drama with history where the Kennedys are concerned. I'm not sure I "yearn for royalty" as an American, though. To me and many others, the neck brace on young Teddy at Mary Jo's funeral is the best icon of the Kennedys: it’s all about appearances, perceptions of the camera, excuses, an officially-accepted narrative for followers to trumpet and getting people to feel sorry for you when others suffer more.