Orenthal James Simpson has died.

[Master Live 013]

https://apnews.com/article/oj-simpson-death-5f2e659775684544b3034c380157cac9

Can't recommend O.J.: Made in America enough.

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[Master Live 013]

Re: Orenthal James Simpson has died.

To this day, the fact that OJ wrote a book entitled "If I Did It", about how he would have murdered Nicole Brown and Ron Goldman if in fact he had done so is still one of the most jaw-dropping things I have ever seen. It is, sadly, one of the things that informs (among many other things of course) my outlook on life regarding what people are capable of when they have no shame and/or remorse.

[Blzer]

Re: Orenthal James Simpson has died.

My first reaction:

I didn't know his name was Orenthal.

[Madden08PCgmr]

Re: Orenthal James Simpson has died.

I can't imagine what that murder trial would have looked like in this day and age.

With social media vitriol everywhere, and the way the media is so divided and decisive.

[Master Live 013]

Re: Orenthal James Simpson has died.

What breaks my heart is knowing OJ died without bringing the real killer to justice.

[DrJones]

Re: Orenthal James Simpson has died.

I can't imagine what that murder trial would have looked like in this day and age.

With social media vitriol everywhere, and the way the media is so divided and decisive.

Even though the OJ saga was one of the key events that led to the current media environment, I actually don't think it would be quite as big a deal today as it was in the mid-90s. Monoculture still ruled back then, whereas now crazy scandals come and go on an almost daily basis. It would be huge, of course, and would produce a billion tweets, Reddit posts, memes, etc., but I don't think today's media (or today's average viewer/media consumer) have the attention span they once had.

[Master Live 013]

Re: Orenthal James Simpson has died.

Yes, attention spans are shorter but there are still things that "stick". For example, that Depp/Heard trial had "its moment in the sun". And that was mainly about domestic violence (in no way, shape or form I'm trying to minimize domestic violence), not a double murder.

In general, nowadays duration of focus might be shorter, but the intensity can be much higher. Just the true-crime aspect of the OJ saga would be a behemoth (if we stipulate that they bungle the investigation as bad as they did in 1995 and not whatever improvements in procedure have occurred since). The amount of people that would literally descend over there to try to "solve" this would be unlike anything we have ever seen.

The amount of podcasts alone would rival large economies GDPs

And imagine how the Mark Fuhrman twist would explode in today's scene. Plus the whole MAGA/liberal thingy doing their thing.

My problem trying to imagining it fully is that I didn't grow up during OJ's football career and then his transition as a movie star (I'm not even sure if "star" is the correct qualifier). Like, taking into context how different everything is today, how big of a figure was he really? Tom Brady big? LeBron big? Smaller as in Mike Trout big?

And I guess his movie career was more like John Cena's (but not as big as The Rock's?)? But outside of the Naked Gun I don't remember him in anything.

Plus there are conflicting reports of how "beloved" or like he actually was. Was he beloved like Shaq or The Rock? Or something more guarded as in Derek Jeter?

Google says that 96% of US households have a TV in this era. Let's say it was 99% in 1995, but Google also says that 97% of people in the US have cellphones. Not every particular member of a household in 1995 necessarily had a TV, but that is more likely with cellphones. The reach is more granular, more atomized.

Whatever, there are so many angles to this, and yes, this OJ saga has occupied some head space for me. One of those things that captured the imagination of a generation, like the JFK assassination (that's right, I compared it ), the sinking of the Titanic, Tupac & Biggie, Jimmy Hoffa or the Lindbergh Baby thingy.



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[zello144]

Re: Orenthal James Simpson has died.

Wonder if he left a confession somewhere. If not, I guess his search for the real killer is dead as well. Thurman Thomas is one of my all-time favorites but I sometimes wonder how those 90's Bills would have fared with OJ Prime. Maybe they could have been the NFL's only 4-peat instead of losing four in a row.

https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/oj-simpson-children-made-sign-202155550.html

He made his kids sign NDAs.

[TheMatrix31]

Re: Orenthal James Simpson has died.

I can't imagine what that murder trial would have looked like in this day and age.

