Trumping Jackie Kennedy

Like every woman of my college generation, I never knew the real Jackie Kennedy. Born four years after her death, I remember her only through her rare interviews and portrayals on film. Still, Ive been touched by the Jackie effect. I chose to attend Sarah Lawrence College, her dream school and her sisters, Princess Lee Radziwill, alma mater.

But now my vision of Jackie Kennedy is in danger of being trumped. In the new Reelz mini-series, The Kennedys after Camelot, which ended on Sunday night, the Jackie Kennedy whom Katie Holmes plays is a woman more like Melania Trump than the serious post-Eleanor Roosevelt Jackie I have always admired.

After Camelot revolves around Jackies relationship with Aristotle Onassis following Bobby Kennedys death. The show makes no mention of Jackies efforts to memorialize her husband through his presidential library or her international relations efforts during the Vietnam War.

The series suggests, while Jackie genuinely loved Ari, he exploited her. As he tells Ted after theyve negotiated Jackies dowry, To the rest of the world, shes unattainable, out of reach. But to me, theres no such thing.

The show further calls Aris character into question when Jackie learns of his affair with a Parisian woman. She tells Ari, You have given me so much, and youve made me want to live again. But, Ari, I love you and respect you but you dont have the power to hurt me. Jack did, and hes the last man who will. This seemingly perfect moment is undermined by Jackies visceral reaction to the affair, angrily throwing a gift from Aris mistress into the ocean.

The imperfect feminism of the show becomes more apparent when Jackie goes to comfort Ted after the 1969 Chappaquiddick scandal in which a young woman drowned during a weekend of partying with the senator and his friends. At first, Ari forbids his new wife from leaving, to which Jackie responds, If thats a question, the answers no. If thats a threat, we have a lot more to talk about. If only Jackie was leaving not for Ted, but out of a sense of sisterhood to his wife, Joan Kennedy.

Jackie experiences another Melania moment when the familys crisis team tries to pressure her into releasing a statement in support of Ted. Jackie refuses, telling them shes only there out of duty to Jack. When Jackie finally reaches out to Joan, it again reinforces her sense of gender roles. You dont owe it to him. What hes put you through, hes lucky youre still here. But I think it would look bad if you didnt go. Years from now itll be important to your children to see that you were there for him, Jackie tells her.

No doubt, similar advice was bestowed upon Melania when she made a statement in support of her husband in light of the Access Hollywood scandal. The words my husband used are unacceptable and offensive to me. This does not represent the man I know. He has the heart and mind of a leader. I hope people will accept his apology, as I have, and focus on the important issues facing our nation in the world.

The flawed feminism of After Camelot continues when Jackie discovers Ari's secret room full of memorabilia of Jackie before and after JFK's assassination. Im nobodys prize. I am your wife. I am a human being, Jackie tells him in disgust. Still, she gives in to Aris apologies, and he embraces my Jackie.

Ironically, the most sinister moment of the series occurs in the episode directed by Holmes, when Ari destroys his Jackie memorabilia after his sons death. Violently grabbing her wrist, Ari curses Jackie, You killed your husband. You killed my son. You are cursed. Everything you touch turns to death. I never want to see you again.

The show suggests Ari doesnt see her again until four years later on his deathbed. Because he dies before the divorce could go through, Aris daughter is desperate to settle with Jackie, offering her upwards of $25 million. Jackie refuses, telling Christina, What youre willing to give is nothing compared to what Ive had to take. Jackie comes across as a kind of gold digger, even after what shes endured.

The mini-series attempts to pay homage to Jackies literary career similarly fall short. An editors ambiguous praise of Jackie at a launch party characterizes the depiction; Our team is much stronger with you on it. The producers focus the majority of the screen time on Jackies downfall at Viking, resigning after The New York Times credited her for acquiring speculative fiction about Teds assassination.

But the omission of Jackies later success at Doubleday is nothing in comparison to the absence of Caroline from the final episode. The show romanticizes the future of her brother, who tragically died in a plane crash at 38. According to the end credits, the dream that was Camelot ended with JFK, Jr.s death. That Caroline would live to become the U.S. ambassador to Japan during the Obama administration is never mentioned.

Thats not to say the mini-series has no sense of a feminist conscience. The final minutes feature a beautiful homage to the complicated relationship between Jackie and Ethel Kennedy, Bobbys wife. Youre a wonderful woman, and youve been a wonderful sister most of the time, Jackie tells her sister-in-law.

The show should have ended there. Instead, it closes with JFK, Jr. flying off into the sunset with his bride after telling her of his political aspirations. With this decision, the producers made it clear that a womans legacy is her son, not her daughter or her lasting contributions to the American narrative. But the show was never about honoring Jackie. It was an attempt to make money off her lifes tragedies.

That the newest version of Jackie should seek to capitalize on the current political moment is not surprising. Melania Trump has given the mini-series producers plenty of reason for doing so, speculating on her future role as first lady, I would be very traditional. Like Betty Ford or Jackie Kennedy I would support him.

But Melanias attempts to imitate Jackie, even dressing like her for the inaugural, only point up the differences between them.

The Jackie I admire was not the woman behind the man. She was JFKs political equal--the person responsible for cultivating the legacy of her husband, turning one brief shining moment into a lasting dynasty. She was not defined by her marriage. She had a full life after her husbands death, preserving historic New York City landmarks from Grand Central to Central Park, and raising two children free from the scandals that haunted so many of their cousins.

My Jackie is no Melania. She is a nasty woman.