The OJ Boycott Site
I don’t ask many favors of my readers; it’s enough for me to have an audience, and you all know I appreciate you, whether you agree with me or not.
I’m asking you for one now. The Goldmans, survivors of Ron, brutally murdered along with Nicole Brown Simpson by the reprehensible slug O.J. Simpson, have started a boycott site regarding the new obscenities planned by the Fox Network and ReganBooks.
Please, stop what you’re doing, and sign the petition. You can do it in five seconds. If you’re more motivated, you can find addresses to write and complain, as I will surely do. But just sign the petition, at the minimum…it’s a couple of boxes and a click of the mouse.
In the name of decency and simple human dignity, and as a statement that there IS a limit to how low we’ll let our culture sink, go there now…
do ya think OJ already got his money for this project, which would then make all this boycott stuff pretty much pointless?
It’s possible, though I know the Goldmans have mounted an aggressive legal defense to uncover the money trail and have it applied to their $33.5 million judgment that remains uncollected. It’s more than the money, though, it’s the principle. I’m still hoping the book, and the TV shows, will be shelved under the mounting pressure – and for anyone who might cry censorship, that’s not censorship, it’s the First Amendment at work…
how has this dirtbag avoided paying anything to the Goldmans? unbelievable.
Through a combination of things…his NFL pension is off-limits, as is his home in Florida. Most of his income goes to off-shore accounts and other dodges that ensure that “O.J.” is never paid directly, but rather some incorporated entity that keeps the Goldmans at bay.
O.J. takes perverse pride in the fact that he hasn’t paid his settlement; in point of fact, I seriously doubt, as I have stated elsewhere, that the Goldmans have even recovered their staggering legal bills.
Nevertheless, I know that Fred Goldman would pay those bills again just for the satisfaction that he must have derived from hearing that O.J. was found culpable for the wrongful death of Ron and Nicole (the civil equivalent of murder).
Comrades,
See, I’m just the opposite. I applaud OJ for not giving those scumbags a dime. The man was found NOT DYUILTY by a court, and then these bloodsuckers got to have a second bite at the apple over a civil suit. OJ ought to have been off-limits after his “not-guilty” verdict. The fact that he could be sued for civil damages after such a verdict in a criminal case speaks volumes about what’s wrong with our “justice” system.
Don’t get me wrong here fellers. I’m no fan of OJ, but either the rules apply fairly across the board or they don’t. This nation NEEDS to address the civil litigation laws, and sooner rather than later.
Fred Goldman and his ilk are litiginous vampires, to my mind, and represent everything that is wrong with our judicial system. OJ walked. deal with it.
Respects,
Comrades,
My apologies or the typos. I had my eyes dilated earlier and they’re not quite back yet. Not an excuse, mind you. Just sayin’…
Respects,
Gwedd, Fred Goldman is a scumbag for seeking redress for the murder of his son.
Hmmm…well, you’ve been a good friend to this blog, so let me just say that I could not, under any circumstances, disagree more vehemently with you…
Diplomacy prevents me from further comment…
Gwedd: how do you type with your eyes?
Perhaps the better solution, to the Goldman’s problem, is to return the favor and murder OJ, then maybe they could get some of the $33m from his estate?
I share a little of Gwedd’s unease at the notion of suing someone in civil court for something he’s been acquitted of in criminal court. To me, that violates the spirit of double jeopardy; even if we don’t like the result, we have to live with it.
However, it’s ridiculous and insulting to call Fred Goldman a “scumbag” or “bloodsucker.” This wasn’t some idiot suing McDonald’s because he got fat or some ambulance chaser acting like he hit the lotto. I’m pretty sure he’d be plenty happy to never get a penny from OJ if Simpson who agree to spend the rest of his life behind bars, where he should be. I might not approve of the suit in theory, but in practice I don’t blame him for doing whatever the law allowed him to do to make up for one of the most ridiculous criminal verdicts in recent memory.
My problem with boycotts and trying to keep things from airing is that now both sides (not that OJ has a side) are now doing it, and the upshot is stifling of freedom of expression and the right to decide yourself if you want to see it. Undeniably, there are millions who will/would watch this dreck. Why isn’t just not watching it yourself enough, if you disagree with it? Why must sponsors be punished and the networks pressured into not showing shows, from the Reagan bio to the 9/11 mockumentary to Stolen Honor to the OJ thing?
Frankly I’m against pressuring entities from airing/publishing/whatever just about anything. If you don’t like it, then don’t watch it. But really, no matter what your motives, it smacks of assuming you know what’s best for the rest of us to advocate censorship. Its the hallmark of the nanny-staters who think we need to be protected from ourselves. Well, we don’t. Americans are perfectly capable, and free, to decide themselves what to watch on TV.
Its been shown a small, loud, determined group can deny the majority the right to watch wtf-ever they want to watch. And that’s wrong. And it cuts both ways. Some day it may be your ox being gored. Freedom of speech and expression, and the right to view entertainment that you want to watch without hindrance, is best tested when its something many seem to think is offensive. The huge ratings the OJ thing would get means you are far from having universal agreement on this thing.
