# Why the Fuck do we need a live broadcast of O.J. Simpson's parole hearing? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [July 20, 2017, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-fuck-do-we-need-a-live-broadcast-of-o-j-simpsons-parole-hearing/791740 "2017-07-20T18:06:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2017, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-fuck-do-we-need-a-live-broadcast-of-o-j-simpsons-parole-hearing/791740/61 "2017-07-21T23:22:28Z")
> [@asterion](#): > > There was a chain of dollar stores (since closed) called Yankee One Dollar in upstate New York. They had for sale, as late as their closing in 2014, tons of copies of [I Want to Tell You](https://www.amazon.com/Want-Tell-You-Response-Questions/dp/0316341002) in audiobook form on cassette, which was published in 1995. I wonder if they ever sold a single copy. No wonder they went under, I guess. :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Hocus\_Pocus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/41988e/32.png) [@Hocus\_Pocus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hocus_Pocus)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2017, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-fuck-do-we-need-a-live-broadcast-of-o-j-simpsons-parole-hearing/791740/62 "2017-07-22T05:23:07Z")
We have a reality tv star in the White House. Of course the masses of asses want to see it! ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2017, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-fuck-do-we-need-a-live-broadcast-of-o-j-simpsons-parole-hearing/791740/63 "2017-07-22T05:43:22Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > But, what if he does confess? Does that throw out the jury verdict? I think at worst, a defendant might be charged with perjury if his post-acquittal confession contradicts things he said in court under oath. That’s a generic case, though - Simpson didn’t take the stand at his murder trial and it’s well past the time limitation (California Penal Code Section 801) to prosecute him for perjury even if he had. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2017, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-fuck-do-we-need-a-live-broadcast-of-o-j-simpsons-parole-hearing/791740/64 "2017-07-22T15:40:58Z")
My favorite OJ jab came from Jay Leno, back before OJ did the crap that sent him to prison. OJ said he was giving up his vowed search for the “real” killer because he couldn’t afford it anymore. As Leno put it “C’mon, how much does a mirror cost?” ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2017, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-fuck-do-we-need-a-live-broadcast-of-o-j-simpsons-parole-hearing/791740/65 "2017-07-22T22:10:22Z")
Well, I believe one of the points of the Oscar winning documentary OJ: Made in America is that the saga did have some interesting societal significance/reflection. Of course, that was mostly based on what happened in the past, not what’s happening now. ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2017, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-fuck-do-we-need-a-live-broadcast-of-o-j-simpsons-parole-hearing/791740/66 "2017-07-23T03:44:05Z")
The focus on this colored man who killed his white wife, and seems unrepentant about it, is largely to stoke white hatred of black people. It works very well. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2017, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-fuck-do-we-need-a-live-broadcast-of-o-j-simpsons-parole-hearing/791740/67 "2017-07-23T04:04:06Z")
I noticed that the reports about him are always preceded by some variation of “The world is fascinated by this.” When a reporter has to say that, you know it isn’t. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2017, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-fuck-do-we-need-a-live-broadcast-of-o-j-simpsons-parole-hearing/791740/68 "2017-07-23T23:05:55Z")
I’m half-expecting some reporter to torpedo their career on live television by refusing to report on one of these stories, the way Mika Brzezinski refused to do a story on Paris Hilton several years ago. It sounds like TPTB, whoever made the decision about this, is bringing this story back because they think they can shove it down the throats of a new generation. 😕 ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2017, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-fuck-do-we-need-a-live-broadcast-of-o-j-simpsons-parole-hearing/791740/69 "2017-07-24T02:31:45Z")
