A major American icon, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis has been portrayed, alluded to, and referred to in many media in the popular culture from the 1960s and continuing into the 21st century.
Andy Warhol's 16 Jackies (1964) uses four news images of Kennedy prior to, the day of, and shortly after her husband's assassination. Warhol made several copies of this piece, using a combination of silkscreen and painting; one is in the collection of the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota.[1][2][3]
Gerhard Richter's 1964 painting Frau mit Schirm (Woman with Umbrella) is an emotional but respectful portrait of Kennedy, painted from a newspaper image.[4]
In the 1968 movie Eat Your Makeup directed by John Waters, Divine plays Jackie Kennedy in a re-enactment of the JFK assassination. Waters later said on The Graham Norton Show that the scenes were filmed on his parents' home street to the neighbors' disgust, as it was not long after the real assassination had occurred.[citation needed]
In The End of a Dynasty (1988), a docudrama about the "Kennedy curse", Cortnie Campbell plays Kennedy.
In the 1991 film JFK, actress Jodie Farber plays Kennedy.
The 1992 film Love Field, set during (and after) the President Kennedy's assassination, a Dallas housewife's life centers around Kennedy's actions, and she finds herself ruined by the President's assassination in Dallas. The role of Kennedy is played by actress Rhoda Griffis, in what is regarded as her breakout role.[citation needed]
Kat Steffens portrays her in the 2013 film Parkland.
The 2016 film Jackie centers around the first lady (played by Natalie Portman, who was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance) as she reacts to her husband's death in the days following the assassination.
The 1978 film The Greek Tycoon is a fictionalized portrayal of the story of Kennedy and her second husband, with the names changed. The Jackie Kennedy character, named Liz Cassidy, is portrayed by Jacqueline Bisset, who also portrayed Kennedy in America's Prince. Bisset's clothes were designed by Halston, who was also designing for Kennedy at the time.[citation needed]
In the 1997 film Spice World, bandmember Posh Spice of the Spice Girls, appears in the photoshoot scene as Jackie Kennedy wearing a brown matching Pill box hat and Chanel suit with Jackie's trademark sunglasses and a handbag.
In the 1997 movie The House of Yes, actress Parker Posey played a main character who referred to herself as "Jackie O.", due to her obsession with the First Lady.
In the 2001 film Legally Blonde, the main character is left by her boyfriend with the following explanation: "If I'm going to be a Senator by the time I'm thirty, well, I need to marry a Jackie, not a Marilyn."
In the 2007 film Hairspray, Tracy made a reference to Kennedy's hairstyle when Edna Turnblad says her hair is "naturally stiff". Tracy also mentioned her as the first lady because the movie took place at the time of her husband's presidency.
In the 2015 animated film Minions, supporting character Scarlet Overkill's style is very similar to and based on Jackie Kennedy's as she wears similar glasses, the same gloves and has a similar hairstyle that strongly resemble hers.
In Jackie Bouvier Kennedy Onassis (2000 TV miniseries), a 4-hour adaptation of the book by Donald Spoto, Sally Taylor-Isherwood plays Jackie Bouvier at 8, Emily VanCamp plays Jackie Bouvier at 13, and Joanne Whalley plays Jackie Bouvier Kennedy Onassis as an adult
In season two of The Crown (2016 Netflix original TV series), South African film and television actress Jodi Balfour plays Kennedy. The season is set in the early 1960s, during Queen Elizabeth II's early reign.[9]
For the season 43 of sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live, Natalie Portman reprised the role of Kennedy who comes as a ghost to give advice to First Lady Melania Trump (portrayed by Cecily Strong). In the sketch, Melania refers to Kennedy as "Jackie O's".[10]
Literature
(Alphabetical by author)
Ira Levin's Rosemary's Baby (1967) features a dream sequence in which Rosemary Woodhouse finds herself on a yacht with the First Family and briefly speaks to Kennedy. This scene is depicted in the 1968 film version, but the identity of the Kennedys is not made clear.[11]
In Kurt Vonnegut's Galápagos (1985), Onassis is one of several celebrity guests who abandon the cruise before it leaves port.[12]
Steven Rowley's The Editor is a novel about a writer for whom Jackie Onassis is the receptive and kind editor of his first novel.
The following are books in which Onassis is referenced biographically:
Branch, Shelly Branch; Callaway, Sue (2006). What Would Jackie Do? An Inspired Guide to Distinctive Living. Gotham Books.
Branford, Sarah (2000). America's Queen The Life of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis (Illustrateded.). New York: Viking.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: publisher location (link)
"Jackie Will Save Me" by American rock band Shiny Toy Guns
"Jump Down, Spin Around (Pick A Dress O' Cotton)" lyrics by Allan Sherman - one of the earliest songs that mention her: "See how this one looks on me, Just like Jackie Kennedy."
