American Crime Story in the Media

[Mountainair]

Co-sign.  This series is far better than I thought it would be and having the next season be about Katrina deflates me a little.  Not to say what happened there was right or not as important or "exciting," but I was really hoping they would go with the Manson case (I had heard that Ryan Murphy wanted to do a season of that through American Horror Story.)  Short of that, the West Memphis 3 would be an interesting case to focus on, or something old school, classic Hollywood like the William Desmond Taylor murder case and/or the Fatty Arbuckle scandal.  Even the Jeffrey MacDonald (i.e., Fatal Vision) case would be interesting given people are divided and vocal on it (although it is still an ongoing case.)

 

There is (sadly) so much material to choose from.

Exactly! There are tons of stories to be told and they settle on Katrina? Leave that story to the Weather channel or news channels who tell the story over and over again every hurricane season anyway. American Crime Story, imo, should focus on crimes. This first season set the bar pretty high and it's a let down to have the next season not be in any way related to the first.

I grew up in a hurricane town and have seen neighbors homes completely destroyed. Google hurricane Floyd to see the worst of what my town went through so its not that I'm unsympathetic but at the same time we had little to no government assistance immediately afterwards either and we all banned together to help each other out. Also, we heeded the warnings and prepared the best we could and we didn't even live in a bowl!

[jaync]

Is she supposed to hide in a cave for the rest of her life?

For real. If Cochran were still alive, you can bet he'd be making the media rounds, too. Hell, he did so before he was even a member of the defense.

[Umbelina]

Well, I get it, the whole Katrina thing, because crimes were committed, and by lack of response, and horrific handling, people did die.

 

Still, I just can't watch it.  I hope they nail the bastards for their incompetence though via this show.  The USA, and that was the best we could do for our own people?  Disgusting, and yes, to me, criminal.

[7isBlue]

At least Clark actually was involved in the case. I had never laid eyes on Greta van Susteren before CNN fished her out to be one of its legal analysts very early in the OJ case. I couldn't stand her the first day, it got worse rather than better, and she's never gone away.  

 

I remember her yelling at the other analyst that she was just so sure Judge Kennedy-Powell was going to claim the detectives illegally searched when they scaled the wall of Simpson's home, and thus all the evidence collected was inadmissible, and then Judge Kennedy-Powell ruled otherwise. I don't know if "Looks good on you, ass" was a thing we were saying yet in 1994, but that was essentially my silent reaction when they cut back to Greta.

Dominic Dunne called her "Greta Van WhatsHerName." I always hear that name when she pops up on tv.

[smiley13]

That reminds me of the retort to "Nobody saw it coming"...yeah, nobody but THE WEATHER CHANNEL!!!

A series on Katrina does not interest me at all.  It was a hurricane.  There were days of warnings.  People did not heed the warnings.  

 

The crime aspect would be the looting and theft I guess.

Is she supposed to hide in a cave for the rest of her life?

 

Alan Dershowitz isn't shy about being in the media either.  Where's the ire directed toward him?

There is no "ire".  It was just an observation.  Clark has seemingly had no issue profiting off of this case for all of these years.  It just seems kind of sad to me.

[Epeolatrix]

Crimes could also be hospitals performing euthanasia, what appeared to be incidents of active malfeasance on the part of the police, and the tangentially related Zach & Addie murder/suicide.

[starri]

There is no "ire".  It was just an observation.  Clark has seemingly had no issue profiting off of this case for all of these years.  It just seems kind of sad to me.

So have most of the attorneys involved.  You don't hear from Cochran or Kardashian because they're dead, Like I was saying in the other thread, Barry Scheck seems to be the only one of them, on either side of the table, who hasn't eaten lunch on the story at least a little.

 

And as was mentioned, Greta Van Sustren and Nancy Grace have profited far more than any of them.

[Umbelina]

Crimes could also be hospitals performing euthanasia, what appeared to be incidents of active malfeasance on the part of the police, and the tangentially related Zach & Addie murder/suicide.

That, and many of the people left did not own cars to evacuate, there is the whole racial aspect, as well as the rate of death among the poor as opposed to the wealthy, as well as Bush famously saying "Good Job!" while people died of thirst, and reporters lost their cool and yelled for help for the dying.

