ESPN’s OJ: Made in America 30 for 30 documentary was LIT! The 5 part series focused on the rise and fall of O.J. Simpson. Watching this, I couldnt help but offer a few thoughts
OJ Caught a Wave
One of the main themes of the trial was the black vs. white dynamic that occurred during the trial. The crazy part was that OJ had been perceived to be on the white side until the case. The miniseries did good in showing the parallel of the suffering black people endured in the country as OJ rose to the top of white people’s trust and approval.
But due to the cases such as Rodney King, in which blacks were victims of police brutality, the OJ case was where enough was enough. This time a black man would beat the system; a system that looked the other way when people of color were abused or murdered carelessly by authorities. OJ’s sins of not being “black” enough were soon forgiven as blacks rallied behind him like an O-line in the 4th quarter
The prosecution was fucked
Given the racial tension surrounding the case, that could have stifled their whole approach. Sure there was blood evidence, footprints and DNA; but none of that could compare to the anger felt by an ethnic group who have had a different experience with law enforcement in the city. The defense knew it and took advantage, as any lawyer would.prob do. It was the fantasy football equivalent of having 2 monster QB’s but the quarterback that is playing against a weaker secondary.
The safeties in that weak secondary were Mark Fuhrman and Chris Darden. Fuhrman’s credibility was being questioned en route to convincing the jury he planted a glove. The tapes severely destroyed him even though he claimed most of it was either exaggerated or came from other officers. Darden brought the glove in to be fitted and well you know the rest. Right there is where Cochran’s squad put their touchdowns up and took the game.
Amazed but Not Shocked
I did not realize OJ bounced back the way he did into the public spotlight. At first it looked choppy but as time went on, it seems people either forgot or just wanted to take a crazy picture. Now, the stunts he pulled were not as surprising. I’m talking about the hidden camera show, rap video porno and other goofy crap. What would you expect from someone who beat a case as sensationalized as what he went through? OJ was not a football superhero anymore; he was made into a character who people either took pity on or wanted nothing to do with. Leading up to the robbery, OJ wasn’t hanging with A list celebrities like before the murder case, he was chilling with those same type of characters. Even one of those characters turned on him and put him in place to receive that big ass o.punishment. You can tell that was the case when you hear the story of how that whole robbery plan came together.
O.J. Simpson is a name that went from lighting up faces with joy to bringing shivers to America’s demeanor. ESPN captured that so brilliantly, a little bit better than FX’s American Crime Story: The People vs O.J. Simpson. In all fairness, the TV show tried to do its best to bring the truth and still meet an entertaining standard. The 30 for 30 doc brought you background and actual interviews for to grasp and hold on to.