TV news coverage of this election has been weird enough already, but Chris Matthews of MSNBC took it to a whole new level this evening by casually mentioning that one time in 1960 when John F. Kennedy went to see a porno on an election primary night.
Chatting with other hosts on MSNBC, Matthews was trying to make the point that candidates tend to seek distractions to take their mind off election results. For example, he said, Kennedy once did something interesting with his friend Ben Bradlee, the legendary editor of the Washington Post.
"Jack Kennedy, with Ben Bradlee, his buddy, they went off to see a porn movie, during the West Virginia primary," Matthews said. "They didn't want to be anywhere near news."
OK then!
Rachel Maddow, a colleague of Matthews', asked whether this meant that the soon-to-be-president and his friend went to a “porn theater.”
"Well, they tried to go to a nice one, and that was closed — they couldn't get in," Matthews clarified. "So they went to the other one."
He added that Kennedy was trying to "hide from the news," as results from the West Virginia primary came in.
This indeed happened, according to this New Yorker story from 1995, which gives additional details about the 1960 incident:
"On the night of the West Virginia primary, the Kennedys and the Bradlees went to see a porno movie—'a nasty thing' called 'Private Property' and 'starring one Katie Manx as a horny housewife.' Imagine the uproar today."
FYI, here's a synopsis of "Private Property", from IMDB:
"Duke and Boots, two young thugs, hold up a California gas-station owner. Duke, viral and savage, taunts the slower and psychologically-confused Boots because he has never made a sexual conquest. Duke offers to seduce a woman for Boots and the pair force a passing motorist to pursue a sports car driven by Ann Carlyle, the lustful wife of a insurance-company executive who has some desires of her own not being met by her husband."
People on Twitter were a little confused by the whole thing.
Watching MSNBC. Chris Matthews is telling a story about JFK going to a porn film before states were called. ...ok then.
Chris Matthews is on #MSNBC talking about Kennedy going to watch porn. What the fuck, man? #electionday #ElectionNight
Did @HardballChris just say JFK watched porn on Election Day? I'm so confused right now. #ElectionNight
@KateAurthur I spit out water listening. It's too early in the night for him to be this crazy
I feel like this Chris Matthews "JFK and Ben Bradlee go to a porn theater" story needs another 10 minutes. #ElectionNight
But alas, nothing in this bizarre election seems that bizarre anymore.
It's 3:30 PST and Chris Matthews is already talking about Kennedy and Ben Bradlee watching porn together. Buckle up, kids. #MSNBC
Chris Matthews just said JFK went to a porn movie while awaiting his election results. Cannot freaking wait for a woman in the White House.
Dangerous drinking game: Drink every time Chris Matthews makes an allusion to Kennedy.