Eldergays, tell me how the world reacted when Jackie Kennedy and Aristotle Onassis announced their engagement.

My parents were horrified.

I farted.

She became known as Jackie "O." I'm not old enough to remember the announcement, but I do remember the publicity surrounding the marriage. Basically, people simply couldn't believe that she lowered herself to marry such a man -- it was a collective feeling of disbelief, disappointment, and disgust. They wanted her to either remain as Mrs. John F. Kennedy, stoic widow, or remarry someone of his reputation and stature.

Money, security and privacy. Why was it beneath her? What's the big deal? The American public wanted that Camelot dream to continue just like R3 said.

Besides, didn't she say something like "it's cold and lonely on that pedestal"? After Bobby died, I don't think she gave a care what anyone thought of her. She just didn't want to be associated with the Kennedy name.

My mother once said it was "shocking and disappointing."

We knew she was an opportunistic whore.

We were just surprised she still commanded such a high price.

Massive projectile vomiting.

In that circle, to keep up or more importantly ascend to a higher social status on the international scene required serious money.

She got a good pre-nup and they both got what they needed to satisfy their egos and personal needs. Jackie always came with a price tag on her head. Plus, she knew Ethel was flat broke, Joan was on a budget and if she couldn't have a 'crown' she was going to get the next best thing.

I was shocked and disgusted.

He was a billionaire in 60s dollars.

'Nuff said.

Horrified, no. Intrigued, I think was more like it.

We all envisioned old age creeping up on Jackie every night.

She also lhad more 'sophisticated' European sensibilities, so Onasssis money would fund trips and shopping in Italy and Paris.

The sweetner was privacy - away from the photos, and security. No guns aimed at her, or her kids, security of armed guards, compounds, private planes, boats - the opposite life of being like a hunted animal waiting to be popped off.

Can't put a price on post-traumatic injury seeing your husband die in your arms. She disappeared.

But then she came back to become a New York book editor, of all fucking things. How the hell was she qualified to be a book editor?

Ethel has oodles of Skakel money at her didposal.

Ethel was hardly broke-not because of Skakel money. Mrs O married in part for money the first time (she was raided a courtesan after all) and she wanted security. I was about 15 at the time. I got it them and I get it now including her want for privacy within her very rare world.

Raised

I was upset. Ari was to be my cash cow.

Oh go take a soak, Charlie. This is not a thread about you.

Jackie O was a whore. She hit the jackpot. Ari married down.

Ari wasn't just a billionaire, he was gangster thug. So, yes, people were disgusted with her.

I remeber all the noisy buzz in the media (I was a little kid) but my parents agreed that what she did with her own life was her business

What did Onassis give Jackie for their wedding? An antique organ.

What did Jackie give Onassis for their wedding? An erector set.

In my circle, we all thought it shockingly wrong.

He was also from a sexist machismo culture very jarring to American sensibilities since they had falsely attributed feminist ideas to her. In truth, she was a fucking conservative.

There was an outstanding PBS special on First Ladies and just a few weeks ago I saw the one on Mrs. Kennedy. She didn't care for the name Jackie, especially since her first husband's name was Jack. She preferred to be called Jacqueline. After her husband's assassination, she was without a husband, a job and a home. Perhaps she married Onassis for financial security, who knows? She wouldn't be the first. I recall there was a lot of concerns from other Catholics who wanted to know if she was going to take Communion after marrying Onassis, because although she was free to marry, she was marrying someone who was divorced. Her local Archbishop was asked about this and said something like "If she goes to confession, the rest of it is none of our business."

She was a gold-digging trophy whore!

So snarky for people to call Jackie a whore --- yes, it looks like she had lots of affairs but so did all you sluts!

Interesting that people not even half as wealthy as she was and could only imagine being in her social circles would judge her for marrying someone whose status was " beneath" hers.

I clutched my pearls, swigged a shot of tequila, and screamed "SLUT!"

Everyone who marries is a whore.

Seriously.

