More than a decade after the first extravaganza, the O.J. Simpson media circus is back in town.
Simpson was released on bond late Wednesday and returned to his Florida home after spending three nights in a Nevada jail on charges ranging from kidnapping to robbery and weapons charges. He has not entered a plea.
The cast of characters we remember (or would like to forget) from the mid-1990s murder trial that had millions glued to their TVs will no doubt return in some form.
The script is different this time, but all too familiar.
O.J. has a new lawyer, not the late Johnnie Cochran.
The "Free O.J." shirts have already been printed up. "If the glove fits" cliches have been replaced with un-funny "What happened in Vegas ..." one-liners.
The Goldman family is back, looking for money to avenge their son's death, and touring the talk shows for interviews to share their pleasure of possible jail time for Simpson.
It's too early to tell who will play the part of Marcia Clark, Mark Fuhrman or Judge Alito in this new drama. And it's anyone's guess who will take the stand as the next Kato Kaelin.
Could the O.J. sequel end like the first? Is there enough evidence? There are rumors of a setup.
According to The Associated Press, legal experts say the prosecution's case could be clouded by issues including who had rightful ownership of the goods and the reputation of witnesses in the sometimes less-than-reputable world of memorabilia trading.
One thing that has NOT changed in this new storyline: America's craving for scandal.
Call it O.J. 2.0.
Remember, in 1994, bloggers didn't exist. Court TV gave us O.J., not the Internet. There were no camera phones in the courtroom. No TMZ exclusive. No "Celebrity Justice."
Be sure of this, America's appetite for this story will be far greater than it was back then and so will journalists vigorous reporting of it. It will NOT be lessened because we've heard it all before and we're tired of it.
O.J. 2.0 will be enhanced by the Web, streaming audio and video exclusives downloaded to your iPod.
But while the internet has made everything better, faster and up to the minute, O.J. is older. He 60. American can handle O.J. 2.0, but can he?
Comments: (40)
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By: Jan on 9/20/2007 2:41PM
Interesting thought. The Colorado Association of Black Journalists is asking the same question. (Read a post at www.colojournalists.blogspot.com)
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By: Harry on 9/20/2007 2:43PM
Let the senior citizen(OJ) be. All parties should stop goofing off. What a waste of time and money for law enforcers to pursue this nothing case. You can't try him, OJ again for his case back in the 90's. Stop the razzmatazz, the hoopla and the bumbley boo. What theft? What breakin? America should be ashamed of itself stooping to the lows of this upright fiasco. I'd say all should bail before the John Q public starts sniffing, quessin and figurin things out right or wrong. This whole mess is utterly absured. Signed, an American Harry
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By: Angela B. on 9/20/2007 4:43PM
I am sooooooooooooooo sick of this to the point that I want to remove the letters "O and J" from the alphabeths.
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By: Angela B. on 9/20/2007 7:37PM
I am soooooooooooooooo sick of this to the point that I want to remove the letters "O and J" from the alphabet.
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By: des on 9/21/2007 12:39AM
O.J was set up! They are just messin with another innocent black man. Since they couldn't get him one way they are going to try another.
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By: edith on 9/21/2007 1:23AM
des . i agree with you. many people don't understand this . but once u do things to some white folks they will find a way to tried and destroy you the rest of your life.i know . i'm going thru this now, but God is keeping me strong and fighting my battle for me as he said he would. glad i serve a God that's real and has no respect of person. GOD IS LOVE . sad they even use your own color to work against you for a few dollars or a job position. also they use us to work against each other y they work together. look how at one time the police would always harras rodney king. i pray all of you who have negative things to say about OJ . PLEASE PRAY FOR HIM I HAVE BEEN ON OTHER PLACES WHERE THEY TALK ABOUT THIS . AND I CAN'T BELIEVE THE HATE MOST WHITE PEOPLE STILL HAVE IN THEM FROM 10 YEARS AGO. SAYING OJ IS GOING TO H---. WHAT THEY FAIL TO REALIZE , IF THEY DONT' GET THEIR LIVES RIGHT BEFORE GOD . THEY WILL JOIN OJ IN THE H=== THEY HAVE ALREADY TRIED AND WONT TO PUT HIM IN. I THINK GOD OJ. HAVENT LET THEM DESTROY HIM AS THEY DID THE GUY WHO FOUND THE WATERGATE . UNDER NIXON . IT KILLED THE MAN FOR WHAT THEY PUT HIM THRU. HE DIED AT 49 IF I'M NOT WRONG. SAD WE LIVE IN A WORLD WHERE PEOPLE THINK THEY ARE BETTER THAN WE ARE , WHEN IN THE EYES OF GOD WE ARE ALL THE SAME . WE HE CREATED US , NOT MAN. I PRAY FOR THESE PEOPLE AND THEIR SOULS. I THANK GOD OJ WAS FREED . I ASK GOD THE NITE BEFORE TO MAKE A WAY FOR HIM TO GET OUT OF JAIL. AND GOD DID. ONE LADY ASK GOD WHY DID HE HAVE TO GET OUT. SURE U KNOW SHE WAS WHITE. YET, I WONDER DO THEY ASK GOD WHAT DO U THINK OF ME WHEN I CANT FORGIVE . I THANK GOD I CAN FORGIVE DAILY. AS GOD WONTS ME TO CAUSE I NEED GOD FOR FORGIVE ME . OJ. YOU ARE IN MY PRAYERS.
