TALES OF TRAVESTY
DR. JITENDRA SINGH
Decades after the mysterious death of Marilyn Monroe, possibly following an overdose of sleeping pills, Astra had written a poem as tribute to one of the most captivating beauties of 20th century in which the star-struck poet wondered whether Monroe, if alive and around at the age past 50, would be as likeable as she once was and therefore, was it not in a way destiny’s favour to Monroe to have lifted her away from our midst when she was still in the prime of her magic spell ! Today, the same could be said of Monroe’s most famous boy friend, President John F Kennedy about whom several hitherto unrevealed facts have suddenly begun to be written about as the world observes 50th year of his tragic assassination that took place exactly half a century ago in 1963.
A new book titled “In these precious Days : The final year of Jack with Jackie” by Christopher Anderson, for the first time, perhaps, discloses in detail the tensions between President Kennedy and the first lady Jacqueline bordering on an imminent divorce on account of President’s torrid extra-marital love affair with Marilyn Monroe. Incidentally, the tensions are said to have reached a climax just a few months before Kennedy’s assassination. Now, this prompts one to visualise what would have been the probable fall-out or outcome of these simmering triangular tensions in Kennedy’s personal life if only he had not gained immortality in the hands of an assassin’s bullet.
Kennedy was atonce an extraordinary personality. In possession of all the attributes in perfect combination which could sweep off her feet even the most unresponsive woman in the world. He was strikingly handsome, young, full of style, son of extraordinarily rich parents, blessed with an intellectual calibre acclaimed even by the likes of Dr Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan, a public orator whose flawless delivery was heard in rapt attention as youngsters took out a copybook and pen to take down quotable quotes pouring from him and above all, a powerful visionary President who inspired a new hope in the minds of post-War world.
We, as very small children, were too small to grasp the nuances of world politics and yet all the school children bitterly wept when the news of Kennedy’s untimely death spread like a wild fire and young women held photographs of Kennedy’s four year old son standing up to salute alongside the President’s guards as they paid their last ceremonial salute during the state funeral.
It was, therefore, nothing unusual for somebody like Marilyn Monroe falling head over heels and, as the above book by Anderson states, even dreaming of becoming Mrs Marilyn Kennedy and thus also America’s first lady. While virtually every woman around looked forward to have an affair with him, John Kennedy too was very generous with women and obliged them with liberal flings. Infact, John Kennedy is said to have confessed to an aide that he was given to stressful headaches if he did not have sex at regular intervals. Thankfully, video cameras or sting operations were not known then !
If only Marilyn Monroe had not allegedly committed suicide and lived long enough for the world to witness the withering away of her glowing glamour! If only John Kennedy had not succumbed to an untimely assassination and lived long enough for the world to witness the decline of the eternally graceful Kennedy aura! If only Providence had allowed Kennedy and Monroe to live their full natural lifespan to be around in 2013……one in his nineties, other in her eighties, how would the world take it today? Or, did the call of premature death save both of them from the ignominy of later years. The common man, who has been witness to the era, will continue to baffle with such questions. And Umapathy would be deprived of the poetic drama that could have unfolded, if only Kennedy and Monroe had lived and waited little longer instead of bemoaning their failure to unite, a La Ghalib ‘‘…..Kuchh Aur Zinda Rahte, Tera Intezaar Hota !’’
Follow our WhatsApp channel