JR Is Dead, but He Did Better than Most Children of Successful Parents

Larry Hagman died yesterday. He was 81...it had been 32 years since he exited Dallas, presumably killed by his sister-in-law mistress. But JR was not dead, and every Dallas fan knew that in their adoring guts...JR Ewing, for that was Hagman's persona in real life as on Dallas, the most beloved "hated" TV character ever created, could not die. Yesterday, the statistics of cancer survival overtook showbiz. And, truth to tell, Larry Hagman did JR proud. His portrayal of the mean-hearted but magnetic hyper-bad-guy will probably never be repeated. And, dear readers, since it is Saturday, and we have had a bone-crushing week of heavy weight politics and brinksmanship in the Middle East, let's explore a lighter topic -- children of highly successful and famous parents. Larry Hagman was the son of Mary Martin, one of the true stars of 20th century Broadway and Hollywood. Had he come from modest parentage, one can ask if JR ever would have existed...but, to give Hagman his due, he seemed to have a real talent for television portrayals...he was, after all, before JR, the airline pilot who took Jeannie out of her bottle every week for five years. But some of the children of "stars" have not fared so well. Americans are today witnessing the collapse of the political career of Jesse Jackson Jr, son of the man who spun a worldwide presence out of his friendship with Martin Luther King. JJJ, as Americans call Jesse Jackson's son, has not matched his father's success, plagued by mental health problems and a political bribery case forcing him out of his congressional seat. And, we can only cringe at the political pretentions of Ronald Reagan's son, Michael. One could easily shred Michael Reagan's lack of political experience or insight if it were not for his famous name. There are also the young Sarkozy's in France and the Gandhi family in India following on with little success from Nehru and Indira Gandhi. The world has also watched two generations of young Kennedys try without any success to follow in Jack's and Bobby's footsteps, proving that political genius is not a genetic factor...it is earned by years of in-place training and survival based on intelligence and street smarts. And Europeans are witnessing the thus far unsuccessful effort of Prince Albert of Monaco to approach the worldwide adulation lavished on his mother, Princess Grace. But...there is one star who can stand shoulder-to-shoulder with not his parent but his aunt. George Clooney. The nephew of Rosemary Clooney, a famous singer and actress in the 1950s and 1960s. George has proved himself to be the exception that proves the rule. But, not content to remain an icon of modern manly allure, George has shown signs of having been bitten by the political bug. Good luck, George...but, personally, I prefer you in The American or Oceans 12.