# Ok, who's been watching the People vs OJ?



## Ebart (Feb 8, 2016)

I thought it was just a single episode, not a miniseries! I was straight up glued to the TV during epi 1. Can't wait for the rest!


----------



## wankerness (Feb 9, 2016)

It's really good. It's hard to believe it's from the same clown that did American Horror Story since it's so much better-made. 

Besides John Travolta.


----------



## vhtforme (Feb 10, 2016)

I like it! I was watching the whattheflick! review on youtube and one reviewers loved it and the other didn't. I think it depends on your age. I was in 9th grade when the verdict was announced. I remember 1/2 my classmates going nuts and the other 1/2 in disbelief. Kind of revisionist history everyone is saying of course he did it now that he is in prison possibly for the next 30 years. Good acting by David Schwimmer and Cuba Gooding Jr.


----------



## wankerness (Feb 10, 2016)

vhtforme said:


> I like it! I was watching the whattheflick! review on youtube and one reviewers loved it and the other didn't. I think it depends on your age. I was in 9th grade when the verdict was announced. I remember 1/2 my classmates going nuts and the other 1/2 in disbelief. *Kind of revisionist history everyone is saying of course he did it now* that he is in prison possibly for the next 30 years. Good acting by David Schwimmer and Cuba Gooding Jr.



What the heck are you talking about? Basically no one thought he was innocent, even at the time! It was basically "will the trial allow a guilty verdict even though some demonstrably racist cops messed with the evidence"? It was just a circus. Most of the rejoicing came from a sense of racial justice having been done (which was BS, cause it was really partly a case of a rich guy getting off instead of "black guy sticks it to the cops for once"). Considering he was found guilty of Ron Goldman's death a few years later and had to pay 33 million, I think the matter is settled.


----------



## vhtforme (Feb 10, 2016)

wankerness said:


> What the heck are you talking about? Basically no one thought he was innocent, even at the time! It was basically "will the trial allow a guilty verdict even though some demonstrably racist cops messed with the evidence"? It was just a circus. Most of the rejoicing came from a sense of racial justice having been done (which was BS, cause it was really partly a case of a rich guy getting off instead of "black guy sticks it to the cops for once"). Considering he was found guilty of Ron Goldman's death a few years later and had to pay 33 million, I think the matter is settled.



We'll have to agree to disagree on this one. What i'm trying to say is hindsight is 20/20 and in the future everyone will say it was clear cut. But, it didn't seem so at the time. Would you say no one thought Michael Jackson, or Kobi Bryant were innocent? 20 years from now are we going to have a consensus on George Zimmerman, or Bill Cosby? No. 
I'm not saying I thought he was innocent. But, many did and I feel it's BS to say "Everyone knew he was Guilty" and "Oh well he's in prison for another violent crime so I guess we all knew he was guilty".


----------



## wankerness (Feb 10, 2016)

I'm about as old as you and no one thought he was innocent that I ever saw. Can you find any contemporary material on it? I mainly remember stuff like that extensively researched book "OUTRAGE" (by the legendary lawyer who won the case against Charles Manson) and then a fair amount of commentary that was just like "well, whatever, blame that ass Mark Fuhrman, I guess at least OJ will know he got lucky and next time probably won't murder anyone!!"


----------



## Ebart (Feb 28, 2016)

9th grade as well during it all. I thought he was innocent and several others who followed it closely with me did as well. Maybe it was wishful thinking...who knows. Anyway, the show is great. I love the character development now that we are a few episodes in.


----------



## wankerness (Mar 10, 2016)

The last episode was really, REALLY good, and was by far the best one yet. (Except the ludicrous Evil Dead-style zooms during the Fuhrman cross-examining.) It's about time someone tried to rehabilitate Marcia Clark's reputation, she was one of the most unfairly eviscerated public figures of all time. That episode was one of the most scathing anti-sexism tirades I've ever seen. The guy who plays Chris Darden is so great, too. And Johnny, even though he's a slimeball! 

