2024-04-12 16:04:34
2024-04-13 00:04 United News Network 24 hours around the corner. The former American football star who caused a sensation in the United States because of the 1994 “Simpson case”-OJ Simpson (OJ..
Text/Lin Qihao
“I’m not black. I’m OJ.”
（I’m Not Black. I’m O.J.）
The former American football star who caused a sensation in the United States because of the 1994 Simpson case——OJ Simpson——Died of cancer on April 10, 2024, at the age of 76.The 1960s, when the black civil rights movement in the United States reached its peak, was also the pioneering period of Simpson’s career as an athlete. Later, he achieved amazing sports achievements, fame and fortune. However, behind the beautiful image, because of the murder of his ex-wife in 1994, fall intoSimpson case storm, a series of extremely dramatic case developments made Simpson, who was accused of murder, the protagonist of the American trial of the century. Although he was eventually acquitted, the truth remains a mystery to this day. Simpson’s life story is called “Made in America”: it covers the history of the African-American community, ethnic conflicts, wealth and fame, and the various bizarre stories of celebrity decline. All factors are influenced by the American social structure. Simpson refracted the question of the fate of black people, and the court battle also changed the news media’s coverage.
OJ Simpson was born in 1947 (OJ stands for Orenthal James, often referred to as “OJ Simpson”). His growth and success story can be said to be a typical American inspirational dream of success – Simpson was born and raised in a poor community in San Francisco. Big, before he grew into a giant man with a height of 185 centimeters and a weight of 96 kilograms, he suffered from rickets in childhood and needed orthotics; as a teenager, he was considered a self-destructive black man because he was involved in gangs. Inspired by some black sports stars at that time, he started playing American football in high school and found a stage to display his talents. Not only did he later obtain an athletic scholarship to the University of Southern California, but in 1967, while playing on the rugby school team, he also set a national record in the United States for two consecutive years. record, was already a well-known and highly anticipated rising star at the time.
The history of OJ Simpson’s struggle and success from high school to college in the late 1960s was the era when the black civil rights movement was in full swing in the United States.
In the 1960s, leaders of the civil rights movement were assassinated one following another. Under the atmosphere shrouded by dark clouds, many people continued to move forward with a little light. At the same time, there was another young black man who seemed to be blessed and unmoved by the fierce black struggle. That man’s name was OJ Simpson.
OJ Simpson played in an NFL football game in September 1977.Photo/Associated Press
At a time when the contradictions between black and white groups were difficult to resolve, and racial violence and social exclusion once morest black people were still occurring, Simpson’s case of succeeding through his athletic talents and escaping from poverty in San Francisco really inspired the African-American community; and when Simpson When the university team competition was coming to prominence, the assassination of Dr. King occurred in 1968. At the Olympic Games on October 16 of the same year, African American track and field gold and bronze medalists “raised their hands and lowered their heads” to protest racial discrimination, causing an uproar. This incident was used by the media to ask Simpson’s opinion. Some black communities Expecting OJ Simpson’s response and support, he said: “I don’t understand this issue, I don’t know what this is regarding.”
Despite this, this did not hinder Simpson’s athletic career. He became a well-known sports star and the first person in the history of the National Football League to rush for more than 2,000 yards in a single season; in 1973, he became the NFL’s most valuable player. Player, he was inducted into the American Football Hall of Fame following retirement. When The New York Times interviewed Simpson in 1969, he replied that the achievements he was proud of were:
“People see me as a ‘human being’, not a ‘black man’.”
（people looked at me like a man, not a black man.）
This short sentence has presented a microcosm of the history of African-American oppression in the United States at that time, and it is also the desire of many African-Americans who hope to break barriers and get ahead.
O.J. in 1969.Photo/Associated Press
Simpson retired from the sports field and entered Hollywood. He participated in the TV series “Roots” that traced the history of black slavery, as well as a series of action movies and comedies in the 1970s, as well as various endorsement advertisements. The image is quite active. His sports and entertainment career earned him a lot of money, and “a healthy, handsome, charming and amiable successful man” was almost synonymous with Simpson during this period. Although his marriage was on the rocks and his wife divorced in 1979, it wasn’t long before Simpson met a young white girl. Nicole. Brown (Nicole Brown), the two married in 1985, when Nicole was 26 years old.
What seemed like a happy life took an unexpected turn. Simpson and Nicole had two children following their marriage, but incidents of domestic violence were reported from time to time in their marriage. Simpson would yell and be violent to Nicole at home, which was far different from his healthy image outside. Nicole also reported the case to the police many times. The record brought me to the brink of physical and mental collapse. The two eventually divorced in 1992, and Simpson found a new love.