Let the babies have their bottle, and let the marketplace decide. I really hate boycotts and ‘chilling effect’ advocacy, on both sides and even on this.
I’m sympathetic to your argument, if this were only about allowing O.J. to have his say. But it’s not – it’s about letting a killer profit to the tune of a reputed $3.5 million.
In any event, it is not censorship, it is the marketplace at work. If Fox and ReganBooks decide they will make enough money off of this to outweigh the stain on their reputations, then by all means, show the damn thing.
I cannot stress this enough…boycotts are not censorship. They are consumer-driven and private in nature. Censorship is preventing someone from doing something by force (as in force of law, as in government). The boycotters cannot force Fox and ReganBooks to avoid this…they can only attempt to convince them that it will hurt their bottom line to do so.
But why is it so important to you that _others_ not see the show? You can easily not see it yourself. Just don’t tune in. But by boycotting, you are attempting to coerce the network not to air the show: your only goal here can be that _noone_ see it.
Look, for better or worse, the money’s been paid. I seriously doubt OJ has ‘points’ on this, TV just isn’t done like that. There is no way you can punish OJ, only the network, and the only thing you can possibly accomplish is to stop the airing, or any future airings of controversial shows. I put it to you that this is a bad thing, individuals getting together to stop airings of shows to deny the rights of others to see them. As a libertarian, I stand up for that principle, even when the subject is especially dispicable. Especially then, because principles are best tested when you are completely at odds with the subject they defend. I detest OJ, but I support the rights of anyone who wants to see the show.
The slippery slope argument holds here: someday your pet show may face the wrath of the secular humanists or the hard left. Its good to be consistant in these cases.
Well, I don’t care if anyone sees the show…people look up beheading videos on the Internet, and as sick as that is, it’s their right. What I care about is registering some sort of protest at what I see as a reprehensible product.
In any event, it’s clear to me that you and many other (most?) readers of this blog don’t share my sentiments on this issue. I respect that, and I don’t intend to beat anyone over the head insisting I’m right and they’re wrong. I just wanted to make it clear the difference between a boycott and a nanny state; for example, a boycotter would protest smoking in a bar or restaurant, and try to convince others not to frequent that place. A nanny-stater would pass legislation accomplishing his or her viewpoint by force of law.
Boycott Direct TV- Owned by Rupert Murdoch. Maybe then he would think twice about paying murdering idiots like OJ. Dish Network is better anyway!!!
Mark,
I share the unease as expressed by others here, but bottomline, I share your willingness to boycott. The OJ saga is pure sleaze and my condoning it via indirect support to sponsors etc only will encourage the next Xtreme low.
I’m sick of this race to the bottom of the sewer pit, especially when the target is primetime viewers which include my kids. Plus I hate the thot of someone getting away with murder and being allowed multiple opportunities to rub salt and gore into the wounds and profiting from it.
As for those who would point out using parental control devices and what not, shut the hell up! Especially if you don’t have young remote-control saavy kids. With 4 kids spread over 10 years, it ain’t easy trying to keep up with what’s appropriate or not beforehand then setting a block.
Heck, even when I program my Dish Network to record any instance of a show like LOST or 24, I end up with a bunch of weird stuff that I would hardly consider relevant. And you wanna tell me that that same programming in reverse will block stuff? Yeah, right. The metadata is only as good as the person lodaing it. If Johnny can hardly read/write…GIGO.
Anyhoo, the pressure worked and Project OJ Tell All has been relegated to the ashheap for now. WooHoo!
I agree with that it doesnt seem fair to be acquitted in one court only to be charged in yet another court and told to pay millions of dollars. I think deep down most people would think our justice system has a long way to go.
I sympathize with the Goldman and Brown family as well. I have never had anyone in my family hurt by a criminal act. I did have a brother, however, who was falsely accused of rape and put in jail for six months pending trial. Fortunately, the one of the two “victims” in the case confessed they lied that my brother had raped one of them because they thought he was from a rich family and thought they could get some money out of the deal. So, he got out but had a lot of emotional and mental trauma as a result.
I thought OJ might be innocent at first. I know there was DNA evidence and blood evidence but the way the media reports it, there were also samples of blood evidence missing and then there is the little problem with Mark Furman having been accused of planting evidence in an earlier case in his career.
Having said all that, OJ pretty much cemented the fact that he is an arrogant a**hole by being involved in this tv and book deal “If I did it”. IF nothing else, how can he be that insensitive to his children’s feelings (unless of course they are insensitive a**holes as well and I am not saying they are).
I wished OJ could have been found guilty in a court of law. I wish the LA Police department and DA’s office could have done a much better job. And most of all, I wish Fred Goldman would be able to move on. He has pretty much used up a lot of hate in helping OJ stay in the news. Even bad PR is good PR.
None of that is going to change, however, just like the middle east will never be at peace. SO, we will continue to have interesting tv news media coverage for years to come.
I wish it all could stop.
Life is way too short.
Michael
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