When most Americans think of JFK, they see the image of a courageous, noble leader who fought righteously for the good of all Americans. But he did have flaws: Kennedy further entangled the US in the Vietnam war (now widely regarded as a bad move), and he had extra-marital affairs, which are contrary to the perfect family man image that he is remembered for. However, none of these flaws seem to tarnish Kennedy's sparkling reputation, and this is in large part to the myth of Camelot.
Jackie Kennedy was a shrewd woman, and she wanted to make sure that her late husband was remembered for all of his greatness and none of his flaws. So, shortly after her husband's death, she had an interview with journalist Theodore White in which she introduced the idea of Camelot.
At the time, there was a fairly popular Broadway musical called Camelot. In the musical, King Arthur was portrayed as a peacemaker trying to stop the world from falling into war. Jackie Kennedy seized on this image and tried to equate this to John Kennedy. In the interview with White, Jackie Kennedy said that John Kennedy was a huge fan of the musical and liked the last lines of the song called "Camelot," too. The lines are: “Don’t ever let it be forgot, that once there was a spot, for one brief shining moment that was Camelot.”
As the American public grieved, they quickly latched onto this nostalgic myth about Kennedy's presidency. Jackie Kennedy did a very good job of immortalizing her husband as a peacemaker trying to keep the world from destructive war, even if that wasn't totally true. This myth is so powerful that, even today, Kennedy's term is remembered as a nostalgic and passionate one.
Sources:
https://www.jfklibrary.org/Asset-Viewer/Archives/THWPP-059-009.aspx
https://www.thedailybeast.com/how-jackie-kennedy-invented-the-camelot-legend-after-jfks-death
http://www.history.com/topics/us-presidents/john-f-kennedy#section_6
Image: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/02/Malraux_Dinner_-_President_and_First_Lady%2C_Mme._Malraux%2C_and_Isaac_Stern%2C_11_May_1962.jpg
Anya -- I thought this was a great post because I myself have always admired John F Kennedy. It demonstrates the aspects of history and our obsession to leave a positive legacy on the world, often the words can become twisted. While the words may not necessarily be "false", we are imprinted in our minds the greatness of JFK and the tragic end he met with his assassination. What I was reminded of was how JFK was often philandering with other women despite being married when he was in office. We don't discuss this trait about one of the people we consider to be our great president but it shows the importance of persona and politicians want to appear as though they are obtaining the perfect American lifestyle.
ReplyDeleteSource:
http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/killing-kennedy/articles/the-sex-life-of-jfk/
This was a great post that thoroughly explained how people often come to believe things that are too good to be true about revered figures in history. It is indeed true that JFK was hardly a family man--he did not even spend his last night alive with his wife. Kennedy also had a famous affair with Marilyn Monroe and had several affairs with shady women.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/32713
http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/killing-kennedy/articles/the-sex-life-of-jfk/
This is a really interesting post. I personally think the Kennedy family is truly interesting and I never really realized how revered he is today, when looking at the facts, Kennedy's president wasn't all that. Reading more into Camelot, I've found that there were some negative side effects to Jackie Kennedy's portrayal of her husband. The images she sent to the American people were that of Kennedy being an accomplished politician who was unlike any other out there. She also focused on what the country lost with his assassination. In doing so, she intensified Americans' sense of loss thus promoting a sense of hopelessness. Americans felt that any liberalist hopes were essentially impossible.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.thedailybeast.com/how-jackie-kennedy-invented-the-camelot-legend-after-jfks-death