 

Many rules were changed after Katrina, one that comes to mind is most rescue shelters and services now DO allow pets.

 

Horrific time.

Edited March 18, 2016 by Umbelina

[starri]

There's also a significant media involvement in the Katrina story as well. Anderson Cooper and Oprah in particular.

[FozzyBear]

You know what would be a really interesting case? The Dan White trial. Plenty of stuff to mine there, from the Twinkie defense to exploring how San Francisco became known as a LGBT Mecca. That one could be really interesting.

[BBDi]

Crimes could also be hospitals performing euthanasia, what appeared to be incidents of active malfeasance on the part of the police, and the tangentially related Zach & Addie murder/suicide.

Yeah, there were plenty of crimes involved - both in terms of what is strictly defined as a crime and in the sense of crimes against humanity.

[MargotWendice]

I have not read much about season 2--is it, by any chance, based on Five Days at Memorial? That was an incredibly powerful book.

[Epeolatrix]

We don't know anything except the words "Hurricane Katrina". The rest is speculation.

[Umbelina]

We don't know anything except the words "Hurricane Katrina". The rest is speculation.

Well, and that the title of this series is American Crime Story.

[biakbiak]

Here is what one of the producers said about it. Seems like they will be focusing on the lack of response as the crime.

[Ms Blue Jay]

This will sound weird to those people complaining about people enjoying this series because real people were murdered, but I am so engrossed in this show.  I'm sad that it will be ending by Episode 10.  I could easily watch another season about this case.

[Avaleigh]

This will sound weird to those people complaining about people enjoying this series because real people were murdered, but I am so engrossed in this show.  I'm sad that it will be ending by Episode 10.  I could easily watch another season about this case.

I won't be at all surprised if the ratings are down in a major way next season. I know I won't be tuning in. There are plenty of decent documentaries on Katrina. I honestly can't see myself being interested in Ryan Murphy's take on it all. 

 

I hope that season 3 is more of a period piece. 

[hendersonrocks]

There are tons of stories to be told and they settle on Katrina? Leave that story to the Weather channel or news channels who tell the story over and over again every hurricane season anyway. American Crime Story, imo, should focus on crimes. This first season set the bar pretty high and it's a let down to have the next season not be in any way related to the first.

 

I'm reading Five Days at Memorial right now. I thought I knew what had happened during and after Katrina. I was wrong. Crimes abound. Based solely on what I'm reading in this book, sign me up for season two. There are a lot of stories that deserve telling.

[jaync]

There are a lot of stories that deserve telling.

​True, and the reducing of Katrina to being just a hurricane with some looting lends credence as to why those stories should be told/retold.

http://understandingkatrina.ssrc.org/Kaufman/

 

[Ms Blue Jay]

There's a news story about Margot Robbie playing Tonya Harding in a new movie called "I, Tonya" so I think it will bring up a lot of the similar "nostalgia" (I'm not saying this in a fond way) that this series brought for some of us.

[hendersonrocks]

The Fug Girls have an interview with The People v. OJ Simpson's production & set designers. Some interesting tidbits on how they captured the essence of the 1990s!

[Umbelina]

http://www.eonline.com/news/750626/the-people-v-o-j-simpson-s-sterling-k-brown-reveals-the-frustration-he-and-sarah-paulson-experienced-on-set

 

Short interview and video with Sterling K Brown. Yummers.

 

TV Scoop Banner

EXCLUSIVE!
News/ The People v. O.J. Simpson's Sterling K. Brown Reveals the Frustration He and Sarah Paulson Experienced on Set

by Lauren Piester and Chris Harnick Tue, Mar 22, 2016 7:47 AM

   

Cuba Gooding Jr., who portrays O.J. Simpson on the series, recently revealed he sort of had a "nervous breakdown" while filming once he realized the gravity of the entire thing. Brown told E! News he and Paulson would have conversations about their disbelief in how things went down at the trial, especially with Johnnie Cochran and Judge Lance Ito allowing him to "sort of run the case."

