O.J.: Made In America - Part 1

[Tara Ariano]

A five-part documentary chronicling O.J. Simpson. Premieres Saturday, June 11, on ABC before moving to ESPN the following week.

[Deanie87]

I really felt as though I got all of the OJ that I needed after American Crime, but this is getting such incredible reviews that I guess I'll have to tune in, at least for part of it.

[Irlandesa]

That's me too.  But it does sound like it takes a wider view.

[mojoween]

Dan LeBatard has been hyping the hell out of this on his radio show for months and he usually hates everything so that piqued my interest right away.  Then the reviews started coming in within the last few weeks and there wasn't a bad one in the bunch so now I feel obligated to watch it, heh.

[emjohnson03]

Saw it and loved it. It is everything and more.

You think you know OJ but watching this, you really get a whole sense of who he is. And you are drawn in from the start.

The people they were able to get and interviews are amazing. The timeline from his rise in college, to the trial and to his fall in the last 6 years is something out of Shakespeare. I can't even describe how well done it is. It really is the best thing 30 for 30 as done and ESPN. 

There was so much more they could even tell and there are things you just want more of, but this is the most comprehensive and introspective look you see into his life. 

You will not regret watching and wish you could watch it all in one sitting. Riveting and Engrossing.

A must see!

Edited June 10, 2016 by emjohnson03

[hendersonrocks]

It feels kind of unseemly to be so excited about this, given some of the circumstances, but I AM SO EXCITED ABOUT THIS. I've never seen reviews quite like this and I'm so interested in the deeper view into O.J.'s life & society at large - before and after the murders - than we got from the (still excellent) FX series.

[mojoween]

Welp, that was definitely as good as advertised.

The juxtaposition of OJ turning into a football star and seeking adolation while the country is going to hell was fascinating.

Goddamn he was dynamic on the football field.

[AimingforYoko]

Riveting, fascinating, compelling. All the adjectives. It always helps when the director has a vision for the documentary, it helps drive the narrative. And the setup of the intersection of race, class and LA hooked me from the first moment. It is very ironic that OJ became this symbol for the racist justice system and the flaws of the LAPD when he worked his whole life to shun such things.

[Mountainair]

Wow! I heard this got great reviews and now I see why! This captured me from the very first moment. I loved the FX series but this is so different in the right ways. I was 10 when Nicole was killed and very oblivious to it all. I've always associated OJ with his trial looks and and demeanor. I really appreciated getting to see a view of his rise to fame in a pretty much unbiased light. Boy was he handsome. A mix between Obama and Cam Newton in looks and football skills. I see now why he was considered handsome and so popular. I could never quite relate to that before. He really did take quite a sudden turn in behavior didn't he? Or was it stifled and there all along? Did the fame go to his head and he became a cocky SOB or did he suffer from CTE as many others have speculated? Either way I think he's guilty as hell but I appreciate this seemingly real and honest look from the beginning of OJ as opposed to the condensed versions I normally get on tv. 

[Guest]

I deeply regret not seeing this when it played in NYC because Could have watched this all night. Part of me wants to DVR the whole thing and watch it in one sitting but the other part of me is like, nooooo! I gotta watch it because it's on! 

OJ, man. The very definition of a squandered life. 

[Irlandesa]

This was so terrific.  I gather having it be about OJ is the reason ESPN greenlit 10 hours of it but I appreciate that it is using that time to give us context.  It's using OJ to reflect how he saw the society he was in and how that society saw him. 

And I learned something.  I didn't know his father was gay.

I also forgot just how charismatic he was.  His public personality kind of reminds me of Michael Strahan.

Edited June 12, 2016 by Irlandesa

[scrambled eggs]

I only watched a few episodes of the American Crime series, mostly because watching scenes from the trial just makes me angry again. I don't know how much I'll enjoy reliving the trial when Made in America reaches it, but this first episode was fascinating. I was too young to remember OJ as a football player, so I had never seen this much footage of his career--he really was astonishing. 

The tidbit that stuck with me was OJ's first wife originally dated Al Cowling and was dating him when she started seeing OJ. But Al remained loyal to him. 

The timing also worked out well, with the footage of Muhammad Ali. Quite the contrast between those two men. 

[whiporee]

That was impressive. Like the PP, I've been listening to Dan leBatard pump this for months, and the first segment was everything I could have expected. It showed off one of the things that was missing from ACS -- just how big a star OJ was in his prime, and how and why he was beloved. And seeing the footage -- man, they guy could run.

