Morning Jolt: Good Riddance, O. J. Simpson

WITH JIM GERAGHTY

April 12 2024

On the menu today: It almost always feels like the scourge of cancer targets those who deserve it the least. I say almost, because yesterday, cancer ended the life of O. J. Simpson. You can make a strong argument that Simpson turned into one of the most terribly influential Americans of the last quarter of the 20th century — terrible both in the scale of his influence and in the moral dimension of his influence.

The Myth of the 'Juice'

O. J. Simpson passed away from cancer Thursday. The instant meme was an image of the late Norm McDonald declaring, "Finally, O.J. can rest, knowing that his wife's killer is dead."

Kids, you may not believe this, but in 1994, it seemed absurd that somebody who was rich and famous would be the kind of person capable of murdering two people. There was just this blanket assumption that anyone living a lifestyle of "champagne wishes and caviar dreams," as Robin Leach described it, would be happy.

This was before Phil Spector, before Robert Blake, before Oscar Pistorius, before Aaron Hernandez.

This was before TMZ, before cell-phone cameras showcased every celebrity meltdown, tantrum, and ...

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