MovieChat Forums > The Kennedys (2011) Discussion > So, there obviously wasn't a race to the...

So, there obviously wasn't a race to the moon...

posted 14 years ago by rokkitgurl
14 replies | jump to latest

So, is there a reason that the most influential person of the American space program was not presented as such?

I was very disappointed with the complete dismissal of these events. Events that shaped the 60s from a decade of devastation and fear into a decade of discovery and human achievement.

Ugh, now I understand why the history channel didn't carry this...

So many historical inaccuracies... even beyond NOT mentioning the space race.
Marilyn Monroe, The Cuban Missile Crisis, leaving out most of 1962...

So frustrating. I'm going to watch Thirteen Days now... and JFK... and the original Kennedy series with Martin Sheen. He makes a great president. :)

[–] sassback2391 14 years ago

The Space Race of the early 60s is something that I thought didn't have to totally be in there but at least deserved a mention in passing, particularly the famous 'moon' speech. Of course, we didn't reach the moon until even after RFK died, so the rest of the 'moon neglect' makes sense.

And thank you! Yes, so many inaccuracies, people love to defend this series for some reason, when frankly, this series should be ashamed to call itself historical in any way and go hide in the corner. But I guess by being on ReelzChannel, it did go to a sort of metaphorical corner.

Thirteen Days has its own inaccuracies. A pretty good Kennedy series to watch is The Women of Camelot. I mean, it only focuses on Jackie, Ethel, and Joan Kennedy, and it still has more detail and accuracy than this series.

[–] junkmail32055 14 years ago

This "Camelot" myth BS was not started till long after JFK was killed. That is the biggest inaccuracies of all.

[–] doug65oh 14 years ago

This "Camelot" myth BS was not started till long after JFK was killed. That is the biggest inaccuracies of all.

The truth is that the Camelot myth BS as you put it started within two weeks of President Kennedy's death, with an article written by Theodore H. White for Life magazine. (See pg. 158-159 of Life's issue for December 6, 1963.) The magazine's original run (about 36 years worth) is available in full text via Google Books at http://books.google.com/books?id=R1cEAAAAMBAJ&source=gbs_navlinks_ s#all_issues_anchor

The interface is a tad clunky in terms of user-friendliness, but if you check the box that says Search all issues and enter the terms Theodore H. White Camelot in the search field you’ll find it – and that, my friend, is no BS…

[–] Yorick_Brown 14 years ago

You're confusing inaccuracies with exclusions and there wasn't inaccurate about the inclusions of Monroe and the crisis.

JFK and RFK both died long since we ever landed on the moon. What would have been the point?

You and I were made for this
I was made to taste your kiss
We were made to never fall away

[–] sassback2391 14 years ago

Maybe the OP is referring to how disappointing the exclusion of the space race was in addition to the inaccuracies?

Space race was an important part of history for the 60s, but not too much to the series. I think a lot of people who were (are) huge JFK supporters like to talk about the moon, because increasing the space program funding was ome of the only successful things that JFK ever did.

A quick 20-second recreation of the 'And we're going to put a man on the moon!" speech would have, I think, been adequate.

[–] rokkitgurl 14 years ago

Exactly...

The fact is...

Yes, men landed on the moon after JFK died.

That's not my point. I am referring to his famous "moon speech" and his influence on the early days of the space program. Kennedy frequented NASA, both in Texas and Florida. Every single one of the original Seven Mercury astronauts that flew visited The White House following their flights.

To leave this out was to simply ignore history. But that is all this series did. So many inconsistencies just made me mad.

I will check out Women of Camelot. Thanks for the suggestion.

[–] rokkitgurl 14 years ago

"...there wasn't inaccurate about the inclusions of Monroe and the crisis."

I am going to have to disagree. Mostly with the Monroe issues. She was already mentally destroyed before the Kennedy's even came around to see her. Jack was the straw that broke the camels back. The series implied that Jack was the only man she loves, blah, blah, blah. And lest we forget how totally UNfaithful RFK was to Ethel. Marilyn has written text regarding both brothers in bed.

[–] Yorick_Brown 14 years ago

The series implied that Jack was the only man she loves, blah, blah, blah.

No, it didn't. Just how obsessed she was with him as she really was.

Can you imagine no first dance, freeze dried romance, five-hour phone conversation?

[–] rokkitgurl 14 years ago

Disagree... once again.. I love how they BLATANTLY left out the infamous affair she had with RFK... This show really was that crap....

[–] Yorick_Brown 14 years ago

They simply didn't have the time to show that.

"The only thing thicker than blood is the ink on Page Six."

-Gossip Girl (CW)

[–] rokkitgurl 14 years ago

It was an EIGHT part series... they didn't have time? I'm laughing so hard, I've spilled my coffee...

[–] Yorick_Brown 14 years ago

And with the Kennedys story, that's nowhere near more than enough.

Maybe there's an invisible hand guiding me to all that's great and good.

[–] Jeff0015 14 years ago

absolutely. the space program is a quintessential kennedy idea because it is so big. at least it could have been mentioned.

[–] 14 years ago

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