"There were times in which there was no acting involved because it was just frustration," Brown said. "It was full immersion, each moment I was trying to win this case. I'm going to put the gloves on O.J. Simpson, confetti is going to come down from the sky, everybody is going to lift Darden up and be like, 'Darden's the man! Darden's the man!' You just sort of Jedi mind trick your way through this whole thing, thinking that at the end hopefully success could be your option."

 

[Simon Boccanegra]

Interesting mid-1990s-vintage piece on the different television viewing habits of blacks and whites in America. Indeed, Seinfeld was only the 89th-most-popular series among African-American viewers.  

 

http://articles.baltimoresun.com/1996-05-02/features/1996123149_1_black-viewers-blacks-and-whites-blacks-and-whites

[Tdoc72]

This will sound weird to those people complaining about people enjoying this series because real people were murdered, but I am so engrossed in this show.  I'm sad that it will be ending by Episode 10.  I could easily watch another season about this case.

Maybe season 3 could be American Crime Story:The Other Trial of OJ Simpson 2:Electric Boogaloo.

[helenamonster]

Heh, Season 3 could be the civil trial and Season 4 could be the trial for the crimes for which he is now imprisoned.

[7isBlue]

Heh, Season 3 could be the civil trial and Season 4 could be the trial for the crimes for which he is now imprisoned.

I would love to see a dramatization of the civil trial! I have a feeling though that there was less "drama" from the attorneys and more straightforward lawyering in that later case. Because there were no cameras allowed, I think the Goldman's' attorneys were able to focus on the case, instead of theatrics. It would probably make for a less-riveting mini-series.

[Umbelina]

That judge also shut down every single bit of nonsense the defense tried on the court though.  Ito did not.

[FormerMod-a1]

I think it would be an interesting contrast to show, but with less hype and less circusy feeling I wonder if it could fill 10 episodes.

[BW Manilowe]

The Esquire Network (it used to be E!'s sister channel, Style, if you go looking for it on your cable channels) will be airing a 12-hour marathon of hour-long portions of the real OJ trial from 9AM-9PM Eastern on April 3rd.

http://deadline.com/2016/03/o-j-simpson-trial-esquire-network-marathon-1201726132/

[Dejana]

Chris Darden was interviewed by Entertainment Tonight; they've posted the clips that aired on TV:

 

 

[Crs97]

If one more person asks either Chris or Marcia if they slept together, the entire country may hear my scream. I DON'T CARE! We complain that the trial focused on everything but the brutal murders of Ron and Nicole, yet we are doing the same thing.

Marcia and Chris, either answer the damn question or tell them to stop asking. Your coy smiles and comments are wearing thin IMO.

[hendersonrocks]

Interesting podcast on the media's coverage of and relationship with O.J. before, during, and after the trial. 

Edited March 30, 2016 by hendersonrocks

[Umbelina]

They don't have to answer that question though.  They were dissected personally, and endlessly during and after that trial.  Her divorce, her hair, clothes, and Darden endlessly faced the "Uncle Tom!" venom, their lives were threatened, their children's lives were threatened, they lived in a fishbowl with people tossing shit into it endlessly to muddy the water in the bowl.

 

As for whether or not they had a sexual relationship?  In my opinion, of course they did.  If they didn't one of them would have said "No."  They were closer than family, more like soldiers in a bunker together with endless incoming fire, and enemies surrounding them from many sides.  The idea that they wouldn't eventually seek relief and comfort from the only person in the world that understood what they were going through, and wouldn't sell that information to the press?

 

Of course they did.  I hope it was good.

[Daisy]

while I am kind of :( that they are going to go to Katrina (I would have thought that would have been more of a season 4 or something)  I'll be watching because i 100% want to see a Season 3. 

[smiley13]

If one more person asks either Chris or Marcia if they slept together, the entire country may hear my scream. I DON'T CARE! We complain that the trial focused on everything but the brutal murders of Ron and Nicole, yet we are doing the same thing.

Marcia and Chris, either answer the damn question or tell them to stop asking. Your coy smiles and comments are wearing thin IMO.

It is annoying, but if they answered then the two of them would not be able to keep stringing the media along.

[Umbelina]

I disagree with that.

 

It's THEIR business, it was probably the only thing about their endlessly dissected lives that belonged to them alone.

