I like the documentary for its undeniable interestingness, and the unlikely (yet actual case) fact that the participants were Jackie Kennedy's real life aunt and 1st cousin (which serves as an automatic hook), but absolutely agree with you that they got exploited, and have no doubt that they were steered (whether or not they realized it) into upping the eccentricity quotient.

I suspect that particularly Little Edie was very much encouraged - the producers knowing full well how wacky she would come off - to play to the camera.

Speaking of Little Edie, she came up with some very clever fashion looks!

@rudely_murray said:

I watched this documentary with high hopes given its lofty reputation but I found it hard to sit through. Perhaps its impact has been lessened by decades of reality/fly on the wall television but it was just so exploitative, seeming to have no purpose but to emphasise for nearly two hours just how eccentric these two women were. Their rambling conversations, or those parts which I didn't miss (I do wish Criterion would include English subtitles on English-language titles) were mostly dreary and repetitive, the singing set my teeth on edge - this could have achieved its aims in half the time.

After 2 attempts to watch, I’m only at the 30 min mark. I agree that maybe in the 70s this sort of reality show was groundbreaking, but I’m getting nothing out of this. Imo this documentary fails at the 1 thing every documentary should do at the outset: give you a reason to be interested.

Like you said, aside from the exploitive ‘eccentricity’ factor (people acting batsh*t with no filters), which is painfully commonplace by todays standards, there’s no reason to watch these 2 ramble incoherently over each other. My Criterion copy has English subtitles which helped a little, but mostly they’re just repeating themselves without listening to the other. It’s not even dialogue, it’s 2 self-absorbed people rambling at the same time, and not really saying anything interesting.

I’ll probably skip right to the bonus features & read the booklet hoping Criterion can offer some better appreciation. But I gotta say aside from Criterion’s animal killing snuff films, this is at the bottom of their catalogue.