# JFK 50 years On-Is the Kennedy brand Finished? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 19, 2013, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jfk-50-years-on-is-the-kennedy-brand-finished/674266 "2013-11-19T16:16:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2013, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jfk-50-years-on-is-the-kennedy-brand-finished/674266/1 "2013-11-19T16:16:45Z")
I placed this in Café Society, because it seems (to me) that the Kennedy Brand is now at a crossroads-it has been 50 years since the assassination, and 2 generations have grown up since then. So I had a few questions: -do people still obsess about the family? -will the assassination industry (all the books, movies, etc.) be out of customers soon? -is the family (now) pretty much free of association with “Camelot”, the White House, Jackie O and glamour? I view this as an entertainment, popular culture issue…if I am wrong, please move to an appropriate forum! ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2013, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jfk-50-years-on-is-the-kennedy-brand-finished/674266/2 "2013-11-19T16:35:51Z")
Yes, people still obsess about John and Jackie, at the very least. Witness the major sales at auction of their former possessions in the last ten years. But I do think that this is probably the last hurrah for such interest. ---
**Author:** ![Kimballkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5a626/32.png) [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2013, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jfk-50-years-on-is-the-kennedy-brand-finished/674266/3 "2013-11-19T17:04:30Z")
The conspiracy theorists will probably never get over it. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2013, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jfk-50-years-on-is-the-kennedy-brand-finished/674266/4 "2013-11-19T17:12:38Z")
I think years of family scandals and the uncovering of JFK’s affairs and other goings-on in the White House pretty well knocked the sheen off Camelot for most people. JFK and his assassination still mean a lot to Boomers, I think, and it seems to me that both his election and his death were formative moments. And there was a bunch of culturally and politically important stuff going on at that time, too. The Kennedy family is still prominent but it no longer means enough to get someone elected to Congress outside of liberal parts of Massachusetts, for example. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2013, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jfk-50-years-on-is-the-kennedy-brand-finished/674266/5 "2013-11-19T17:22:05Z")
The “Kennedy brand” was about 90% Joe Sr. Without his drive and ambition, the Ks are pretty much just another wealthy family that summers on Cape Cod. ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2013, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jfk-50-years-on-is-the-kennedy-brand-finished/674266/6 "2013-11-19T17:28:15Z")
I’d say it’s finished. Now that Ted Kennedy is dead there really aren’t any Kennedys left that anybody cares about. I’d say the last hurrah of interest was when JFK Jr. died in that plane crash. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2013, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jfk-50-years-on-is-the-kennedy-brand-finished/674266/7 "2013-11-19T18:03:06Z")
So long as they continue their drunken sprees of raping, looting and smashing up cars, the legend will continue. I see a reality show in the near future. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2013, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jfk-50-years-on-is-the-kennedy-brand-finished/674266/8 "2013-11-19T18:07:15Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > So long as they continue their drunken sprees of raping, looting and smashing up cars, the legend will continue. Other than the continuing saga of Michael Skakel, distant Kennedy family member, I haven’t seen a Kennedy family scandal in years. I think it’s been decades since anything except the deaths of JFK Jr. and Ted. They’re returned to being a reclusive, wealthy family with a known name and very little impact outside Their Kind. ---
**Author:** ![johnspartan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a183cd/32.png) [@johnspartan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnspartan)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2013, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jfk-50-years-on-is-the-kennedy-brand-finished/674266/9 "2013-11-19T18:13:09Z")
There was a moderate amount of fawning “news” when Caroline Kennedy was just named ambassador to Japan. BTW for a chuckle… here’s Matt Lauer asking RFK Jr. how his dad’s doing. [Matt Lauer sticks foot in mouth with RFK Jr - YouTube](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fu0W5PjT4kI). (this was when his uncle Ted was ill) ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2013, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jfk-50-years-on-is-the-kennedy-brand-finished/674266/10 "2013-11-19T18:18:53Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > Other than the continuing saga of Michael Skakel, distant Kennedy family member, I haven’t seen a Kennedy family scandal in years. There was a minor one when Patrick Kennedy got into a DUI in 2006. Afterward he went into treatment for addiction. He’s now retired from Congress and spends his time trying to develop collaborations and raise money for treatments for brain disorders. ---
