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In my whole life, I've only had two of those. One was September 11th. The other was the news that OJ Simpson was in a low-speed chase with the LAPD and was suspected of double homicide. Since I've been cognizant of my surroundings, the United States has gone to war twice and impeached a President. The most famous musician in the world was investigated for child molestation. Tons of famous people died (were killed, even) and we saw multiple genocides. I don't have the faintest clue where I was when I heard any of those things.-
I can tell you more about the saga of OJ Simpson than I can all of the rest combined. I suppose that makes me a bad person or something, but the facts are what they are. There's more Americans who are like me in this regard than Americans who aren't. So believe me when I say that I was genuinely disappointed to learn that the OJ Simpson interview had been cancelled due to viewer outrage. The consensus appears to be that it's disgusting that a man can make millions off a vile, disgusting crime.
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But therein lies the hypocrisy. Why would it be worth anyone to pay millions for this? Because people would watch. They would watch in rapt fascination. And if you won't admit it, I will. I would have watched. I would have tivo'ed it to be 100% sure, and I would have watched from beginning to end.
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From the first grade through my senior year of high school, only one news event was deemed important enough to interrupt class so we could listen - the OJ verdict. And my school was pretty conservative too - I saw pictures all across the country of schools that stopped class and watched the verdict being read on TV. We didn't really know what DNA was before this. Now DNA is the centerpiece of our most popular television shows. Lawyers became celebrities, one of whom will live on in Seinfeld fame forever. The judge - THE JUDGE - was so well known that a dance troupe made to look like Lance Ito toured the country - and was a HUGE success.-
It had everything - racism, sports, fame, Hollywood, models, blood, DNA, mansions, police, spousal abuse, courtroom theatrics, and a car chase. It became a referendum on modern criminal science, our justice system, race relations, and the impact of celebrity. The OJ case was a prism through which you could view just about any issue during the decade.
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As far as the interview goes, maybe it's for the best. I'm not sure everyone was prepared for the intensity of it. To this day there are people I can mention OJ to and get a visceral, immediate reaction unlike pretty much anyone save for Osama Bin Laden. Gary Condit was a United States Congressman and he probably had a woman he was cheating on his wife with killed and chopped up. Erik and Lyle Menendez killed their parents with shotguns and proceeded to take their parents' money and buy Ferraris, Rolexes, and restaurants. Scott Petersen's wife was pregnant and everyone thinks he threw her off a boat. None of those events inspire even a fraction of the reaction OJ Simpson does.
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Which is exactly why I would have watched.
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