The only real problem I have with this show is frickin Cuba Gooding Jr. He plays OJ as some kind of petulant baby, which I can get behind (apparently the real guy was borderline illiterate), but every time he's supposed to be threatening, it doesn't work at all since Cuba is about 5 feet tall and has a high-pitched little voice.


----------



## vhtforme (Mar 30, 2016)

The last 2 episodes were awesome. I really liked the Jury's perspective. The Seinfeld vs. Martin TV scene was classic "You people". "Master Adam sure is kind", and the TJ Maxx Marshalls scene. All the Furman tapes stuff was really good too. How many episodes are left?


----------



## bostjan (Mar 30, 2016)

I might have to check this out. Thanks for bringing it to my attention.

I feel as though the disagreement evidenced here over the reaction just shows the different cultures around the USA. Living in Detroit, Michigan, at that time, I got to see two very polarized groups: 1) people who believed, without a shadow of a doubt, that OJ did it, based upon his own actions at the time, reinforced by the mass of evidence collected by LAPD, and 2) those who held that OJ was innocent, who, I believe, were focused on the fact that the LAPD had a horrible reputation for racism and evidence tampering, and that the huge mass of evidence presented was continually found to have been carelessly handled, and that the witnesses were either caught in a lie (Fuhrman), or useless (Kato).

I remember when they read the verdict, I was in high school, and most of the students in the class were in total disbelief that OJ was acquitted. Two or maybe three students celebrated rather loudly.

Personally, I don't know for sure, but I would say that if I had been on that jury, I would not have voted for acquittal, based on the DNA and the rest of the evidence.

Now, in retrospect, with new evidence still turning up, all of it pointing to OJ's guilt, I'd say I'm as convinced as ever. I don't know how those who celebrated his acquittal would feel now, but I would not be any more surprised if they did not change their opinion, either, but perhaps they would expectedly be less eager to share.

Anyway, thanks for pointing out the show.


----------



## wankerness (Mar 30, 2016)

The show is really good and the last episode (this one focused on the Fuhrman tapes, Ito being a hypocritical nitwit, and Cochran's slimeball tactics and treatment of Darden) was about as good as the Marcia-centric episode and the one that followed. The jury one wasn't BAD, but it was a bit of a lull between these three, which I think may end up being the best episodes of anything that aired this year.

I also learned in the write-ups on this that Mark Fuhrman is currently a regular correspondent on Fox news. The tapes they played in this last episode are not even an exaggeration. I can't believe they'd do that, it's like they're trying to live up to their reputation by hiring him. Next, maybe they'll get George Zimmerman as their correspondent on anger management and how to run a responsible neighborhood watch.


----------



## Ebart (Apr 11, 2016)

So sad that it's over now. Seriously. If it weren't for NHL playoffs starting this week, there would be no reason for me to own a TV anymore. 
Hoping this comes out on DVD. Totally worth owning.


----------



## sawtoothscream (Apr 11, 2016)

Will have to give it a watch


----------



## wankerness (Apr 11, 2016)

Unfortunately Ryan Murphy is going to be directly involved next season, so it will probably fit in more with American Horror Story and be a mess. He's hell-bent on it focusing on Hurricane Katrina, which makes no sense to me.


----------



## Ebart (May 18, 2016)

Oh yeah! I just heard from someone that the next "series" is going to be about Katrina. I don't know who Ryan Murphy is or what an American Horror Story is, I got into the OJ series because it was OJ and was part of my teenage years. The Katrina idea actually sounds like it could be really good, though I don't think it will be received as well as OJ because of the lack of star power. Nahmean?


----------



## wankerness (May 18, 2016)

I don't understand why "Hurricane Katrina" is a good subject for "crime with great trial." Or even simply, "a crime." What the heck are they even going to focus on? Is it going to be like "The FEMA response was CRIMINAL in its lousiness!!!"? I'd have much rather seen another version of Helter Skelter, even though that would be the most obvious choice after OJ.

