Reactions to the sudden death of John F. Kennedy, Jr. have stressed his place in history, but for many younger Americans, those references are to a time un-remembered. Two college-age commentators give some idea of their generation's responses -- one finds something to appreciate, the other wonders what the fuss is all about. Stanley Joseph is a reporter for YO! (Youth Outlook) and a student at San Francisco State University; Scott Louie works with "Hard Boiled," an Asian American publication at University of California, Berkeley and is a recent graduate of UC Davis.

BY GEORGE HE GOT IT!

BY STANLEY JOSEPH

While America remembers John F. Kennedy Jr. as the three year old that saluted his father, I will remember him as the man whose life reflected that of many men in America -- fatherless. Yet in some ways he grew up to become his father.

His "movie star" looks and charm led the public to believe that he was the carbon copy of JFK Sr. -- especially when it came to women. How many men can truthfully talk about dating Madonna, Brooke Shields and Julia Roberts?

Nor did he behave as a typical rich kid. He not only took the subway or bus, he failed the bar exam twice. He could have paid someone to take it. And while there isn't anything new about failing the bar, how many of those who fail have the fact published in every major newspaper?

The one major thing that put him head to head with his father came in September of 1995 with the first issue of "George." There's no way that can have a place in history like civil rights and space exploration, but in its own way it is history in the making.

It is the first publication to show a side of America that too many Americans will not admit exists -- the fact that we love to see entertainers get involved in politics.

We had actor Ronald Reagan for president for eight years, entertainer Sony Bono as a mayor and then congressman, and recently professional wrestler Jesse "The Body" Ventura became the governor of Minnesota. At the same time, politics has become entertainment on television -- as proved by the popularity of shows like the Rush Limbaugh show, Spin City and Politically Correct.

In its April issue, George named rappers Master P and Will Smith as two out of twenty fascinating men in politics -- finally mainstream media acknowledging hip-hop as a political forum and not just another form of entertainment.

JFK Jr. not only proved that entertainers are political, but that politics is also diverse within culture. The current edition has an article about Latinos overcoming bigotry not only in Hollywood, but in California. Another article profiles Daymond John, a founder of Fubu (a popular hip-hop clothing line), as a man reclaiming ghetto style from Tommy Hilfiger. And who would have known that late night host Jay Leno is married to a woman who organized the Feminist Majority Foundation that went out to help Afghan women.

Just like his father JFK, Jr. had Americans -- at least the readers of George -- seeing and believing in a different America where minorities aren't objectifiable as an MTV rating pitch, women aren't oppressed creatures tripped in a mini-skirt and wives can do more than bake cookies.

And sadly just like his father he left us without a chance to say a thank you or a good-bye.

NOT CAMELOT -- NOT EVEN CLOSE

BY SCOTT LOUIE

The phone rang around 3 pm, and when I answered a frantic voice said, "They canceled 'Days of Our Lives' for JFK! God, I'm so mad!"

That simple and decidedly unsympathetic comment summarizes the way a lot of college-aged students are greeting news of John F. Kennedy, Jr.'s demise -- apathy, disinterest, and (among zealous daytime TV watchers) resentment.

We have no connection with JFK, Jackie, Camelot, or JFK Jr. save conspiracy theories, sunglasses, fairy tales, and nude photos, respectively. Most of us can barely remember Carter, and Reagan never struck us as either respectable or accessible. Certainly, our parents' gilded pictures of a time gone by or a future that could have been or a flame extinguished, seems just like a fairy tale.

We didn't watch JFK Jr. grow up. We didn't see his famous salute. We didn't watch him flounder through law school. We barely noticed his wedding, and those who did were more interested in Carolyn's dress. In short, we have no vested interest in his accomplishments or his defeats.

Many in our parents' generation apparently think that somehow JFK Jr. was their own child. His loyalty to family, rugged good looks, athleticism, and charm were a benchmark for young Americans. At a time when girls fawned over Davey Jones and boys desired Farrah Fawcett, parents found it hard to believe their kids didn't, couldn't, and wouldn't deify JFK Jr.

Yet to many now of college age, he was an inaccessible figure. He had money and privilege that most middle-class kids would never taste.

The criteria for "America's Family" has changed. The clean-cut, All-American boy personified a time that no longer existed, replaced by afros, dashikis, and psychedelic drugs, America's youth rejected the bourgeois and embraced far less sterile and fantasy-driven ideals. In that way, Jackie's wish of anonymity for her children was granted.

Perhaps our parents saw JFK Jr. as the last glimmer of a national Camelot. Despite his constant denials of aspirations to elected office, some of our elders saw him as the savior, the fulfiller of his father's unclaimed destiny. We, however, felt no such sentiment. Our leaders are based in technology, environmentalism, and multimedia. There is simply no room nor patience for faith in a fairy tale.

Today's youth reaction to JFK Jr.'s death is a non-reaction. If we did care, coverage would be included on MTV and BET along with CNN and MSNBC. But it isn't.

Network TV will get over this story soon. For us, the story never began in the first place.