[Primetimer]

Yes, 30 For 30's O.J. Simpson event is 'really that good.' Why you should turn on the Juice.

View the full article

[stillhere1900]

3 hours ago, auntl said:

I think that this documentary is excellent so far.

Poor Nicole. On their very first date, 30 year old OJ tore 18 year old Nicole's jeans. I guess she was too young to realize that this was an indication that this relationship could be dangerous. Her friend tried to warn her, but she didn't want to listen.

She also didn't care the OJ was married and had 2-3 ? kids. She was only 18 so she was really too young to grasp all that.  *OJ gains fame & fortune. Dumps Black wife for White girl* anyone surprised ? Anyone?

Edited June 12, 2016 by stillhere1900

[Ohwell]

I was sick of all things OJ, so I didn't watch American Crime and I'm not at all regretful.  However, this show was riveting, and I enjoyed it.  A couple of things I didn't know:  1) OJ's dad was gay and 2) his first wife dated Al Cowling.  

Nicole knew she was dating a married man with kids, and yet she let him "keep" her and put her up in an apartment and buy her a car.  She wasn't "too young" to know that what she was doing was wrong.  The fact that she continued to date him after he tore her jeans off on their first date tells me that she was willing to put up with anything as long as she was dating rich, successful OJ.  She didn't deserve to die, but I'm just sayin'.

I'll watch part 2 but I'll skip the rest because I do not want to see anything else about the murders and the trial.

[Willowsmom]

It's  funny but even in those early interviews you can see the ego that got him where he is today.

[attica]

The parole hearing footage was a killer way to start. Guaranteed I'd stay tuned, it did.

I used to love those 'Superstars' competitions. They were cheesy ratings bait, but a lot of the competitors clearly took it seriously.

[Margherita Erdman]

5 hours ago, PreviouslyTV said:

Yes, 30 For 30's O.J. Simpson event is 'really that good.' Why you should turn on the Juice.

View the full article

Sarah, this entry is a little gem of personal criticism — I found it both moving and insightful. Thank you!

[Court]

Wow! I heard this got great reviews and now I see why! This captured me from the very first moment. I loved the FX series but this is so different in the right ways. I was 10 when Nicole was killed and very oblivious to it all. I've always associated OJ with his trial looks and and demeanor. I really appreciated getting to see a view of his rise to fame in a pretty much unbiased light. Boy was he handsome. A mix between Obama and Cam Newton in looks and football skills. I see now why he was considered handsome and so popular. I could never quite relate to that before. He really did take quite a sudden turn in behavior didn't he? Or was it stifled and there all along? Did the fame go to his head and he became a cocky SOB or did he suffer from CTE as many others have speculated? Either way I think he's guilty as hell but I appreciate this seemingly real and honest look from the beginning of OJ as opposed to the condensed versions I normally get on tv. 

I agree. I was a couple years older so it was hard for me to grasp the impact OJ had prior to the Nicole/Ron murders.

You can tell he had the ego from the beginning.

[Bastet]

Quote

Sarah, this entry is a little gem of personal criticism — I found it both moving and insightful. Thank you!

Yeah, all the great reviews and my enjoyment of virtually every installment of 30 for 30 I've ever seen hadn't convinced me to watch this, but after that write-up I believe I will.

ESPN's programming guide shows part one will air again Tuesday night at 7:00 Eastern.

[SoSueMe]

I watched never thinking it would interest me but it is well worth the watch.

I remember hearing that OJ did not really relate to the African American community, I took that with a grain of salt. But after watching this I can see where he made the conscious decision to set himself apart. There were several new bits of info here as mentioned above, interesting that his dad was gay, I wonder what impact that had on his personality.

[AndreaK1041]

23 hours ago, PreviouslyTV said:

Yes, 30 For 30's O.J. Simpson event is 'really that good.' Why you should turn on the Juice.

View the full article

The show is great, but that's also some damn fine writing. 

[Hanahope]

On 6/11/2016 at 11:14 PM, Mountainair said:

He really did take quite a sudden turn in behavior didn't he? Or was it stifled and there all along? Did the fame go to his head and he became a cocky SOB or did he suffer from CTE as many others have speculated?

After seeing his history, I'm convinced there was no real "change" in his behavior.  He was always very narcissistic, possibly even sociopathic.  He clearly never give a damn about anyone else except himself.

 

Quote

The tidbit that stuck with me was OJ's first wife originally dated Al Cowling and was dating him when she started seeing OJ.