"La, La, La" (Excuse me Miss Again)" by Jay-Z - Kennedy is referenced in the lyrics
"The Lady is a Vamp" by the Spice Girls - Kennedy is referenced in the lyrics
"Linda Lovelace" by David Allan Coe - Kennedy is referenced in the lyrics
"National Anthem" by Lana Del Rey - Del Rey emulates Kennedy while reenacting the JFK assassination and the couple's life together alongside rapper ASAP Rocky in the song's music video
JACKS, by Lys Anzia — Fremont Centre Theatre, South Pasadena, CA[17]* Cirque Jacqueline by Andrea Reese — Triad Theater, NY, NY.[13]
The Secret Letters of Jackie & Marilyn, by Mark Hampton and Michael Sharp - O'Reilly Theatre, Pittsburgh, PA[18]
The Tragedy of JFK (as told by Wm. Shakespeare), produced by the Blank Theatre in Los Angeles — Casey McKinnon's award-winning performance as Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy is based on Calpurnia in Shakespeare's Julius Caesar who warns her husband not to go forth today.[19][20]
Television and anime references
(Alphabetical by series)
In Breaking Bad: "Madrigal", Mike likens Lydia to "Jackie Onassis" because of her insistence on wearing sunglasses during a clandestine meeting.
In The Crown, South African actress Jodi Balfour plays Kennedy in a Season 2 episode set during the Kennedys' visit of Buckingham Palace in 1961.
In one episode of The Drew Carey Show, Mimi Bobeck shows up to work wearing oversized glasses and a scarf over her hair due to an allergic reaction to her makeup. This prompts Drew to remark, "It's Jackie! Oh my God!"
In Family Guy: "E. Peterbus Unum", Lois is dressed in the a pink Chanel suit while giving tours of Petoria. There is also a reference to Jackie Onassis in "The Road to the Multiverse", in which she is portrayed as the wife of the "Mayor Mccheese" on a scene similar to Zapruder film.
Jackie O's famous pillbox hat is featured in The Flintstones: "Social Climbers" (original airdate November 17, 1961). In it, Wilma and Betty are visiting one of Bedrock's houses of Haute Couture to look for a dress for the Ambassador's Reception and Betty comments on the new "Jackie Kennerock" look.
In Futurama: "A Taste of Freedom", the outfit Amy wears during Zoidberg's trial is similar to Onassis' style.
In Series 6, Episode 21 of Gilmore Girls, Lorelai walks into her parents' living room to find Emily lying on the couch and says, "Oh, I'm sorry Mrs. Onassis, I was looking for my mother".
In the season two episode Gossip Girl: "Seder Anything", Blair Waldorf mentions that "if being a socialite is good enough for Jackie O, it's good enough for me."
In one episode of King of the Hill, several 1970's icons are on a murder mystery train. As Jacqueline enters, a character says: "Oh look, Jackie O." Jackie is wearing large sunglasses and a scarf.
In Married... with Children: "Dud Bowl" (season nine), Polk High School's rival, George S. Patton High, is renamed Jackie Onassis High. The school's mascot is the First Ladies, and the uniforms are pink and black. This is a reference to a famous Chanel suit Onassis wore on the day her first husband was assassinated.
The school attended by the characters of Popular is named Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis High School.
The season five premiere of Quantum Leap involves a storyline where Sam "leaps" into Lee Harvey Oswald and fails to save President Kennedy from his assassination. Then, "leaping" into Secret Service agent Clint Hill, Sam discovers from Al that he wasn't there to save the President, he was there to save Onassis (implying that in an earlier timeline she died as well).
In one episode of Queer as Folk, Emmett dresses up as Onassis for a party thrown by Michael and David. In an apparent reference to her husband's assassination, shrimp cocktail is spilled on his coat, causing it to resemble Onassis' blood-spattered suit after JFK's assassination.
On Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In (second season), Jackie Onasis is impersonated in a "Cocktail Party" segment lampooning her newly acquired image as a materialistic spendthrift: "Ari and I had a garage sale. We made a lot of money. So far, we've sold three garages."
In Scream Queens, Chanel Oberlin dresses in a Jackie Kennedy inspired outfit for Halloween in the first season's fifth episode, which is also later worn by Libby Putney / Chanel #5 in the same episode.
In Seinfeld: "The Chaperone", Elaine Benes (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) interviews for Onassis' former job as editor at Doubleday and wears large sunglasses and a scarf over her hair in a style similar to that of Onassis.
Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis is referenced in The Simpsons in several ways. Marge Simpson's mother is named Jacqueline Ingrid Bouvierα, and Marge Simpson was made known of the origin of her maiden name by Lisa when she wanted to adopt the maiden name after exposing Homer's betting scandal on Homer and Lisa Exchange Cross Words. Marge mistakenly thought "Jackie-O", as in Onassis, was her maiden name. Mayor Quimby speaks with inflections similar to those of the former president, and his wife resembles Onassis. Marge is also seen buying and wearing the Pink Chanel suit to a country club in one episode.
In Thunderbirds (TV series)Tin-Tin Kyrano is seen wearing Jackie Kennedy styled outfits and hairstyles in some of the episodes whilst the female driver in the episode City of Fire bears some resemblance to Jackie.
In The Vampire Diaries: "The Last Dance" (season two), Caroline goes to the sixties decade dance as Jackie Kennedy and her boyfriend Matt goes as JFK.
The Venture Bros. character Dr. Girlfriend resembles Onassis, but talks in a deep male voice meant to be an exaggeration of Onassis' voice, made husky due to her excessive smoking. In the fourth episode of the third season, "Home Is Where the Hate Is", Dr. Girlfriend is given the following clues during a party game: "You're married to a powerful man", "You're famous for your pink suit and pillbox hat". Dr. Girlfriend is confused and, upon discovering the name she was assigned, exclaims: "Who the hell is Jacqueline Onassis?"
Internet memes
In 2022 on Twitter and TikTok, users began posting memes that satirizing Jackie Kennedy's physical appearance and depicting her as a feral creature who ate and enjoyed multiple obtuse objects such as sheet metal, spare change (pennies) and the White House's marble columns, among others. The memes are usually accompanied by audios of growling noises and captions in similar vein to "JACKIE WANT SHEET METAL!!!"[21][22]
Video games
The popular music Video Game Rock Band 2 features a Sunglasses accessory called "Jackie O's" which are Jackie's famous trademark sunglasses.
The 2024 video game Dustborn depicts an alternate history in which Jackie was accidentally assassinated instead of John F. Kennedy.
Notes and references
α The show's developers created this character and named her after Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, whose maiden name was Bouvier. It is also noted that Marge Simpson has the maiden name "Bouvier", and all Bouvier women are voiced by Julie Kavner.
↑ Fallon, Michael (2010), "16 Jackies", How to Analyze the Works of Andy Warhol, ABDO, pp.48–52, ISBN978-1-61613-534-8, Besides Marilyn Monroe, another favorite celebrity subject early in Warhol's career was Jacqueline "Jackie" Kennedy, the wife of President John F. Kennedy. ... Warhol had been deeply affected by [president Kennedy's assassination], which was covered widely in the mass media.
↑ Morris, Daniel (2002), Remarkable Modernisms: Contemporary American Authors on Modern Art, University of Massachusetts Press, pp.157–158, ISBN978-1-55849-324-7, Warhol wanted to exist as an "after" image in the realm of appearances alongside such celebrated survivors of cultural violence as Jackie O., whom Warhol depicted in a series of panels as she appeared on the day of President John F. Kennedy's assassination and in the sad days that followed.
↑ Dietmar Elger (2010), Gerhard Richter: A Life in Painting, Elizabeth M. Solaro (trans.), University of Chicago Press, p.50, ISBN978-0-226-20323-2, But he also painted prominent figures without revealing their identities; the nearly unmistakable figure of Jacqueline Kennedy thus hides behind the title Woman with Umbrella.
↑ "New Faces In Washington", CBS News, February 11, 2009, Two pieces from Mion's series of paintings of the first ladies - "Stop Action Reaction" portraying Kennedy and "Eyes Only for You" portraying Reagan - show the subjects not as "stiff formal figures but as women whose personal stories represent women's experiences," Reaves said. The portrait of Kennedy shows her holding a "king" playing card depicting her husband, John F. Kennedy, with the card shattered by a bullet.
↑ O'Sullivan, Michael (June 1, 2007), "Portraiture Now: Framing Memory", The Washington Post, archived from the original on September 19, 2012, In "Stop Action Reaction," Jacqueline Kennedy holds a playing card -- with JFK as the king of hearts -- that's been penetrated by a bullet. It's a clever conflation of that famous high-speed photograph with the equally well-known Zapruder film, whose every frame has been analyzed, and argued about, to a fare-thee-well.
↑ Tally, Robert T. Jr. (2009), "Apocalypse in the Optative Mood: Galápagos, or, Starting Over", in Simmons, David (ed.), New Critical Essays on Kurt Vonnegut(PDF), American Literature Readings in the 21st Century, Macmillan, pp.114–131, ISBN978-0-230-61627-1, a globally marketed event that was supposed to feature celebrity guests such as Jacqueline Onassis ... A severe financial crisis has put the cruise in jeopardy, as the celebrities have all dropped out.
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