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Re: O.J. Simpson Dead at 76

Posted: Thu Apr 11, 2024 6:29 pm
by Greg
While there was not much to respect about the whole fiasco, I do remember having respect for prosecutor Marcia Clark and Judge Ito, mostly for appearing to do the best they could in a very bad situation.

I remember there was this joke when they were doing jury selection for the trial:
"Knock knock."
"Who's there?"
"O. J."
"OJ, who?"
"Congratulations, you made it on the O.J. jury!"

Also, I remember as the trail was dragging on, there was a cartoon of a waitress in a breakfast diner asking the patrons, "More OJ?", and , everyone yelling, "No!"

Re: O.J. Simpson Dead at 76

Posted: Thu Apr 11, 2024 2:21 pm
by danfrank
Sonic Youth wrote: Thu Apr 11, 2024 10:50 am I don’t think anyone born since the early 90s will ever understand what an insane time that was. I was working in the school library, and the supervisor brought out a radio to the circulation desk before the verdict was announced so all the students could gather around to listen. (Pre-internet, of course.) I was on a different floor at the time, but I listened on my Walkman. (Remember walkmans?)
Yep. I was in grad school at the time. A huge group of us gathered around the television that was located in the clinic attached to the school. When the verdict was read two Black receptionists let out wild celebratory cheers while the rest of us reacted with dumbfounded silence. We were late for class, so wandered into factor analysis (a branch of statistics) class to an annoyed professor, unable to focus on anything she said that day. Surreal.

Re: O.J. Simpson Dead at 76

Posted: Thu Apr 11, 2024 12:01 pm
by Sabin
I remember a high school English class was interrupted for the verdict to be read over the announcement, and of course my (mostly) white class erupted in boos. The O.J. Simpson trial was basically like a viral sensation before social media. Everyone knew everything that was happening, whether they wanted to or not. And like a lot of social media phenomenons, it was full of proxy discourses, side characters, and a general feel of salaciousness. The 90s were a very salacious decade (I've often joked that Hard Copy might be the defining program) and Simpson was the center ring for a long time. The next 10-15 years with Simpson was tabloid bullshit of cash grabs and run ins with the law, but halfway through the last decade more people in the country were ready to exhume the trial in the form of the Ryan Murphy series and the Oscar-winning doc and actually look at (and not dismiss) some of the actual racism surrounding the trial.

I recommend anyone watch any Norm MacDonald clips trending on Twitter right now.

Re: O.J. Simpson Dead at 76

Posted: Thu Apr 11, 2024 10:50 am
by Sonic Youth
I don’t think anyone born since the early 90s will ever understand what an insane time that was. I was working in the school library, and the supervisor brought out a radio to the circulation desk before the verdict was announced so all the students could gather around to listen. (Pre-internet, of course.) I was on a different floor at the time, but I listened on my Walkman. (Remember walkmans?)

Re: O.J. Simpson Dead at 76

Posted: Thu Apr 11, 2024 10:23 am
by Reza
The man lived quite a "full & eventful" life. Never a dull moment.

O.J. Simpson Dead at 76

Posted: Thu Apr 11, 2024 10:01 am
by Big Magilla