Messaging, sequencing a puzzle as CNN launches ’90s series
It’s certainly commendable that the 1990s — a decade Americans too often treat casually or dismissively — is receiving extended attention from CNN, in a seven-part documentary series that premieres … Continue reading
Sitting in jail, O.J. Simpson becomes a cultural reference point
While he sits in prison in Nevada, O.J. Simpson, convicted armed robber and central figure in the 1995 “Trial of the Century,” has become an odd if recurring point of … Continue reading
The ’90s: With us still
In ways metaphoric and real, the 1990s linger, offering reference points and context for contemporary events and personalities. A telling example came at Times Square on New Year’s Eve, when … Continue reading
Clinton-Lewinsky affair hovers over presidential campaign 21 years later
I was asked at the launch last year of my latest book, 1995: The Year the Future Began, whether the Clinton-Lewinsky sex-and-lies scandal would resurface during the 2016 presidential campaign. … Continue reading
The O.J. Simpson case: Five readable books
The recent bouts of television-induced fascination with the 1995 O.J. Simpson murder case have eased, thankfully. But residual interest is keen enough that suggestions for reading in some depth about … Continue reading
ESPN’s O.J. doc: Less exceptional than its rave reviews
For a five-part documentary that lasted nearly 8 hours, ESPN’s much-hyped treatment of O.J. Simpson was often short on nuance and explanatory detail. The film in the end was far … Continue reading
Misportrayals and missing DNA: Closing observations about flawed O.J. miniseries
In its finale the other night, the popular FX cable miniseries about the 1995 O.J. Simpson murder case again played fast and loose with the record, putting dramatic words he … Continue reading
Beyond 1995: Accounting for the pop culture allure of the O.J. case
The week brought word that Martin Sheen plans to produce a docu-series claiming O.J. Simpson was innocent of the brutal slayings in 1994 of his former wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, … Continue reading
Fascination with sideshow: How O.J. miniseries really mirrors the 1995 trial
The cable television miniseries about the 1995 O.J. Simpson double-murder trial has proven surprisingly popular, so much so that there’s been a good deal of interest in determining how closely … Continue reading
Ballyhoo over FX series leads to outsize claims about O.J. case
The media ballyhoo over the FX miniseries about the O.J. Simpson murder saga of 1994-95 has been accompanied by a variety of misconceptions and exaggerated claims about the case and … Continue reading
The 1995 Blog 