I’m a serious TV watcher — I go through shows the way most people go through a bag of chips. That being said, I’m always on the lookout for my next binge. After scrolling through Hulu’s extensive catalog, I landed on “Love Story.” Since its release, a lot of buzz has circulated about it, so I decided to give it a chance. The show is based on the real-life relationship between John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette, exploring their high-profile romance and the media scrutiny that surrounded it. Here are my thoughts.
When I’m watching a show, I find myself unintentionally analyzing it. I am constantly trying to predict which characters will end up together, how the story will wrap up and what conflicts could emerge along the way. This show, specifically, touched on the unique pressures that celebrity couples face from both society and the media. Before John, Carolyn lived a relatively regular life with a successful career in the fashion industry. She was a diligent employee at Calvin Klein, steadily making a name for herself within the company. It was just around the time she was ascending the corporate ladder that she met John.
John came from one of the most prominent American families and had lived in the public eye for most of his life, so he was used to constant attention from the paparazzi. He was widely praised in the media, and in the eyes of the public, he could do no wrong. Carolyn, however, entered the relationship unknown to the public, making her an easy target for judgment and criticism. Narratives were quickly projected onto her by the masses, never allowing her the opportunity to prove that she could live up to the Kennedy name.
It’s one thing for the media to portray Carolyn a certain way, but John did little to defend her. Although he promised that he would speak to the paparazzi and establish boundaries, he never followed through. In my opinion, he should’ve made a statement formally introducing Carolyn to the press, so they were at least aware of her entry into the Kennedy family and could work to understand who she was. Then, maybe Carolyn would’ve felt comfortable engaging with the media herself and come off as more human rather than just a figure attached to the Kennedy name.
“Love Story” suggests that there needs to be a villain in every high-profile relationship to give the public something to talk about, and in this case, Carolyn became the target of scrutiny and blame. The media quickly spun a narrative labeling Carolyn a drug addict, with many others deeming her “cold.” The series highlights how easily the public chooses to accept the stories the press creates about public figures, regardless of their accuracy. In Carolyn Bessette’s case, many members of the public disapproved of a “nobody” sweeping John, one of America’s most desirable bachelors, off the marriage market. The heavy scrutiny that followed took a toll on Carolyn’s sense of identity, ultimately causing her to lose sight of herself when she got together with John. Through this central relationship dynamic, the show exposes the reality of celebrity relationships and emphasizes that marrying into fame is far more complicated than many people assume. The pressures of public attention create emotional strain for both partners, and after John and Carolyn officially tied the knot, those pressures only worsened.
After returning to reality following the grandiose wedding festivities, Carolyn received a job offer from Ralph Lauren, an incredible opportunity that would have allowed her to continue building her career. After completing her interview and preparing to accept the position, she was greeted by a swarm of paparazzi outside the building. Fearing that the company would be negatively affected by her newfound fame, she was ultimately forced to turn down the job offer. She shouldn’t have had to sacrifice her career for marriage, but Carolyn is just another entry in a long list of women whose professional lives were disrupted by media attention. Historically, paparazzi have crossed personal boundaries purely for monetary gain, regardless of who is harmed in the process. Meanwhile, John’s magazine, “George,” was flourishing.
Why is it that Carolyn was expected to give up professional opportunities for John while his career continued to thrive?
This points to a broader dynamic that tends to appear in relationships: More often than not, the woman is the one to adapt and compromise for the sake of the relationship. While men are canonically entitled to a successful career without question, women are more likely to be expected to reshape their lives around the ambitions of their male counterparts. Carolyn was expected to become a Kennedy, a role full of unfamiliar expectations and traditions. John wanted to include her in his world, but she struggled to adjust to the many unspoken rules that came with it.
This tension became the focus in episode 8, which revolved around a family trip to the Kennedy house in Hyannis, Massachusetts. Although it is technically a vacation, the experience is anything but relaxing, with on-screen Carolyn describing the trip as being entirely “scripted.” There is a specific itinerary that is followed: Meals are to be eaten at certain times, cards are the only acceptable “board game,” and yogurt is strictly considered a breakfast food. Had I been in Carolyn’s position, I would have felt both confused and disappointed; if I were told that I was going on a family vacation, I would expect it to actually feel like one. I can easily imagine feeling like an imposter in that environment, surrounded by people who know the Kennedy vacation etiquette while I do not.
What makes the situation even more frustrating is that John seemed to have set Carolyn up for failure. A quick rundown on what typically happens on Kennedy vacations could have prevented some of the embarrassing and uncomfortable situations that followed.
The dynamic of the Kennedy family comes off as toxic in many ways, with Carolyn repeatedly being called out or put on the spot for failing to follow expectations she was never taught. One example occurs during a family dinner, when everyone is expected to share their thoughts about politics and current events. The tradition was meant to be fun and games, but Carolyn had no idea that everyone was expected to participate in the conversation. When John’s grandma begins directing questions toward her, Carolyn is caught off guard and struggles to respond. Once again, she is made to feel foolish in a room full of people who already know the rules. What was intended to be a relaxing time away from the relentless New York paparazzi turned into yet another performative act, nothing like the vacation Carolyn was hoping for. Throughout the episode, John seems unable to fully grasp how different their backgrounds are, expecting Carolyn to conform to the world he was born into rather than helping her find her footing.
Even today, celebrity marriages come with their own set of challenges; sometimes, it can be hard to distinguish the reality of a relationship from the constant “false advertising” perpetuated by the media. So much was expected of Carolyn, which is understandable given her entry into a near-celebrity family, but only to a certain extent. She shouldn’t have been asked to reconstruct her entire identity in order to marry the man that she loved. A relationship is give-and-take, not a dynamic in which one person must sacrifice everything they know. Of course, the couple shared their “normal” moments, but every celebrity relationship is layered with secrets that remain hidden from public view.