You should be happy with your lack of knowledge about Ryan Murphy, this is so much better than AHS it's ridiculous, and it really isn't recognizable as a product of the same guy. I think he pretty much just came up with the idea and let more talented people take over. He's going to be more hands-on next season, so maybe we'll get lots of scenes of people being raped with giant metal dildoes or something.


----------



## Exodus5 (May 23, 2016)

I am chiming in late but, being as I was a first year college student at that time, I remember it vividly. Pretty much everyone in LA who was black didn't care what kind of evidence was found, he was innocent (they all said with a wink and a nudge). The white people though he was guilty (though I guess that kinda is in keeping with why the black people wanted him to be acquitted). 
I remember just a couple of years ago I was talking to a black guy a few years older than me and that trial came up. He was adamant that OJ never did any of that (smiling the whole time) until I asked him if OJ could date his daughter and then he said Hell No!


----------



## bostjan (May 24, 2016)

Hurricane Katrina and crime? I recall there was a lot of crime reported when it happened, as New Orleans, according to the news (I was overseas at the time), was in anarchy - everyone for themselves.


----------



## wankerness (May 24, 2016)

bostjan said:


> Hurricane Katrina and crime? I recall there was a lot of crime reported when it happened, as New Orleans, according to the news (I was overseas at the time), was in anarchy - everyone for themselves.



Yeah, there was, but what would be your idea of translating that to this show? Recreations of people looting, or people raping each other in the stadium? Individual trials of those perpetrators being quickly accused without any fanfare? There was no big trial for anything related to this that I'm aware of. The only interesting legal/moral gray area with this whole thing was the fascist employment of Blackwater employees to blast looters, and I don't think any of that ever made it to trial of any sort, plus I don't think Murphy would bite the hand that feeds him by going after that.


----------



## bostjan (May 24, 2016)

wankerness said:


> Yeah, there was, but what would be your idea of translating that to this show? Recreations of people looting, or people raping each other in the stadium? Individual trials of those perpetrators being quickly accused without any fanfare? There was no big trial for anything related to this that I'm aware of. The only interesting legal/moral gray area with this whole thing was the fascist employment of Blackwater employees to blast looters, and I don't think any of that ever made it to trial of any sort, plus I don't think Murphy would bite the hand that feeds him by going after that.



These all might be covered in the series, along with the FEMA debacle.

I agree it's not the most intuitive topic. There are thousands more court cases that follow more logically after season one.


----------



## extendedsolo (May 26, 2016)

Have any of you read the book?


----------



## wankerness (May 26, 2016)

extendedsolo said:


> Have any of you read the book?



No, but I did read Outrage (by the lawyer who prosecuted Charles Manson), which is mainly about the mistakes the prosecution made. It's a good companion piece since this book/series are so sympathetic and bother to contextual ooze it with all the external forces they were contending with.


----------



## extendedsolo (May 26, 2016)

wankerness said:


> No, but I did read Outrage (by the lawyer who prosecuted Charles Manson), which is mainly about the mistakes the prosecution made. It's a good companion piece since this book/series are so sympathetic and bother to contextual ooze it with all the external forces they were contending with.



Yeah this is the perfect example of hindsight being 20/20. At the time they had no idea the media coverage would exist and the impact it would have. They had no idea how to handle it, not to mention the DA doesn't have the money to throw at the issue. I think the DA thought it would be like any other case and they were wrong. 

Still probably try to find that book to read about it. 

What I found interesting about the show is all of the crazy things that happened on the show that were actually true. Like Johnny Cochran saying "n**** please" to chris darden. Just amazing.


----------



## wankerness (May 26, 2016)

I just noticed that my phone autocorrected contextualize to contextual ooze.


----------



## Ebart (May 27, 2016)

wankerness said:


> I just noticed that my phone autocorrected contextualize to contextual ooze.




Same difference, right?


----------

