Truly Obscene
Words cannot express the moral depravity behind the decision of ReganBooks and Fox News the Fox Network to provide a forum for O.J. Simpson to confess to the details of the slaying of his wife and Ronald Goldman under the ruse that it is ‘hypothetical’:
Fox will slaughter the competition the final week of the November ratings sweeps when it airs a two-hour interview in which O.J. Simpson details how he would have murdered his wife, Nicole, and Ronald Goldman more than 10 years ago.
Had he done it.
Which he didn’t.
Just ask him.
He is, in fact, looking high and low for her killer as we write.
“O.J. Simpson: If I Did It, Here’s How It Happened” will be broadcast over two nights, Monday, Nov. 27, and Wednesday, Nov. 29. Fox airs “House” on Tuesdays and nobody messes with House. Not even O.J.
“If I Did It” is also the title of the former pro football player’s new book that, Fox said yesterday, hits bookstores Nov. 30 — just in time for the holiday gift-buying season, ho, ho, ho. And who wouldn’t love to find a copy of O.J.’s sordid sort-of hypothetical confession in his Christmas stocking on the morning of the day in which we celebrate the birth of baby Jesus?
And, in one of those incredible coincidences that make covering the TV industry so fulfilling, the book is being published under the Regan imprint, headed by Judith Regan, who will conduct the interview with O.J. on Fox. And her publishing outfit, ReganBooks, is a division of HarperCollins, which is owned by News Corp. — which also owns Fox!
Fox didn’t divulge details of the interview other than to say it was “wide-ranging,” “no holds barred” and “unrestricted” and that “Simpson describes how he would have carried out the murders he has vehemently denied committing for over a decade.” He was acquitted in the criminal trial that gripped the country in 1995 but found guilty in a later civil trial.
But on its Web site, under the headline “The Interview That Will Shake the Nation,” Fox presents a video clip in which someone, presumably Regan, says to Simpson, “You wrote, ‘I have never seen so much blood in my life.’ “
Simpson responds, “I don’t think any two people could be murdered without everybody being covered in blood.”
The National Enquirer — which broke the story about the Simpson book last month — has cited a West Coast source familiar with the project in providing grisly details of what it claims to be Simpson’s story in the book. The Enquirer says its source described the book’s account of the double murder as “so detailed and chillingly realistic — with O.J. as the central figure — that it leaves no doubt it is a confession of what really happened.” According to that report, Simpson was paid $3.5 million to do the book.
Let’s be clear, for clarity is needed in the face of true evil. Every cent associated with this project is blood money. Fox will be tainted, the publishing house, any advertisers, every viewer…for this is nothing more than voyeuristic ‘pleasure’ derived from a brutal double slaying that every sentient being alive knows was committed by O.J. himself.
I’m not usually big on boycotts…but if anyone knows of any efforts around this, let me know. In the meantime, you can write to Fox at askfox@foxinc.com; I just did. Everyone associated with this should hang their heads in lasting shame…
Holy crap.
Thanks for bringing this to my attention, Mark. I forwarded it on to my dad, who’s as big an OJ buff as I was while it was going on. I mean…..wow. Just, wow. Is there really any doubt that it’s a candid confession masking as a work of hypothetical fiction?
It’s absolutely amazing. I kid you not, I felt physically ill after reading up on this…
OK, I just sent an e-mail, too.
I’m not going to say this would be OK if it were some other murder case, because it wouldn’t, but it’s particularly bad that it’s this one. O.J. did it. Everybody knows that. Everybody.
Good for you…like I said in the post, I don’t know if anyone is organized on this, but I bet Fox is getting A LOT of e-mails just from isolated people disgusted with the whole idea. I sincerely hope they cancel this piece of crap before it makes it to the air…
I think it’s the Fox network (same channel that airs the Simpsons, Family Guy, etc.), not Fox News, though they are owned by the same company, of course.
Correct – I gave the right e-mail address for the Fox Network, but I said Fox News in the post – I will correct it…
How is he being paid? I thought any money he earned was to go to his victim’s family? Didn’t they win the civil case?
They did indeed win a huge settlement ($35 million, I think) on a finding of wrongful death in the civil case. I don’t know how these arrangements will be handled, but O.J., in other interviews I’ve seen, has openly chortled about how he’s screwing the Goldmans and hiding all his income. I doubt they’ve even got their (quite substantial) attorney’s fees back.
I’m reminded of “Natural Born Killers” in the sense that this is voyeurism to an obscene extreme.
I do know OJ’s pension form the NFL was protected from the civil suit… BTW Mark did you see the news story about San Francisco banning JROTC in its schools!? http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/16018277.htm
Fred, from this article:
Josh, that’s another thing to be disgusted about today, for sure…I found a link on O.J.’s civil suit about the same time as you posted your comment – I didn’t know his NFL pension was protected until now. Jeez…
For any legal eagles around here – what’s to prevent him from just confessing to the crime? I would think double jeopardy protect him from criminal prosecution, and he’s already received a judgment against him in the civil case.
I’m no legal eagle, but you’re absolutely right…he’s probably immune from any further prosecution, no matter what he says, because of double jeopardy. Still, never hurts to cover your guilty ass, right, O.J.? I may have more on this story later, I found a good link…
If Roger Ailes had anything to do with this piece of filth, he should resign immediately. Murdoch should also apologize for even thinking of putting crap like this on the air, even in this day and age.
Sombody with a good lawyer should scan the book and publish it on the internet for free so that nobody makes a dime on it.
Mr. Goldman, are you listening?
Free speech is a wonderful thing; but Fox Network, Reganbooks, their parent companies, sponsors and employees should be taught that this can work both ways. They should be made to understand that by their promoting publicity for this scum will not make them money.
Hopefully some responsible organization will will organize a boycot campaign that will inform the public, through paid advertising, who is responsible for enabling this travesty to take place. I, for one, would like to have a listing of Fox’s sponsors, their email addresses and mailing addresses, as well as those of parent companies and their executive officers.
I have never seen the American public so outraged by an issue. This is an opportunity to let the smut peddlers know that they will not be rewarded for sinking to a new moral low.
I once again encourage everyone to email the Fox Network, and to boycott this program and the book. Tim, you’re absolutely right…I also am looking for a good nationwide boycott campaign to join.
Fred Goldman, father of the slain Ronald Goldman, is asking for everyone to boycott the book and the show, as well, so if nothing else, do it out of respect for the family…
I was also shocked to hear O.J.Simpson is doing an interview with Fox. I personally will not watch it nor will I spend the money on his book.
He has failed to pay the Goldman family the money he owes them. The proceeds from this book should go directly to the goldman’s.
What a slime ball????