This is an example.  He didn't care that the woman was AC's girlfriend, he just wanted her for himself.

Also, that story about OJ and his friends shooting dice in the school bathroom and being caught by the coach.  OJ then skated out of the principals offices and left his friends there to suffer the consequences.  But not him.  He's "OJ".

So later when he murders Nicole and Ron, and claims he didn't do it, again, its his same narcissistic/sociopathic personality taking over.  How dare Nicole want to date other people and defy him.  How dare people accuse OJ of murder.

Maybe the CLE exacerbated things, but I think he always prone to that sort of behavior.  Its just that when he was younger and got everything handed to him on a silver platter, he never had to expose the darker side of his personality.

Edited June 13, 2016 by Hanahope

[reggiejax]

From the recap:

Quote

"I see here that in 1994 you were arrested at the age of 46." My husband and I, in unison: "Is...she fucking kidding?"

That threw me for a loop too. But I am going to give that woman the benefit of the doubt, and say that she was not as clueless as that statement made her sound. I am 100% certain she knew exactly what she was referring too. And I think that is why she phrased it that way. I think she was wary of how to proceed with that particular hearing, due to the notoriety of the prisoner, and as a result, she must have decided to treat it no differently than any other hearing for any other prisoner. For her it was business as usual. So we get what is no doubt the strangest sounding question ever asked at a parole hearing. I imagine even she thought her phrasing was weird. And no doubt, she never thought the video would ever be broadcast to the public.

Of course, weirder still was OJ's response to the question, which was that he had to think about it for a second, at least with regards to how old he was. As if he was thinking "Oh that? Yeah, I think I was 46 when that happened."

Edited June 13, 2016 by reggiejax

[TVHappy9463]

I guess I am an easier sell then most. I liked this set up, I didn't know OJ's backstory, I knew he was an amazing foot ball player, I remember the Hertz commercials and Naked Gun movies. Then he was arrested for murder, and that is how I know him best. ESPN's 30 for 30 documentaries are always the gold standard, and based on episode 1 I have no doubt that this will continue the tradition.

Understanding the context of political/social climate when he was coming up and how he turned his back on his community, when he could have used his fame to help is ironic, considering it was that black community that decided he was innocent because the cops where corrupt. Based on past behavior, not actual facts.

No matter what documentary I watch, or TV dramatizations, I always come away with the same sense of sadness. Nicole and Ron and their families never got justice.

[attica]

3 hours ago, Hanahope said:

 He didn't care that the woman was AC's girlfriend, he just wanted her for himself.

I think it may be more likely he wanted her because she was AC's girlfriend, both as a way to prove himself alpha and a way to prove AC beta.

[LadyHam]

5 hours ago, attica said:

I think it may be more likely he wanted her because she was AC's girlfriend, both as a way to prove himself alpha and a way to prove AC beta.

I think OJ had poor impulse control. If he wanted something he just took it and didn't care about the consequences. He wanted AC's girlfriend, so he took her. He wanted other women when he was married, so he had extramarital affairs. He couldn't have Nicole any longer because she didn't want him, so he killed her so no one else could have her.  Can't wait for part 2!  As much as part 1 built him up, I think the rest are going to show his fall from grace. 

[Sarah D. Bunting]

Thanks for the kind words, guys! 

I'll be covering the rest of the installments, but ICYMI, ESPN is making the entire run available via the WatchESPN app tomorrow (Tuesday 6/14).

[RemoteControlFreak]

7 hours ago, reggiejax said:

From the recap:

That threw me for a loop too. But I am going to give that woman the benefit of the doubt, and say that she was not as clueless as that statement made her sound. I am 100% certain she knew exactly what she was referring too. And I think that is why she phrased it that way. I think she was wary of how to proceed with that particular hearing, due to the notoriety of the prisoner, and as a result, she must have decided to treat it no differently than any other hearing for any other prisoner. For her it was business as usual. So we get what is no doubt the strangest sounding question ever asked at a parole hearing. I imagine even she thought her phrasing was weird. And no doubt, she never thought the video would ever be broadcast to the public.

Of course, weirder still was OJ's response to the question, which was that he had to think about it for a second, at least with regards to how old he was. As if he was thinking "Oh that? Yeah, I think I was 46 when that happened."

And even then Simpson was lying.  He was not 46 when he was arrested for the first time.  And killing Nicole and Ron was not his first crime. He was arrested as a teenager, spent time in a juvenille correctional center and was famously arranged to be mentored by Willie Mays to set him straight so that he wouldn't squander his athletic talent.  And he was arrested again in 1989 for beating the crap out of Nicole, pleaded no contest and skated away with community service that he fulfilled by sponsoring a charity golf tournament.