Because the original case was an important moment in the lives of a significant portion of the audience that watches this news. Hence they are interested in this. OJ was acquitted, so we have schadenfreude in him actually being punished. And, yes, there is nothing more newsworthy at the moment. I mean, commercially produced news is really just “what new information are people interested in?” Furthermore, it kills some time where they don’t have to try and drum up 24 hours worth of news every day. Don’t get me wrong. I didn’t watch. But I don’t like cable news. I at most like local TV news, and even that I’d usually prefer to read about. But I totally get why this would be considered newsworthy. As I said in another thread, I do think this was more important to my life than JFK. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2017, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-fuck-do-we-need-a-live-broadcast-of-o-j-simpsons-parole-hearing/791740/70 "2017-07-24T02:51:13Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > And, yes, there is nothing more newsworthy at the moment. I mean, commercially produced news is really just “what new information are people interested in?” I’m not sure if you’re being sarcastic. [Here’s the New York Times front page from the following day.](http://www.nytimes.com/indexes/2017/07/21/todayspaper/index.html) OJ Simpson isn’t even the top news. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2017, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-fuck-do-we-need-a-live-broadcast-of-o-j-simpsons-parole-hearing/791740/71 "2017-07-25T03:08:08Z")
> [@scr4](#): > > I’m not sure if you’re being sarcastic. [Here’s the New York Times front page from the following day.](http://www.nytimes.com/indexes/2017/07/21/todayspaper/index.html) OJ Simpson isn’t even the top news. Nice to see someone has their priorities straight. 🆒 Someone on another board said she sensed trouble when she found out that the Bronco chase was being carried live on the CBC. ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2017, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-fuck-do-we-need-a-live-broadcast-of-o-j-simpsons-parole-hearing/791740/72 "2017-07-25T04:00:35Z")
> [@foolsguinea](#): > > The focus on this colored man who killed his white wife, and seems unrepentant about it, is largely to stoke white hatred of black people. It works very well. I see it as a story about a famous, rich man using his prerogatives of his position to get away with partner/spousal abuse (with multiple women) and murder. It wasn’t until he committed a crime that was recorded , and had multiple eyewitnesses, that he was finally unable to use his wealth to buy his way out of problems that his arrogance caused him. I imagine that there was (and is) a group of black-hating idiots who used OJ’s story as another reason to hate blacks. I don’t believe it’s the majority of whites, however. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2017, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-fuck-do-we-need-a-live-broadcast-of-o-j-simpsons-parole-hearing/791740/73 "2017-07-25T06:08:45Z")
> [@Sunny\_Daze](#): > > I see it as a story about a famous, rich man using his prerogatives of his position to get away with partner/spousal abuse (with multiple women) and murder. It wasn’t until he committed a crime that was recorded , and had multiple eyewitnesses, that he was finally unable to use his wealth to buy his way out of problems that his arrogance caused him. Possibly a related factor is that a lot of his wealth had been expended saving him from the murder charges (as well as taken in the subsequent civil suit), leaving him unable to assemble a similar dream defense team for the kidnapping/robbery charges. ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2017, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-fuck-do-we-need-a-live-broadcast-of-o-j-simpsons-parole-hearing/791740/74 "2017-07-25T16:07:37Z")
True, and he’s also been hiding the money to avoid seizure from losing the civil case. Same result - no access to his money when he needed it. His fame has also eroded. He isn’t a golden boy anymore. No Hertz commercials and movies. He’s no longer only a few years past his football glory days. No money, no fame, no dream team. ---
**Author:** ![JackieLikesVariety](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackielikesvariety/32/296_2.png) [@JackieLikesVariety](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JackieLikesVariety)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2017, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-fuck-do-we-need-a-live-broadcast-of-o-j-simpsons-parole-hearing/791740/75 "2017-07-25T16:42:09Z")
> [@](#): > > His fame has also eroded. He isn’t a golden boy anymore. he still has some, although I don’t get why. a local newscaster called him “The Juice” while they were talking about the parole hearing and it was fondly. Like he was some Uncle who maybe is a little odd but, gosh, we love him anyway. :dubious: I kind of wanted to puke. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-fuck-do-we-need-a-live-broadcast-of-o-j-simpsons-parole-hearing/791740.md?page=3)