**Author:** ![Sahirrnee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sahirrnee/32/13937_2.png) [@Sahirrnee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sahirrnee)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2013, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jfk-50-years-on-is-the-kennedy-brand-finished/674266/11 "2013-11-19T18:20:07Z")
I sure hope so I never understood the love. All I ever saw was a bunch of adulterous drunken assholes who thought they could get away with anything and usually did. I never thought the men were handsome, they looked like gophers. “America’s Royalty” my ass, we don’t need no stinking royalty. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2013, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jfk-50-years-on-is-the-kennedy-brand-finished/674266/12 "2013-11-19T18:50:12Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > Other than the continuing saga of Michael Skakel, distant Kennedy family member, I haven’t seen a Kennedy family scandal in years. I think it’s been decades since anything except the deaths of JFK Jr. and Ted. > > They’re returned to being a reclusive, wealthy family with a known name and very little impact outside Their Kind. Perhaps you recall William Kennedy Smith, accused (and acquitted) rapist. In 2004 a former co-worker of his brought a civil suit agains him claiming several past incidents of sexual assault. The suit was eventually dismissed. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2013, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jfk-50-years-on-is-the-kennedy-brand-finished/674266/13 "2013-11-19T22:38:56Z")
Moved Cafe Society --\> IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2013, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jfk-50-years-on-is-the-kennedy-brand-finished/674266/14 "2013-11-19T23:20:48Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > Other than the continuing saga of Michael Skakel, distant Kennedy family member, I haven’t seen a Kennedy family scandal in years. I think it’s been decades since anything except the deaths of JFK Jr. and Ted. > > They’re returned to being a reclusive, wealthy family with a known name and very little impact outside Their Kind. The Arnold Schwarzenegger - Maria Shriver marriage certainly counts, doesn’t it? ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2013, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jfk-50-years-on-is-the-kennedy-brand-finished/674266/15 "2013-11-19T23:23:58Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > Other than the continuing saga of Michael Skakel, distant Kennedy family member, I haven’t seen a Kennedy family scandal in years. I think it’s been decades since anything except the deaths of JFK Jr. and Ted. It’s not really a Kennedy decade without a scandal, is it? ---
**Author:** ![CatherineZeta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e95f7d/32.png) [@CatherineZeta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CatherineZeta)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2013, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jfk-50-years-on-is-the-kennedy-brand-finished/674266/16 "2013-11-20T02:39:12Z")
It was a scandal when Mary Kennedy (RFK Jr’s soon to be ex wife) committed suicide a few years ago. Then Taylor Swift swooped in and started dating her son Conor and they allegedly crashed a Kennedy wedding. Taylor Swift also bought a house in Hyannis Port near the Kennedy compound. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2013, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jfk-50-years-on-is-the-kennedy-brand-finished/674266/17 "2013-11-20T03:04:40Z")
Coincidentally, I just saw a news article about a Kennedy. Patrick Kennedy (the son of Ted) and his wife Amy just had a daughter today. ---
**Author:** ![Kolga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e56c9b/32.png) [@Kolga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolga)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2013, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jfk-50-years-on-is-the-kennedy-brand-finished/674266/18 "2013-11-20T04:08:26Z")
RFK Jr. seems to be a favorite of the nutbars after having gone full-on anti-vaccine, writing an anti-vaccine article that was eventually pulled due to the massive number of inaccuracies, and in general being a lapdog of the Wakefield crowd. ---
**Author:** ![tingbudong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tingbudong/32/520_2.png) [@tingbudong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tingbudong)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2013, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jfk-50-years-on-is-the-kennedy-brand-finished/674266/19 "2013-11-20T05:01:29Z")
Not keeping with the ‘scandal’ theme, but one of[RFK’s grandsons](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_P._Kennedy_III) was elected to congress in 2012. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2013, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jfk-50-years-on-is-the-kennedy-brand-finished/674266/20 "2013-11-20T05:14:41Z")
Andrew Cuomo, the Governor of NY and a probably candidate for the Presidency, was married to Kerry Kennedy (the daughter of Robert and Ethel) until their divorce in 2005.