So when the parole board member says, "I see that in 1994 you were arrested at the age of 46. How old were you the first time you were arrested?" she could have been trying to get him on the record confirming his arrest for the double murder.  Then she implies that this was his first arrest, which gives him permission to flat out lie.

But to me the most shocking part of Part 1 wasn't the revelation that Simpson stole Cowlings' girlfriend, or that he craved attention, or ran through defensive lines like a hot knife through butter. The most shocking part was the Hertz ad guy stating, in 2016, "He was African but he's a good looking man. He almost had white features."   Seriously?  

Edited June 14, 2016 by RemoteControlFreak

[attica]

Were those the real Hertz storyboards, or do we think they were done for this show?

[jamblastx]

  21 hours ago, reggiejax said:

From the recap:

That threw me for a loop too. But I am going to give that woman the benefit of the doubt, and say that she was not as clueless as that statement made her sound. I am 100% certain she knew exactly what she was referring too. And I think that is why she phrased it that way. I think she was wary of how to proceed with that particular hearing, due to the notoriety of the prisoner, and as a result, she must have decided to treat it no differently than any other hearing for any other prisoner. For her it was business as usual. So we get what is no doubt the strangest sounding question ever asked at a parole hearing. I imagine even she thought her phrasing was weird. And no doubt, she never thought the video would ever be broadcast to the public.

Of course, weirder still was OJ's response to the question, which was that he had to think about it for a second, at least with regards to how old he was. As if he was thinking "Oh that? Yeah, I think I was 46 when that happened."

And even then Simpson was lying.  He was not 46 when he was arrested for the first time.  And killing Nicole and Ron was not his first crime. He was arrested as a teenager, spent time in a juvenille correctional center and was famously arranged to be mentored by Willie Mays to set him straight so that he wouldn't squander his athletic talent.  And he was arrested again in 1989 for beating the crap out of Nicole, pleaded no contest and skated away with community service that he fulfilled by sponsoring a charity golf tournament.

So when the parole board member says, "I see that in 1994 you were arrested at the age of 46. How old were you the first time you were arrested?" she could have been trying to get him on the record confirming his arrest for the double murder.  Then she implies that this was his first arrest, which gives him permission to flat out lie.

But to me the most shocking part of Part 1 wasn't the revelation that Simpson stole Cowlings' girlfriend, or that he craved attention, or ran through defensive lines like a hot knife through butter. The most shocking part was the Hertz ad guy stating, in 2016, "He was African but he's a good looking man. He almost had white features."   Seriously?  

It may be 2016, but we are talking about someone who looked like was born in 1926. Anyone over a certain age will have certain prejudiced values echoing the times that they grew up in. And even in that, they may have evolved to more contemporary levels to what they once were but still not to current societies standards. Also, he may have been stating what his and Hertz's thinking was at the time in 1975 which would have been somewhat progressive however shockingly insensitive to hear today.

[jamblastx]

The parole hearing footage was a killer way to start. Guaranteed I'd stay tuned, it did.

I used to love those 'Superstars' competitions. They were cheesy ratings bait, but a lot of the competitors clearly took it seriously.

I wish they still did them today as well as their celebrity offshoot, Battle of the Network Stars (which repeats air on ESPN Classic on Monday nights)

[jamblastx]

Some random thoughts

- Agree with everyone about the amazing way to start the series with the parole board hearing and that woman's question about the 1994 arrest using a tone as if it was something she found hidden in the police blotter about shoplifting and not the most notorious double murder case over that last 25 years. Even OJ's response was amazing to watch where he goes from his personable self describing his altruistic life in prison and then dropping that facade when the question is asked.

- As a kid, the 1973 football season was the first I followed because of OJ's run in beating Jim Brown's record and 2,000 rushing yards in a season. He was the first football star that I rooted for and quite frankly, I wanted to believe him twenty years later.

- Those Hertz commercials were on ALL THE TIME back in the mid to late 70's....as much as any car insurance commercial from today...and we couldn't fast forward them either.

- The Towering Inferno...one of the reasons why I went to see that movie as a ten year old was to see OJ Simpson. And the packed movie theater cheered when OJ dashed through some fire to rescue a cat (if I recall correctly) with a few people echoing the Hertz line 'Go, OJ go!'. Of course, afterwards I was terrified that my house was going to burn down in my sleep...

