President John F. Kennedy Jr., the grandson of President John F. Kennedy, this week lashed out at the presidential candidate's cousin, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., in a series of mockingly funny videos. A civil war within America's oldest political dynasty.
In a series of Instagram posts, his grandson Jack Schlossberg, 31, variously referred to the 70-year-old Kennedy as a “bad guy,” implied he was on steroids and said, “You lied to us.” Mr. Kennedy is a Russian stooge and a stalking horse for Donald J. Trump.
But what viewers may find more shocked, or even insulted, is the heavily accented caricature the young scion uses to dramatize his points.
He impersonates a fan of the Kennedy family from Massachusetts named Jimmy, who sounds like Ben Affleck in a Dunkin Donuts commercial.
“You know, I'm a fan of his father,” says Schlossberg, who plays Jimmy. “So you know his uncle? Rest in peace, I remember where I was the day he was killed. I mean, it was a tragic day and the whole country I cried. But listen, he's a nuisance. A new man, a young man, he's a hell of a nuisance.”
He introduces us to a Southerner named Wade who breeds horses and says, “You can always tell if a horse is full of testosterone. Steroids don't make horses think better.” And he is an Italian-American Long Islander named Anthony (or “Antony”) who worries that Mr. Kennedy will reduce the military at a time when China and Russia “everyone is against us.” reminds me of.
But the most poignant scene is in Schlossberg's scene in which Joshua, an elderly New York Jew, speaks of Mr. Kennedy in a soft, sing-song voice, and soon becomes concerned that Mr. Kennedy will follow through. is. his promise to abolish the Federal Reserve;
If so, he cries out, “Who will protect my money?”
Mr. Schlossberg's imitation of fake voters was a surprising reversal for a family whose chowder-like, “r”-averse New England vibe has long been the subject of public scrutiny. While so many people imitated the Kennedys, this Kennedy seemed to be studying the impressions of so many people.
Here is the Prince of Camelot, John Bouvier Kennedy Schlossberg, who may have political ambitions of his own, and who spends his days on weekdays trying to undermine the ideas of his relatives that he thinks will tarnish Kennedy's name. voters' stereotypes.
Mr. Schlossberg has long been cornered by Mr. Biden. He attended the 2020 Democratic National Convention with his mother, Caroline Kennedy, who currently serves as Biden's ambassador to Australia. And in July, he criticized his cousin's presidential campaign, which was then aimed at defeating Biden in the Democratic primary, in a social media video, calling it “disgraceful.”
But this attack was more stinging.
Some online fans have praised the online antics of the young Kennedy heir, who holds three Ivy League degrees and clearly has plenty of free time. Mr. Schlossberg, who bears a striking resemblance to his late uncle John F. Kennedy Jr., strikes a carefree pose. He goes to the beach, cracks coconuts, surfs, and plays the role of a laid-back beach idiot.
The Biden campaign did not immediately respond to questions about whether Schlossberg's video barrage was done in coordination with the campaign.
However, it seemed likely that it would further strain his large family.
Mr. Kennedy's campaign did not respond to requests for comment, but he has cast himself as the heir to his family's political legacy, relying heavily on a throwback image and nostalgia for Camelot.
Mr. Schlossberg's videos often appear to have been filmed on the beach in some tropical-like location, but they appear to be very contemporary, with a broad swath of the Kennedy family rejecting that idea entirely. It's a reminder.
Mr. Schlossberg has hinted in the past that he's eyeing elected office, and at the very least, he's shown a willingness to take some comedic risks. Again, candidate humor, which is itself an occasional oxymoron, tends to be most successful when it is self-deprecating rather than directed at voters.
Whatever his flaws and however much he relies on cliched stereotypes, Mr. Schlossberg gives a clearly committed performance.
And who pays attention to his replies.
After seeing the reaction to his video and the criticism from people who were offended by his caricature, he posted a series of clips that are again in character and not disappointing.
“They say I have this accent, I make fun of people, I make fun of people who work,” he said as Anthony. “That's not my intention, and I'm not being rude.” And as Joshua, he claimed, “I'm Jewish and I grew up in New York City, so I'm not making fun of anyone.”
“These characters still seem to be speaking in Joshua's voice, but now as themselves,” he added. “It actually helps me cope.”
