In everyone’s lifetime, there are events we remember vividly – you recall exactly where you were and what you were doing when they happened. For our generation, this event may be 9/11 or the Boston Marathon bombings. If you ask your parents what events they remember clearly, many of them will say the O.J. Simpson car chase and trial. Many of us were infants – or not even born – when the O.J. Simpson trial happened, but it is one of the most infamous trials in history.
Recently, FX aired an original series: ‘American Crime Story: The People vs. OJ Simpson’. The ‘American Crime Story’ series will focus on a new infamous trial every season. This season, the show revolves around the OJ Simpson trial.
For those of you who do not know, O.J. Simpson was a football star that was one of the most well-known and well-liked celebrities in the early 1990’s. In June of 1994, his ex-wife – Nicole Brown Simpson – and her friend – Ron Goldman –were murdered. It didn’t take long before O.J. became the prime suspect for the murders.
(Cuba Gooding junior, left, plays O.J. in the series; O.J. Simpson, right)
Most have heard details of the trial, like the famous glove scene, how Kim Kardashian’s late father Robert Kardashian was a part of Simpson’s legal team, or what the verdict of the trial was (I won’t spoil it for you in case you don’t know it!).
This series does more than just act out the trial. It goes behind the scenes of what was happening with the lawyers, the jurors, the judge, and the victim’s families. The series does an incredible job of portraying the different sides of the case, leaving it up to the audience to decide whether O.J. was guilty.
What’s so interesting about the trial is that it deals with subject matters that are still relevant today. The O.J. trial took place shortly after the Rodney King trial, where a cop was acquitted for violently beat up Rodney King, a black taxi driver. At the time of these two cases, there was heavy tension between African Americans and the LAPD… which is similar to today’s issue of police brutality.
In the show, Sarah Paulson gives an incredible performance as Marcia Clark, the prosecution lawyer. Throughout the trial, she experiences a number of problems, like sexism in the work place and extreme media criticism about her looks. In reality, Clark was going through a divorce at the time of the case. So, she was trying to get custody of her kids while trying to convict one of America’s most loved celebrities, all while constantly being criticized by the media because she was a woman! If you’re looking for a new female role model, she’s it.
(Marcia Clark, left; Sarah Paulson, right)
This series does an amazing job showing a completely different side to the trial that even people who were alive during the time did not know! If you like history, crime stories, or just looking for a new show to binge, I definitely suggest this series! It’s available on demand on FX.