Yes, you heard it right. A 76-year old man, who works in a stressful occupation, was hospitalised, and Channel 10 said it was because of a curse.
But, apart from this frivolous invocation of the myth, is there actually any truth to the curse story? I mean, it seems that the Kennedys do get struck by more murders, mishaps and medical emergencies than other uber-wealthy East Coast political dynasties.
I checked the main examples of the Curse to see how plausible the theory is:
1941 - Rosemary, John's sister, was given a lobotomy, due to her increasingly violent and severe mood swings. Her cognitive abilities suffered and she was institutionalised until she died in 2005.
Curse or bad luck? Every slightly wacko rich girl in the 40s was given a lobotomy. Today we pursue them relentlessly in gossip magazines until they top themselves. Rose was probably actually lucky to have been a socialite daughter back then.1944 - Older brother Joseph dies in a midair explosion whilst flying a secret mission in WW2.
Curse or bad luck? Flying? Secret mission? WW2? Why was anybody surprised when he died?
1955/6 - Jackie Kennedy suffers a miscarriage, and later gives birth to a stillborn daughter.
Curse or bad luck? Don't know if anyone told the Kennedys, but this happens a lot, to regular people. Often a miscarriage is followed by other problems in later pregnancies.
1961 - Patriarch Joseph Kenndy suffers a disabling stroke.
Curse or bad luck? He was 73, for God's sake.
1963 - JFK and Jackie's second son dies after he is born prematurely.
Curse or bad luck? OK, Jackie and John aren't having much luck when it comes to having healthy bubs.
1963 - JFK is assassinated, on the same day his great-grandfather dies.
Curse or bad luck? Now, his great-grandfather must have been bloody ancient by now. He could have gone any day. And we all know about the assassination. But he was the President, he was in a slow-moving open-topped vehicle, in a country with lots of guns and wackos, at a time when the USA was undergoing profound social changes in an uncertain international environment. Again - just a matter of time.
1968 - His brother Robert is assassinated.
Curse or bad luck? If I was the sort of person who hated politicians enough to kill them, and I was going for Bobby Kennedy, then I would probably plump for the symbolic method of taking him out in a similar manner to his dead, famous brother. JFK had already shown that politics can be a violent game in the States - Bobby simply proved the point further. If he and John had settled for jobs as partners in a suburban law firm, they would probably both still be here.
1969 - Ted Kennedy drives his car off a bridge at Chappaquiddick, killing the passenger.
Curse or bad luck? Ted didn't die. Ted was drunk. Ted had a reckless driving charge already under his belt. Ted went on to serve a long, distinguished career in the US Senate. In fact, seems the curse here was on poor old Mary Jo Kopechne.
1972 - Robert's son is on a plane that is hijacked by Palestinian militants.
Curse or bad luck? So were about 300 other people.
1973 - Jackie's stepson dies in a plane crash.
Curse or bad luck? Stepson? He's not even a Kennedy!
1984 - Robert's son David dies of a cocaine and Demerol overdose.
Curse or bad luck? I think you'll find that it was a lethal combination of expensive drugs, not a curse, that killed the young chap.
1988 - Jackie's stepdaughter dies of drug abuse-related heart failure.
Curse or bad luck? See the last two.
1991 - William Kennedy Smith fights a rape charge in a highly publicised trial. And then acquitted.
Curse or bad luck? The operative word here is, 'acquitted'.
1994 - Jackie Kennedy dies of cancer.
Curse or bad luck? Aged 64. Lots of people have cancer, by the way.
1997 - One of Robert's sons dies in a skiing accident.
Curse or bad luck? Why can't these people die in less glamorous ways? I never heard of a Kennedy dying in a box-crushing accident. OK, seems Robert's side did get a raw deal.
1999 - JFK Jnr. dies in a plane crash.
Curse or bad luck? What is it with the Kennedys and plane accidents? If I even married into the family, I'd be taking trains and ferries for the rest of my life...
So - the verdict?
After reading about the misfortunes to hit the family, I have come to the following conclusions:
1) They indulge in high-risk activities - skiing, flying planes, taking Demerol overdoses, and driving amongst Texans.
2) They are high-profile and therefore are valuable targets. Also, we hear about them a lot. Who knows, there could be a family in western Sydney with a similar attrition rate, but no-one ever mentions the 'Curse of the Smiths from Granville'.
3) They are all mixed up in politics...
4) There are a bloody shitload of them! In fact, good Catholics that they are, the Kennedy clan currently boasts 13 million members in Massachussetts alone. No wonder one of them dies every few years.
5) They are human. Apparently, humans die of cancer, heart failure, and even in plane accidents.
'Busted'. (I'll stop doing that from now on...)
2 comments:
I don't know Tom, there are about 50 odd people in my extended family, none of whom have died in a plane crash, been assassinated, been lobotomised, killed someone in a car crash, been killed in a car crash, died while skiing, died of an overdose or been charged with rape.
They are cursed... or I am lucky.
Hmm... excuse me, I'm going gambling.
Don't take a plane to the TAB. Or a toboggan. And don't do any ice while you're punting. Please, for the love of God.
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