Who Killed JFK is a Refreshing Addition to the Assassination Discourse

From the dawn of time, humans have indulged in what we now call conspiracies. The very facts our society is based on were once myths deeply steeped in conspiracy. Who really invented fire? What are those giant beasts that keep eating my cousins? Is Taylor Swift a secret government plant? Yes, even our paleo-ancestors spent way too much time thinking about Ms. Swift. 

But the most popular Granddaddy of them all has always been the Kennedy assassination. It gives you everything you want in a conspiracy: a death, and an incredibly important one at that. Our no good, secretive government. Spies, both international and domestic. A grieving widow the country adored and idolized. This list could go on for the rest of the review because seriously, the Kennedy assassination has it all. 

But what made it especially cat-nippy to those of us who study, adore, and obsess over conspiracies is the sheer wildness of the cover up. The Warren Commission was a joke and that’s not a controversial opinion. From the date of its release through to today, polling has found that few trusted the report that was the culmination of their investigation. That there was some sort of conspiracy is, funny enough, not actually the conspiracy theory in question. Instead, discourse has broken down around three important questions: who was behind the conspiracy to murder the President (or, to say it another way, which of the many suggested motives was the true one), how many shooters were there, and did Lee Harvey Oswald participate in the killing at all or was he simply the fall guy, the patsy, as he himself suggested shortly before Jack Ruby shot him on live TV. 

Thankfully, Who Killed JFK, produced by iHeartMedia and hosted by Rob Reiner and Soledad O’Brien answers two of those questions definitely and comes as close as they dare to answering the third. 

Before we continue, it’s important here to differentiate between two categories of conspiracy theories (or should I say the two poles of conspiracy theories). On one end you have the completely delusional kind. You all know the ones I’m talking about. This pole includes everyone’s favorite: Qanon and the related idea that anchors itself in the belief of baby-blood drinking reptilian pedophiles in positions of power around the world. Or that persistent idea that Elvis is alive and playing at a club in Reno. To be honest I’ve enjoyed a few of those over the years too so it’s hard for me to judge people who get sucked in by them. Although let’s be honest, believing that Tupac is alive and faked his death so he could join fellow revolutionary Assata Shakur in Cuba isn’t as harmful as thinking that Donald Trump is going to lead a revolution. I’ve never stormed Death Row Records because Tupac told me too. But I digress.

On the other pole are the true facts that have been labeled conspiracies for some nefarious reason or another. Now, before you write me off as a kook and stop reading any further, do me a favor and Google MK Ultra, US False Flag activities used to initiate the Vietnam, Spanish-American, and Iraq and Afghanistan Wars, COINTELPRO, and a little thing called Watergate. These true historical acts were once considered (and are still by some for their own political reasons) to be conspiracy theories. Often, it’s the government and certain actors in our for-profit media empires that push the label that these are conspiracies and not to be believed, in an effort to dismiss or cover up their own wrongdoings and/or maintain the status quo. That’s what made this particular show so different and, in my opinion, makes it so important. More on that in a minute.

To finish this explanation let me state clearly that most conspiracy theories fall somewhere between these two poles. There’s a lot of truth to some of them, but also a lot of hyperbole and fabrication. Since the moment that first bullet struck President John F Kennedy in the neck, his assassination has fallen on various points of this spectrum, depending mostly on each individual’s personal beliefs. While I can’t get into all of those bedrocks in this review (nor would I want to, one of the best aspects of this show is its ability to reveal something new to all but the most versed Kennedy obsessed) there are a few on which most Kennedy assassination researchers agree. 

First is the dismissal of what was called the Magic Bullet Theory. This show does an excellent job of introducing people to that crock of bull and not only dismissing it equally eloquently but explaining in thorough detail why it is literally impossible. 

Second is the unquestionable assertion that there was more than one shooter and maybe considerably more. Everybody, even those who believe no part of this theory, know about the grassy knoll. This show does an excellent job of explaining how it isn’t possible that there was only one shooter and even placing different shooters at locations around Dealey Plaza. 