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By: Cecil Jones on 9/21/2007 8:09AM
It's case dismissed as long as the guy with the heart attack doesn't die. He will claim the stress of pressing charges could kill him and the State should be forced to drop all charges. The guys that taped the event sold it for profit and they appear to have been responsible for setting up a sting. OJ may or may not have been aware of any guns. These guys were all in business together on some level. No victim, no crime! OJ walks and Vegas gets hurt because it looks like "What happens in Vegas could now get you life!" What celebrity wants to come to Vegas if it's a big sting operation? This case is bad for business Cavuto! We are all about tourism, fantasy, trust, and fun. Watching OJ squirm may be fun to some, but not if Vegas can't be trusted. We will lose far more money than the money earned from one big circus.
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By: Lee on 9/21/2007 8:58AM
O. J. Simpson’s name is once again slashed across newspapers, televisions, screaming by means of streaming media on the internet as well as out in space through satellite radio. Even extraterrestrials now know the scourge of the earth, the pariah of the ages, the devil’s right hand man, may at last be getting his comeuppance. People interviewed on the street by local and national reporters appeared elated that O. J. has been charged with a crime that may land him behind bars for the rest of his life.
The media is having their usual field day with the prospect of another divisive trial that will sell more commercial ad space and air time than the concocted war in Iraq has for the last four years. Along with opinions, the media mob is being formed now; the ropes are being knotted and handed out to anyone willing to take a sip of their race laced Kool-Aid. Once intoxicated with the media’s deadly brew of graphic intense infotainment the average Joe and Jane Blow will be ready for a reality ride of vengeance.
And O. J. Simpson, the mother of all suckers, fell into the cleverly laid trap of a nation that never forgets or forgives anymore, if it ever really did. Even the dumbest among us would have realized that O. J. was a target for life despite his not guilty verdict. Had O. J. Simpson, even farted above an uncomfortable decibel level in a public space he would have gotten but two responses in America; A. been arrested by authorities for causing a public disturbance and B. the fumes would have been gathered in a baggie for a quick sale on eBay.
Yes America, we are back right where we started, the people against O. J.
Simpson, Black against White, good against evil, right against wrong; you know, simple shit like that. The kind of shit that will keep our little minds occupied with a man that is hated as much a Osama bin Laden and easier to get our hands on.
We suppose, if we can’t win the war in Iraq, we can’t get at the Iranians yet, we can’t stop Al Qaeda in Afghanistan and Castro won’t have the common decency to drop dead, we guess O. J. Simpson is all we got to hate right now. And lets face it, a rich black man accused of killing his beautiful white blonde wife will get you some serious hate points in America. Let the media games begin!
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By: Cassie on 9/21/2007 4:40PM
case dismissed...
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By: mar luis on 9/21/2007 5:31PM
you know and i know how white people are. if failure happens at the lynching a black person that they feel is out of his place, (and o.j. definitely is) it sticks in their craw so that they can't eat, sleep, or shower, until it is accomplished. when whites harm a black person, well, that's just as it should be. think of the w.virginia six and poor ms. williams. that's bearly mentioned in the media. and what about that white woman that killed those three black people in that office building fire in houston texas back in ---i think april of 07, because her paperwork was behind. her bail was lowered so she could make it. so the abuse of blacks is just fit and proper in america. stop expecting better. o.j. knows they'll never leave him alone. they're gonna get him. never doubt
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