I Pit Myself, because I find myself agreeing with OJ

The BBQ Pit
1

I just read some of this article. It is a report of a rather wide-ranging interview with OJ Simpson.

The moment the article shifts focus to talking about the headline issue - the flap about the Louisville steakhouse - I stopped reading. Nothing surprising or anything I care to comment about, there. (For anyone who doesn’t know about the steakhouse flap, this Pit thread from about that time will explain it.)

What’s bothersome, to me, is that there is an argument made during the interview that I find myself wanting to shout, “Right on, OJ!”

Which leaves me feeling really dirty, but doesn’t change my agreement.

I find it disheartening that I know more about Paris Hilton’s life than I ever wanted to know. I remember the days, not so long ago, when I was so clueless about popular culture I could remember getting the spam about the Paris Hilton video, and thinking it was some kind of scam website about ‘voyeur cams’ allegedly set up in a European hotel. I wish I could go back to that level of ignorance, and I can’t.

For that matter, while I agree with the sentiments that OJ expressed about celebrity news, I have to admit that the only reason I’d read the linked article was because I recognized OJ’s name, and read because I was so surpised to see him saying something I could agree with so completely.

So, I have to admit that ultimately, I’m as much at fault for the success of celebrity news as any of the gossip drones out there.

I’m a Fuckwit! My only consolation is that there are obviously too damned many of us out there, paying too much attention to celebrity news. So, if I’m a fuckwit, so are a large number of my peers.
Make it stop!!!

2

(and that’s why people should stop judging me for some little double murder fifteen years ago)

OJ is just trying to use Hilton’s situation to point out the “unfairness” of his own situation. Poor lil’ juice!

-Joe

3

It’s OK to agree with a fuckwit on the rare occasion when that fuckwit is right.

And what’s this about a camera in a European hotel?

4

Perhaps you would like to join us.

5

People sort of fill their own niche. I’ve read a couple of the Paris outrage threads here, but I’ve never seen the infamous video. I’ve never seen any shots of Paris Hilton without underwear on. The people who seemed to be complaining the loudest about her had seen these (or claimed to have). It’s their niche. It’s one thing to know a little about her situation due to media saturation, it’s another to go digging for every scrap then about her life and then make it a part of your life. And then bitch about it.

But then again I watch many more hours of NASA TV than I do E! I knew the shuttle was going to finally fly again. I know there is some minor damage to the thermal protection. I know they are adding a solar array truss that will add 7 kilowatts of power (net, they are disabling 7kw and adding 14kw). I knew OJ got booted from the steakhouse. I know the Sopranos ended last night, yet have never seen an episode. There are a lot of current events that I’m not up on. I don’t know how many people died in Iraq yesterday.

So it’s not bad to know a little something about current events, but people seem to obsess over some pretty mundane stuff. In some circles it is big news when a celebrity heiress goes to jail, in others when a shuttle launches or a soldier dies or a TV series ends. You just have to pick what circles are more important to you and don’t feel too bad if a little something from another circle rubs off on you in the process.

6

Ya know so what? It has been a long time since sending up the shuttle was really news worthy. Yes this is the first time in a while but really I cannot get upset that people don’t care that much about it.

7

It may not be that newsworthy that a new shuttle launch was going up, but my prejudices are such that any space launch, for any reason, is a more legitimate item of interest to me than anything about some spoiled celebrity. They could have been launching green cheese to boost sales of Wisconsin’s finest, and it still would seem a more newsworthy endevour than anything Paris Hilton has ever done or had done to her.

8

The answer here is obvious. Shoot Paris Hilton into space. Strap OJ to the rocket.

Win/win/win.

9

Really? Because it’s likely that people you know might be discussing or want to discuss the Hilton thing. How many of the people you know wanted to talk about the shuttle launch?

(not excusing, just explaining)

-Joe

10

I’m sure OJ thinks that two and two make four, and that you should wear a coat in cold weather. I’d bet there are plenty of things, even subtle and controverial things, I agree with him on. Doesn’t make him any less of a murdering asshole.

11

Interesting that OJ should feel aggrieved about a nitwit celebrity hogging headlines.