With social media vitriol everywhere, and the way the media is so divided and decisive.

That murder trial *caused* this day and age.

I miss Norm.

[jasontoddwhitt]

Re: Orenthal James Simpson has died.

I'm sure his wings didn't fit either.

[DrJones]

Re: Orenthal James Simpson has died.

Yes, attention spans are shorter but there are still things that "stick". For example, that Depp/Heard trial had "its moment in the sun". And that was mainly about domestic violence (in no way, shape or form I'm trying to minimize domestic violence), not a double murder.

In general, nowadays duration of focus might be shorter, but the intensity can be much higher. Just the true-crime aspect of the OJ saga would be a behemoth (if we stipulate that they bungle the investigation as bad as they did in 1995 and not whatever improvements in procedure have occurred since). The amount of people that would literally descend over there to try to "solve" this would be unlike anything we have ever seen.

The amount of podcasts alone would rival large economies GDPs

And imagine how the Mark Fuhrman twist would explode in today's scene. Plus the whole MAGA/liberal thingy doing their thing.

My problem trying to imagining it fully is that I didn't grow up during OJ's football career and then his transition as a movie star (I'm not even sure if "star" is the correct qualifier). Like, taking into context how different everything is today, how big of a figure was he really? Tom Brady big? LeBron big? Smaller as in Mike Trout big?

And I guess his movie career was more like John Cena's (but not as big as The Rock's?)? But outside of the Naked Gun I don't remember him in anything.

Plus there are conflicting reports of how "beloved" or like he actually was. Was he beloved like Shaq or The Rock? Or something more guarded as in Derek Jeter?

Google says that 96% of US households have a TV in this era. Let's say it was 99% in 1995, but Google also says that 97% of people in the US have cellphones. Not every particular member of a household in 1995 necessarily had a TV, but that is more likely with cellphones. The reach is more granular, more atomized.

Whatever, there are so many angles to this, and yes, this OJ saga has occupied some head space for me. One of those things that captured the imagination of a generation, like the JFK assassination (that's right, I compared it ), the sinking of the Titanic, Tupac & Biggie, Jimmy Hoffa or the Lindbergh Baby thingy.

I was 22-23 during the OJ saga. Too young to remember his playing career (he retired in 1979), but he was omnipresent in TV commercials, even in Canada.

I'd say Shaq is the closest modern equivalent.

- Both had spectacular college careers, becoming well-known early on even to casual fans
- Both had iconic playing careers, but short of GOAT status (Shaq was better, a top 3-5 all-time center whereas OJ was a top 10 all-time RB)
- Both were consciously non-activists and had crossover appeal to white audiences; genial, somewhat goofy personas
- Both stayed in the public spotlight after their careers (commercials, broadcasting, dabbling in acting, etc.), but weren't really A-list celebs
- Both were distinctive-enough personas that most non-sports fans (like my mom) would know who OJ and Shaq were

Unless you were there, it's difficult to describe how much oxygen it consumed over the 16 months between the Bronco "chase" and the verdict. It was the crossover moment between traditional "hard" news and reality TV, tabloid TV, pundit panels, 24/7 coverage. The networks (particularly CNN) realized how much money there was to be made by continuously talking about the same salacious subject matter, over and over and over. More people watched the trial verdict live than any Super Bowl, before or since. (The numbers are comparable with the Apollo 11 moon landing, at least in the US.) It was inescapable.

[zello144]

Re: Orenthal James Simpson has died.

https://sports.yahoo.com/oj-simpson-reportedly-cremated-will-not-receive-public-memorial-service-214658915.html

They cremated his body and won't be donating his brain for CTE research.

[Majingir]

Re: Orenthal James Simpson has died.

https://sports.yahoo.com/oj-simpson-...214658915.html



They cremated his body and won't be donating his brain for CTE research.

That part sucks. Definitely just feels like everything going on is just "revenge" for everything that happened (even though he obviously got off light compared to how much he should've been in trouble).

His brain should've been donated for sure, but they probably feel that'll "reveal too much" or something about his mental state.

If Chris Benoits brain was as messed as it was when all that stuff went down, just makes you wonder what OJs brain was like.