Two years following the divorce, on the night of June 12, 1994, Nicole. Brown and his male friend Ronald. Ronald Goldman, both were found dead in Nicole’s home, and their deaths were quite miserable. The police went to the scene for preliminary investigation and determined that the most suspect person was OJ Simpson. They originally agreed with Simpson through his lawyer to surrender on June 17 following the incident, but Simpson not only did not show up, but also asked his friend Robert. Kardashian (Robert Kardashian, whose children later became known as the “Kardashians” in the United States) read a message on his behalf, “I have nothing to do with this murder… Don’t feel sorry for me, I’m fine.” What followed was a dramatic scene of Simpson driving and being chased by the police at a low speed.
The footage of the police chasing following Simpson immediately became emergency television news across the United States. At that time, helicopters followed and filmed the entire process, and television and radio stations almost unanimously broadcast the follow-up. The NBA Finals broadcast, which was originally being broadcast, was forced to give up the footage to this incident. The chase even evolved into people holding signs and cheering for Simpson on the side of the road. With a viewership of more than 95 million and a record-breaking ratings for the station, the entire murder investigation and trial completely became a national phenomenon. The paradoxical phenomenon of “collectively chasing dramas”.
OJ Simpson’s ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson (left) and her friend R… On June 17, 1994, OJ Simpson’s white Ford Mustang was killed by a Los Angeles police car while driving in Southern California… OJ Simpson wore stained glasses in court Bloodstained gloves.Photo/Reuters
After being arrested, Simpson was accused of murdering Nicole and Ronald. However, Simpson insisted that he was innocent and spent a lot of money to form a legal team that was considered a “dream team” at the time. Experts and lawyers in various fields assist. The reason why the Simpson case attracted so much attention and was called the “trial of the century” is that in addition to the fact that Simpson himself was so famous and completely different from his past image, the entire investigation and trial process was full of dramatic changes. Coupled with the broadcasts of TV networks such as “CNN”, “new plots” will unfold almost every three days.
The whole case is full of doubts. No murder weapon was found, there were no witnesses, and there was a lack of key evidence to prove Simpson’s murder. Most of the evidence was circumstantial. Simpson’s legal team also pointed out the suspicion that the police deliberately framed the case. The most famous court scene was that Simpson had to put on a pair of gloves that were allegedly used for committing crimes and were stained with the DNA of three people. When he put them on, he found that they did not fit the size of Simpson’s hands at all. His lawyer, Johnnie Cochran, said: “If it doesn’t fit, you must acquit.”
In addition to the fact that the gloves proved that the police framed the case, the reversal of the white police officer who testified from impartial enforcement of the law to being found out to have discriminated once morest black people made the American public watching the trial doubt that the Simpson investigation was indeed maliciously framed by the police.
It is worth noting that just before the Simpson case, in 1991, the “Rodney King case” occurred in Los Angeles – black Rodney King. Rodney King was chased and stopped by the police for speeding. However, he was violently beaten by four white police officers for resisting arrest, and was suspected of excessive law enforcement. However, the verdict of the following year in this case found that all the police officers involved were not guilty, which aroused the anger and dissatisfaction of the African-American and Hispanic communities, and evolved into the 1992 Los Angeles riots. Large-scale destruction caused 53 deaths and thousands of injuries. It ended only under the suppression of the national militia and the army.
The Simpson case in 1994 was only two years following the Los Angeles riots in 1992. People can easily think of this case of oppression of black people by white police officers and the judicial criminal system. When Simpson’s key evidence of crime was still not found, the Los Angeles police proposed The evidence was overturned one following another, and flaws in the collection process and suspicions of frame-up were pointed out. Finally, on October 3, 1995, the jury made the final verdict: O.J. Simpson was not guilty.
The response of American public opinion to the acquittal was as polarized as the unresolved ethnic conflict between black and white. People who supported Simpson rejoiced, and some thought it was a sign of Rodney. After King, Simpson was considered a hero because of a black man who had overcome systematic persecution by the justice system. However, for the white community, especially the family members of the deceased, it is difficult to believe that Simpson has no connection with this case. If the murderer is not Simpson, what is the truth? Is the black man who kills white people an image of lingering fear among white people? To this day, the real culprit in the Simpson case has still not been revealed.
On the other hand, the court battle in the Simpson case also changed the way American television news reports. Stephen Battaglio, who studies American television and news culture, pointed out that the traditional American broadcast networks (CBS, NBC, etc.) originally resisted intensive coverage of the Simpson case, but because the ratings benefits brought by the audience’s eager attention were too high, under the logic of commercial competition Almost everyone jumps in to do a lot of reporting, almost turning into a crime court series. The impact of this high degree of exposure is so widespread that even people related to the Simpson case (such as prosecutors, lawyers, etc.) have become celebrities to some extent and have appeared in various media reports.
In 1995, OJ Simpson was acquitted at the trial. Photo / Reuters TV broadcast of the court trial of the Simpson case.Photo/Associated Press In September 2007, O.J. Simpson was taken away from the Las Vegas Police Investigation Center and imprisoned for a robbery case… In the past 24 hours, the United States
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