A totally social construct based on an exchange of services, goods and money with often sex an integral part.

Jackie was bought by Joe Kennedy and then by Ari.

We should all do so well.

I think it's annoying that people thought they had any kind of veto over her personal life just because she was First Lady.

I remember when I heard the news--freshman year of college. I was SHOCKED.

I remember my Nonna calling her a "puttana" when it happened.

R25, that's a nice post. She supposedly married him, because she wanted security for her and her children that a wealthy man like he could provide for her.

I remember when he divorced her and the settlement she received. $10 million as I recall. I remember reading the tabloids (NY Daily News and NY Post) about the animosity between Jackie O and her stepdaughter Christina.

In high school, she was in front of me once in a line at a Merit Farm on Lexington Avenue at East 85th. She was buying cigarettes. So was I. Had no idea it was she, until my friend nudged me. She was in her trademark trench coat. Must have been 1979 or 1980.

There was a headline that said, "Jackie, How Could You?"

A woman flung herself from the top of the Duomo in Florence.

[quote] Interesting that people not even half as wealthy as she was and could only imagine being in her social circles would judge her for marrying someone whose status was " beneath" hers.

God I love it when posters make pissy, pearl-clutching statements like this! LOL!

[quote] and could only imagine being in her social circles

By which you must mean café society trash.

The problem was that he was so ugly.

Even at his age, if he had been handsome, there would have been no scandal.

The photos of them together were just jarring.

It was shocking, and people were revolted. It's like when Whitney Houston married Bobby Brown.

I wonder what thread is being buried under the weight of 2015?

After Bobby was killed, she said - if the are killing Kennedy's, I'm taking my children and getting out of America.

So she married a filthy rich man who owned his own Greek island. I can't say as I blame her.

Exactly R42. Also the name Onassis was well known enough to successfully “rebrand” her - she was in her mid 30s and had no desire to be the Widow Kennedy for the rest of her life.

According to Tina Cassidy's Jackie After O, when her friend Truman Capote asked why she had married Onassis, Jackie replied, "I can't very well marry a dentist from New Jersey!"

She was 39.

[quote] Money, security and privacy. Why was it beneath her? What's the big deal?

You're so funny. It was all about money. Security, NO, privacy, NO. She continued to live in NYC and her children continued to do the same. None of that changed. She had secret service protection until the day she died. So it didn't have anything to do with security

And privacy. nope. See above. She continued to live in NYC and go out and about. Nothing changed with her marriage to Ari, except her bank account

[quote] After Bobby was killed, she said - if the are killing Kennedy's, I'm taking my children and getting out of America. So she married a filthy rich man who owned his own Greek island. I can't say as I blame her.

Except, they didn't get out of America. They spent half a summer in Greece and traveling around Europe. The kids and Jackie still continued to live in NYC.

Some of you will believe any damned thing you read and don't see it for the bullshit that it is

The crop failed and the cows stopped letting down their milk.

I was in catholic school at the time. The big fuss was Aristotle was divorced and that made the marriage null in the eyes of the church. She went to mass and the priest refused her communion. That was a big news item back in the day. I also discovered masturbation at the time !

R49 You masturbated to Jackie Kennedy being denied communion?

No R50 , I "discovered" masturbation at that time the object of my endeavors was usually Burt Renyolds , Chad Everett or Sam Elliott

I COULD masturbate to Jackie being denied communion, as long as she was wearing the pink blood-stained suit and matching hat.

R34 No, Jackie's settlement was actually $26 million dollars. At least that is what was reported all over the papers back then.

[quote] No [R50] , I "discovered" masturbation at that time the object of my endeavors was usually Burt Renyolds , Chad Everett or Sam Elliott

WTF does this have to do with anything???

NO ONE CARES.

It was like the entire nation, as one, collapsed onto a daybed and cried out, “We had a national heroine once. She was beautiful, and then she died.”

Amongst elderqueens, caftans were sharted en masse.

I shat out my tapeworm!