 

ETA

;)  This was said with a wink, in my head anyway.  I hope they did!  Ha.

Edited April 1, 2016 by Umbelina

[Crs97]

Then tell the reporters the question is off the table and the interview will end if it is asked. They complain that the jury got sidetracked by the show and forgot about the victims. Well now they can do something about it and choose not to. I am so over it. /end rant

[Aethera]

Oh President Bartlet, what are you doing?

 

http://www.cnn.com/2016/03/31/entertainment/martin-sheen-o-j-simpson-series-feat/index.html

[GHScorpiosRule]

Oh President Bartlet, what are you doing?

 

http://www.cnn.com/2016/03/31/entertainment/martin-sheen-o-j-simpson-series-feat/index.html

 

 

I know, right? I was nothing short of flabbergasted when I read that headline. And the "author" of that book is just another famewhore.

[LADreamr]

Give Katrina a chance. There was a lot more there than it seemed. Treme covered it so well, though, I don't know what they could add. Looking forward to it, though.

[Princess Sparkle]

Oh President Bartlet, what are you doing?

http://www.cnn.com/2016/03/31/entertainment/martin-sheen-o-j-simpson-series-feat/index.html

I am mostly shocked he allowed himself to get into a contract with Netflix that requires he doesn't show up onscreen for anything else. That seems insanely restrictive.

[ShadowHunter]

I think another season could focus on the Robert Chambers/Jennifer Levin case. The media had labeled the crime "The Preppie Murder"  Even though she was the victim they put her on trial and trashed her. He claimed she had died during rough sex.  His jury deadlocked for nine days then he took a deal. A Current Affair even aired a video of him after he was sentenced that showed him twisting the head of a barbie doll. 

[gunderda]

I might watch a series about Katrina.... only because to be honest when it happened I pretty much put my head in the sand.  I couldn't watch news footage about it... I couldn't watch people and animals drowning in their homes....  but not even sure I could watch that being reenacted.

[jaync]

I know, right? I was nothing short of flabbergasted when I read that headline. And the "author" of that book is just another famewhore.

The writer of the article isn't too bright, neither; O.J. wasn't "found innocent" in the criminal trial.

 

Not sure if it's new or not, but The People Vs. OJ Simpson: A Where Are They Now Special is airing this Saturday night on OWN.

[Umbelina]

Oh President Bartlet, what are you doing?

 

http://www.cnn.com/2016/03/31/entertainment/martin-sheen-o-j-simpson-series-feat/index.html

http://www.businessinsider.com/tony-ortega-debunks-william-dear-2012-4

 

So, they are going to go after Jason Simpson. 

 

sigh, I find that kind of sad.

Edited April 1, 2016 by Umbelina

[kathe5133]

I always admired Martin Sheen. Good actor, family man. I was even willing to overlook that Charlie was is spawn.

Now - I guess the Apple didn't fall far from that tree.

[Umbelina]

http://www.villagevoice.com/news/bill-dear-is-full-of-it-and-i-can-prove-it-6684433

 

This is really long, but very good if you stick with it.

[BW Manilowe]

According to this article, Courtney B. Vance will be in the S2 cast of American Crime Story--the Hurricane Katrina season--as well.

http://m.eonline.com/news/753012/which-people-v-o-j-simpson-star-is-definitely-returning-for-american-crime-story-season-2

[jenrising]

http://www.villagevoice.com/news/bill-dear-is-full-of-it-and-i-can-prove-it-6684433

 

This is really long, but very good if you stick with it.

Thanks for that link. What a disgusting human being. 

[psychoticstate]

I have both versions of William Dear's book in my personal library and while it's interesting enough reading it didn't change my opinion that Simpson is guilty.  Besides all the physical evidence, Simpson is not the kind of person that would take the fall or the heat for Jason, who it seems he had little regard for as Jason was not athletic or the kind of son Simpson thought he should have. 

 

It did tell me that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, with regards to Jason Simpson and his violent issues.

 

ETA:  If there was any type of credible evidence against Jason Simpson, there would be an investigation. The murders are still an open case.

Edited April 1, 2016 by psychoticstate