Third is the various suspects, all of whom Oswald (and/or Jack Ruby) had thorough connections to. They are the Russians working with Cuban exiles, the Mob, and US Intelligence. This show extensively sits with each and shows their work while doing it. I was truly blown away by the depth of research included in this show including first person interviews, document reviews, and historical explanations on national and international politics. As we say, they came with receipts. 

As I mentioned earlier, this show definitely answers two of the three biggest questions around Kennedy’s assassinations. After listening to the show, you will walk away knowing with certainty Lee Harvey Oswald’s level of involvement in the actual shooting (not much!) and the likely number of shooters (wow so many!). While Reiner and O’Brien do an excellent job of explaining motives and probable involvements (hint: it wasn’t one singular group or motive but instead a beautiful web of causes that would make Charlie Kelly’s conspiracy wall look like child’s play), they can’t answer this definitely due to, as they make clear, the depths, if not expertise, of the cover up and the many well timed and suspicious deaths of those involved. 

But while this show was incredibly thorough and, additionally, pretty fun to listen to, this isn’t what makes this show so important. Unlike many other podcasts on conspiracy theories and, more specifically, Kennedy’s assassination, Reiner and O’Brien are both big names who bring a very specific kind of credibility to the show. Like Adam Mckay writing Don’t Look Up with the incredible journalist David Sirota, Rob Reiner’s name drips with mainstream credibility. He’s not Oliver Stone or Michael Moore so he isn’t stuck with the “rebel rouser” label. No, this man brought us such classics as When Harry Met Sally, The Princess Bride, and All in the Family. You love his work. Your parents love his work. Your grandparents love his work. That’s enough to make people stop and take notice. 

Likewise, O’Brien is a journalist better recognized for her show Matter of Fact, and her partnership with financial cancer (err respected corporate giant, please don’t wreck my credit score) JP Morgan, which makes the show impossible to dismiss. If I told you that O’Brien was hosting a new show about the Kennedy assassination, your first thought, if you know her at all, would be to assume it’s a soft expose that retells what is already “known” but attempts to re-convince us that Oswald acted alone. Finding out that O’Brien is all of a sudden open to the idea that there was a massive conspiracy to assassinate the President that involved US Intelligence is akin to hearing your MSNBC obsessed Boomer parents expound on the ills of our country’s duopoly. The first few episodes I struggled to get over the feeling that, well of course I know this is true Soledad O’Brien, but now you believe this too? 

That’s the most important aspect of this show; it’s a solid step forward towards challenging the narrative of US impeccability. Instead of me, your terminally online, radical leftist friend telling you that a confluence of national and international actors including those in our own government murdered Kennedy to maintain the US imperialist deathgrip on the world, these are two trusted names using their status and platform to move that conversation more into the mainstream. And I sincerely have to tip my hat to that. I am sure, based on my observance of their work outside this show, that I wouldn’t see eye to eye, at least politically, with either of the hosts. But I commend them for acknowledging their privilege and doing something with it. That happens too infrequently in our world. 

Because this is a review I have to touch on a couple negatives. After getting a tip about this show from Mr. Great Pods himself, I binged it in under three days. That’s how enjoyable I found it. On the flip side, that made the excessive ads absolutely insufferable. Each show had six or more ads and they were, in a simple phrase, absolute ear destruction. Sitting here a few days later I can’t remember a single one. None of them made an impression on me. Instead, by episode three (there are ten episodes and a few bonuses), they made me thankful for Spotify’s fast forward button. I mean really. They were awful.

Also, I would have liked it better if the show was a bit more conversational instead of Rob Reiner essentially teaching Soledad O’Brien  about the whole thing. Don’t get me wrong, he knew his stuff and the personal touch explaining why he’s so into this topic was actually endearing. But there were a few moments throughout the series where the teacher/ pupil relationship fell apart and instead O’Brien seemed more propish. Which was a tad awkward on a few levels. 

Overall, this show is one I truly enjoyed and I’ll assuredly go back and listen to it again. If you’re like me and truly enjoy the less-lunatic pole conspiracy theories, this show is certainly one for you. And I guarantee you’ll learn something. In fact, I’d love to know what was new to you. So reach out!

I give this show 4.5/5. 

You can learn more about Who Killed JFK? on their website or on Great Pods!