[RemoteControlFreak]

4 hours ago, jamblastx said:

It may be 2016, but we are talking about someone who looked like was born in 1926. Anyone over a certain age will have certain prejudiced values echoing the times that they grew up in. And even in that, they may have evolved to more contemporary levels to what they once were but still not to current societies standards. Also, he may have been stating what his and Hertz's thinking was at the time in 1975 which would have been somewhat progressive however shockingly insensitive to hear today.

You are short-changing the eldest members of our society and using that as an excuse for backward thinking.  In any case, this guy is a former ad exec. He made his living creating words and pictures that people respond positively to.  For him not to understand that saying something like this on film in 2016 makes him look outrageously racist is mind boggling.

[RCharter]

On 6/12/2016 at 7:34 AM, stillhere1900 said:

She also didn't care the OJ was married and had 2-3 ? kids. She was only 18 so she was really too young to grasp all that.  *OJ gains fame & fortune. Dumps Black wife for White girl* anyone surprised ? Anyone?

The biggest surprise was that he married a black woman in the first place.

[RCharter]

On 6/13/2016 at 9:19 AM, reggiejax said:

From the recap:

That threw me for a loop too. But I am going to give that woman the benefit of the doubt, and say that she was not as clueless as that statement made her sound. I am 100% certain she knew exactly what she was referring too. And I think that is why she phrased it that way. I think she was wary of how to proceed with that particular hearing, due to the notoriety of the prisoner, and as a result, she must have decided to treat it no differently than any other hearing for any other prisoner. For her it was business as usual. So we get what is no doubt the strangest sounding question ever asked at a parole hearing. I imagine even she thought her phrasing was weird. And no doubt, she never thought the video would ever be broadcast to the public.

Of course, weirder still was OJ's response to the question, which was that he had to think about it for a second, at least with regards to how old he was. As if he was thinking "Oh that? Yeah, I think I was 46 when that happened."

So....that opening was awesome for a few reasons......I'm assuming its a parole hearing.  The fact that she asked the question like a normal everyday question was interesting.  

The fact that prior to her asking the question he had clearly put on his "mask" and was happily talking about how he had won the prison football game, and he was a porter....like he really thought he might be actually getting out on parole!?!?!!!!  As if he could somehow charm the parole board into granting him parole, because you know....he is OJ and what not....and this charm has always gotten him out of a jam before, right?

And then when its clear that she is asking about the murder, he seems to drop the mask real quick and its like "oh, this again" almost like he is exacerbated that it is even coming up, and that she would have the gall to ask about it.

And the fact that once he realized that he wasn't going to be granted parole, that once he knew he wasn't going to get what he wanted, his tone COMPLETELY changed

And the fact that the only thing he seems to feel about the murders is annoyance that his life is again being negatively impacted by the pesky murder of his wife and her friend.

And the fact that all this promise was wasted and you're left with a bloated, pathetic looking old man....it is very Shakespearean in its own way.

[Hanahope]

11 minutes ago, RCharter said:

The biggest surprise was that he married a black woman in the first place.

He was still in college at that point, so he 'played by the rules'.  He still had the Heisman to win and a pro career to obtain before he was big/famous/rich enough to do what he wanted.

[RemoteControlFreak]

1 hour ago, RCharter said:

The biggest surprise was that he married a black woman in the first place.

Not really.  She was his high school girlfriend and he married her when he was only 19 and she was 18.  He didn't start having mostly white friends until he was older, rich and famous.

[jaync]

Quote

And the fact that once he realized that he wasn't going to be granted parole, that once he knew he wasn't going to get what he wanted, his tone COMPLETELY changed

But he did get what he wanted, as he actually was granted parole at that hearing. The four years he's been serving since then is for other charges.

jamblastx, thanks for the info about the Battle of the Network Stars repeats!

Can't wait for Part 2 tonight.

[RCharter]

8 minutes ago, jaync said:

But he did get what he wanted, as he actually was granted parole at that hearing. The four years he's been serving since then is for other charges.

jamblastx, thanks for the info about the Battle of the Network Stars repeats!

Can't wait for Part 2 tonight.

thats interesting, guess I haven't been up on my OJ, because I had never heard anything about him being granted parole.

[RCharter]

16 minutes ago, RemoteControlFreak said:

Not really.  She was his high school girlfriend and he married her when he was only 19 and she was 18.  He didn't start having mostly white friends until he was older, rich and famous.

for someone with a sense of his own greatness, its surprising to me that he would get married so young at all.  I imagine that early on he felt like he was better than her and would outgrow her pretty quick.   It sounds like he probably had.... white"friend fans" at USC.  Even in that racially charged time, I would imagine there is nothing quite as magnetic as the big man on campus.  If if the big man is black and even if the campus is as lilly white as USC was.

