Oh, I see, OJ's promoting his new book
Amazingly, the book is called O.J. Simpson: If I Did It, Here's How It Happened. You can read about it here. The article states that it's not known how much of the proceeds of the book sales will go to the victims' survivors, whom Simpson still owes many millions under the civil suit verdict. This, I suppose, puts those survivors in a rather awkward position, not unlike that of the states that stood (and still stand) to benefit from cigarette sales under the terms of the tobacco litigation settlement: financially dependent on activity that they must regard as deeply offensive. Litigation, I guess, makes strange bedfellows.
Meanwhile, I'm looking forward to the following titles:
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad: If I Have Nuclear Weapons, Here's How I Made Them
Dick Cheney: If I Lied in the Leadup to the Iraq War, Here's How
and if O.J. inspires a nostalgia craze for the mid-90s, be sure to look for:
Bill Clinton: If I Did Have Sex With that Woman, Here's What the Meaning of "is" is.
Meanwhile, I'm looking forward to the following titles:
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad: If I Have Nuclear Weapons, Here's How I Made Them
Dick Cheney: If I Lied in the Leadup to the Iraq War, Here's How
and if O.J. inspires a nostalgia craze for the mid-90s, be sure to look for:
Bill Clinton: If I Did Have Sex With that Woman, Here's What the Meaning of "is" is.
posted by Michael C. Dorf @ 3:31 PM
6 Comments:
At 5:04 PM,
Mortimer Brezny said…
There is a hypothetical accomplice in the book called Charlie. I recollect the trial and one thing that bugged me was there were unexplained signs of another person at the scene simultaneously, perhaps an accomplice. I always suspected this person was Kato Kaelin.
At 5:31 PM,
David C. said…
I guess we'll just have to wait for Kato's book: How I Would Have Helped If I Had Been OJ's Accomplice.
At 9:43 PM,
Adam P. said…
Oh OJ, way to completely embarass the African-American community who rallied behind you and your "innocence."
At 10:53 AM,
Mortimer Brezny said…
Uh, not really, Adam.
Very few people anywhere believed that O.J. was "innocent". They believed he was "not guilty", because the prosecutors screwed up the case, and they believed he "deserved" a not guilty verdict because their perception is that non-blacks in similar situations get off, too. And there was a bit of schadenfreude in it, too, given how invested in the trial many whites were, and how sure those persons were the guy was guilty before there was even a trial. But that's not the same as actual belief the guy is innocent. I doubt even Johnny Cochran believed that.
At 1:52 PM,
Adam P. said…
Whether or not they actually believed he was innocent, this book still puts his supporters in an awkward light. It's hard to say someone was treated unfairly when they're essentially bragging about "getting away with murder."
If you're going to protest structural racism in the criminal justice system, it's helpful to have an innocent defendant. As a matter of strategy, it's a significant difference between someone who most people actually believe is guilty, and someone who is flaunting their guilt post-verdict.
At 4:43 PM,
Mortimer Brezny said…
This book still puts his supporters in an awkward light. It's hard to say someone was treated unfairly when they're essentially bragging about "getting away with murder."
Who says O.J. Simpson was treated unfairly? He was rich and he got off because his defense team ran circles around the prosecution. That sounds like the normal functioning of the American criminal justice system to me.
Also, I think you're equivocating on the term "supporters". I don't think there is anyone who "supports" O.J. Simpson. There are people who rooted for him to get off when he was on trial.
As a matter of strategy, it's a significant difference between someone who most people actually believe is guilty, and someone who is flaunting their guilt post-verdict.
What strategy? The supporters I was talking about are people who rejoiced in O.J. Simspon getting the same benefits from the system that all other rich guys do. After the case was over, they went back to their lives. They probably do not care at all about this book or protesting "structural reform in the criminal justice system" in general. They just thought O.J. should have gotten off because everyone else so rich and famous does, too.
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