I was only a few months old when the whole O.J. Simpson thing went down, but when the Casey Anthony trial was going on I somehow became super interested in famous trials. So I did some research on the O.J. trial and after that anytime someone would mention it, my ears would perk up. It wasn't until recently, however, when I was watching Bravo's Then and Now with Andy Cohen, a 3 part series that focuses on specific years that had a huge impact on pop culture, that I really understood the magnitude of the trial.
So when I heard about American Crime Story: The People vs O.J. Simpson I flipped out, and with an all-star cast like Cuba Gooding Jr, Sarah Paulson and John Travolta with David Schwimmer playing Robert Kardashian, there was no way I wasn't going to watch it. I started it a few weeks after it premiered (hello college life with no cable), but it was even better because then I could binge it in bed with a bowl of ice cream, and really what's better than that?
I had high hopes for the show. But at the same time I knew to take everything with a grain of salt. I wanted to keep in mind that the creators of the show could take creative license and alter parts of the true story in order to dramatize the event a bit more for tv. After the first episode I went online to see how true the show's portrayal was - and it's apparently incredibly accurate. Now, that's not to say that there aren't little things here or there that are different, but the major causes and effects are the same. That's the greatest part about this whole thing - it doesn't need to be dramatized because it is already so dramatic!
The trial is fascinating to me because I am obsessed with reality tv, and this really was one of the first instances of a modern day reality show and it remains one of the most sensational crime dramas of all time. Fueled by sex, wealth, celebrity, power and jealousy, the trial had the perfect combination to draw the attention of the nation. From the initial Bronco chase to the verdict, the world stopped to watch as the media covered the trial 24 hours, 7 days a week and the fact that Judge Ito allowed cameras in the courtroom (#famehungry) only enabled America's obsession, and it made celebrity journalism mainstream. 150 million people tuned in to watch the not guilt verdict, even then-president Bill Clinton stopped working in the Oval Office to watch.
What's amazing about the show is that it provides a much more real and deeper understanding of not only what actually happened during "the trial of the century", but how it created the celebrity culture we have today. Plus, it is just so jaw-droppingly crazy like, 90% of the time! But even more than that, Ryan Murphy and co. did a great job creating a beautiful and compelling show that raises the issues of the trial in a serious and authentic way.
If you've watched the series tell me what you think, and if you haven't I highly suggest you do!