[absolutelyido]

23 hours ago, RemoteControlFreak said:

Hertz ad guy stating, in 2016, "He was African but he's a good looking man. He almost had white features."   Seriously?

What actually shocked me more was that they said they didn't think white people would necessarily accept a black man running through the airport in the commercials which is why they had the white people cheering him on saying "Go O.J., Go!". I guess it may have been true at that time, but today it is just unfathomable.

Edited June 14, 2016 by absolutelyido

[RemoteControlFreak]

1 minute ago, absolutelyido said:

What actually shocked me more was that they said they didn't think white people would necessarily accept a black man running through the airport in the commercials which is why they had the white people cheering him on saying "Go O.J., Go!". Seriously?

That makes sense to me, having lived through the era.  If he were being cheered only by black people, white people would view Hertz as a product that was for black people and not for them. But having white people cheer him gave him a more universal appeal. 

[attica]

48 minutes ago, absolutelyido said:

I guess it may have been true at that time, but today it is just unfathomable.

I don't know that it is that much different. A black man sprinting through an airport now? I picture guns drawn and lots of 'em.

[Tdoc72]

During the parole hearing, after she asks the question and she's waiting for a response, al you can see is her eyes darting left and right. I don't know what she was looking at or thinking about, but it made me LOL. 

I never saw him with a beard before. He looked damn fine. 

So far, so good. On to part 2. 

[Ottis]

Quote

You are short-changing the eldest members of our society and using that as an excuse for backward thinking. In any case, this guy is a former ad exec. He made his living creating words and pictures that people respond positively to. For him not to understand that saying something like this on film in 2016 makes him look outrageously racist is mind boggling

It stood out to me, but also, for the exact reasons you cite, I think he was trying to say that *because* he almost had white features, OJ was more acceptable to the predominantly white audience and customer base. That was the context of that part of the interview.

[psychoticstate]

On 6/12/2016 at 11:15 AM, attica said:

The parole hearing footage was a killer way to start. Guaranteed I'd stay tuned, it did.

I used to love those 'Superstars' competitions. They were cheesy ratings bait, but a lot of the competitors clearly took it seriously.

Agreed.  The juxtaposition between the older, beat and incarcerated O.J. versus the young athlete was jarring.  

I was never a huge football fan, and was only a few years old when he was playing for Buffalo, but I did remember him from some of his commercials, the Superstar competitions, the Naked Gun movies and his broadcasting.  I had heard about what an amazing athlete he was but seeing it in this documentary . . . wow.  It made me angry and sad that he threw all that unbelievable talent, charisma, talent, wealth, etc. away because he was ultimately a jealous d-bag. 

I've only seen Part One so far but I am crazy impressed.  I think they did a fantastic job in showing how strained racial relations were in the country at the time that O.J. became a college phenom.  I don't think it's totally wrong to say that with his football career (both college and pro) he may have calmed some of the tensions and yet with the murders, he really incited them.  

I can't wait to view the rest of the episodes. 

[psychoticstate]

On 6/14/2016 at 1:40 PM, RCharter said:

The fact that prior to her asking the question he had clearly put on his "mask" and was happily talking about how he had won the prison football game, and he was a porter....like he really thought he might be actually getting out on parole!?!?!!!!  As if he could somehow charm the parole board into granting him parole, because you know....he is OJ and what not....and this charm has always gotten him out of a jam before, right?

I think this is exactly what he was doing during his police interview in 1994.  He tried to be charming when asked about the cut on his finger - - oh, he was running around, being O.J., that's what he does, here and there, he has cuts all the time because he golfs, blah, blah, blah.  

He is a perfect example of someone who has been enabled nearly all their adult life.

[psychoticstate]

On 6/13/2016 at 7:43 AM, Hanahope said:

After seeing his history, I'm convinced there was no real "change" in his behavior.  He was always very narcissistic, possibly even sociopathic.  He clearly never give a damn about anyone else except himself.

I agree with this - - so I was very surprised to see the clip of the after-game interview (after OJ broke the rushing record) where he insisted that all his teammates also be present and he acknowledged the rushing yards for the entire team.

So clearly he was capable of not being a narcissistic fuckwit; he elected not to on June 12, 1994 (and other times.)