Last night I was started by a hissing that could only be produced by a burlap sack full of angry cobras.* It was actually the sound of the heat in my old-ass apartment building turning on for the season. I’d complain that the only place hotter than hell is a junior one-bedroom in a pre-war building heated by ancient radiators, but (as fucked up as it is), having heat is a luxury amid the embers of late capitalism, so I’m going to STFU and open a window.
Anyhoo, you’re probably wondering what cultural ephemera has buried itself deep into my brain and started laying eggs. Let’s start with this 2018 Washington Post article about Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s plight to exonerate Sirhan Sirhan, the man convicted of assassinating his father. Every well-written article has one little bit of color or detail that stays with me for years. For me, it’s not the fact that RFK Jr. walked out of a 3-hour meeting with Sirhan Sirhan convinced a second gunman killed his dad instead of the man who served 50 years for the crime. I don’t actually have an opinion on any of that. I’m most captivated by this little bit of color:
Just before Christmas, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. pulled up to the massive Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility, a California state prison complex in the desert outside San Diego that holds nearly 4,000 inmates. Kennedy was there to visit Sirhan B. Sirhan, the man convicted of killing his father, Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, nearly 50 years ago
While his wife, the actress Cheryl Hines, waited in the car, Kennedy met with Sirhan for three hours, he revealed to The Washington Post last week.
ICYMI: “While his wife, the actress Cheryl Hines, waited in the car, Kennedy met with Sirhan for three hours, he revealed to The Washington Post last week.” Cheryl Hines. Sat in a car. In a prison parking lot. In the desert. FOR THREE HOURS!
What I wouldn’t give to eavesdrop on that inner monologue while she was sitting in that car waiting for her husband. I try to avoid prescribing undue virtue onto attractive strangers simply because they’ve appeared on TV shows I’ve enjoyed, but one point in her favor entails her reality-based attitude toward vaccines. In contrast, her husband seems like the kind of guy who will hold you hostage at a party while he monologues about how the Earth is actually hollow. A once prominent environmental lawyer and scion of a storied political dynasty got red-pilled beyond return. Sad! I imagine his inner monologue looks more or less like this these days:
I would love to know how Cheryl Hines passed that three hours in a prison parking lot. Did she listen to podcasts? Did she call old friends to catch up? (“Gurrrrrl, guess where I am … you’ll never guess … nope… not Cape Cod … nope … not the Hamptons, not even close, lol.”) Did she reevaluate certain life decisions? (“I know the vows said ‘in sickness and in health,’ but what about the sickness that results from watching the wrong string of YouTube videos at 2 am and walking away thinking 5G networks are enforcing mind control?”)
I like imagining she conducted a fearless and thorough inventory of her husband’s idiosyncrasies and decided that any new hobby or crusade that doesn’t revive fatal childhood diseases is a worthy use of her husband’s time. In simpler terms, I envision an emotional journey similar to the one happening in that Alonzo Mourning GIF. You know the one.
WTF Happened to That Guy?
While writing this post, I happened upon this New York Times story about RFK Jr’s anti-vaxx crusades. This is a type story I like to call “WTF Happened to That Guy,” where a reporter calls friends, family members, colleagues, and/or fans of a subject and asks them questions like “When did that guy’s brain break?” or “Was he always such a prick?” or “Where did it all go wrong?” As you might imagine, it’s one of my favorite kinds of stories, even if they can be rather heartbreaking.
RFK Jr’s younger sister, Kerry Kennedy, offered this particularly devastating quote:
“We have much more in common than our differences on vaccines, but on that subject we are diametrically opposed,” she said. “I can’t say enough how much I love Bobby. It’s so heartbreaking. It’s so tough.”
Some standout articles from the WTF Happened to That Guy genre include:
This feature from the Cut dissecting JK Rowling’s descent from beloved children’s author to transphobic bully.
This January 2022 Washington Post feature trying to chart JD Vance’s descent from center-right VC drone to craven, far-right MAGA culture warrior.
This fantastic 2018 CJR feature by Lyz Lenz trying to nail down Tucker Carlson’s transition from annoying but semi-respected contrarian to a bona fide mouthpiece for white supremacists.
In other Sirhan Sirhan news, he was denied parole by California governor Gavin Newsom at the beginning of this year, despite the state parole board’s recommendation to release him. Sounds like Bobby Jr has his work cut out for him.
Till next time.
Xoxo,
Maggie
Always enjoy your writing. Somehow didn’t know I could subscribe 😄 Looking forward to Maggie In My Inbox
Loved this one Maggie - keep up the good work.