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The OJ Simpson trial paved the way for ‘Keeping Up with the Kardashians,’ TMZ and a slew of questions about race

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9 months ago

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OJ Simpson Trial – theGrio.com

After chasing a slow pace, American media culture quickly gained momentum.

NEW YORK (AP) — The plaintive wail of a dog. A courtroom couplet that became a cultural slogan about gloves. A judge and lawyers who became media darlings and villains. AND barely confused guy briefly elevated to a barely dazed star. Disturbing questions about race it still echoes. The starting of the Kardashian dynasty. Some epic slow motion highway chase. And lest we forget, two people whose lives were brutally ended.

And the nation watched – a very different nation than today, where the voracity for reality television has increased. The mentality of viewers from those confusing days in 1994 and 1995, novel at the time, has since turn into an integral part of the American fabric. The hit was at the center of the national conversation OJ Simpson, one of the most interesting cultural figures in recent US history.

Simpson’s death on Wednesday almost exactly thirty years after the killings that turned his fame from football hero to suspect brought back memories of the strange moment – no, let’s call it what it was, which was profoundly strange – wherein a smartphone-less country craned its neck toward clunky televisions to look at A Ford Bronco speeding down a California highway.

“It was an incredible moment in American history,” Wolf Blitzer said while anchoring CNN’s coverage of Simpson’s death on Thursday. What made this occur – aside from tabloid culture, of course, and the basic news value of such a big name accused of such brutal murders?

In this March 1995 photo, former football star and actor OJ Simpson listens to testimony during his double murder trial in Los Angeles. Kim Kardashian West’s father, Robert Kardashian Sr., was one of his defenders. (Photo: Dan Mircobich/AFP/Getty Images)

A saga awaited by the twenty first century media

At a time when the Internet as we understand it was still in its infancy, when a “platform” was still just a place to board a train, Simpson was a special kind of celebrity. It was truly transmedia, a harbinger of the digital age – a walking, talking crossover story for multiple audiences.

It was a sport – the pinnacle of football perfection. He was a star not only because of his athletic ability, but additionally because of his skills Hertz-hawking runs at airports on TV and acting in movies like “The Naked Gun.” He embodied society’s questions about race, class and money long before the stabbings of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman on June 12, 1994.

Then got here the saga, starting with the killings and ending – only technically – in a Los Angeles courtroom over a 12 months later. The most epic of American novels had nothing about this era in the mid-Nineteen Nineties. Americans were watching. Americans talked about watching. Americans debated. Americans assessed. And Americans watched some more.

The multi-generational divide between white and black Americans was not helped by Time magazine’s decision to tactically darken Simpson’s cover photo for dramatic – and many say racist – effect. For those that lived through this era, it’s difficult to recall much in the public sphere that was not displaced by the O.J. storyline and its many elements, including the subsequent civil trial that found Simpson responsible for the death. One newspaper even published a series of possible plot endings written by crime novel authors.

Sure, people said various things. But it was undoubtedly a national conversation.

The nation – and its media – is now rather more divided. Nowadays, Americans rarely gather around a virtual campfire for a shared experience; as an alternative, small bushfires attract area of interest crowds to virtual corners, providing equally intense, but smaller, shared experiences. This week’s eclipse was a rare exception.

In 1994, every day wall-to-wall coverage was still emerging. Sure, we had Walter Cronkite in the process Kennedy’s assassination and again in progress the chaotic 1968 Democratic National Convention. And the first Gulf War in 1991 firmly established expectations for live television. But coverage of the Bronco chase and trial whetted the appetite in a way no other event did. Even now, such widespread viewing is rare.

“The media we consume is much more dispersed now. It’s so rare that we’re all glued to the same spectacle,” said Danielle Lindemann, author of the 2022 book “The True Story: What Reality Television Says About Us.”

“In 1994, we watched our televisions and followed news reports,” Lindemann, a professor of sociology at Lehigh University, wrote in an email. “But there was no parallel discourse going on on social media.”

Connections between then and now

It’s not hard to find connections between the Simpson saga and modern history.

Judges and lawyers dealing with high-profile cases are regularly in the spotlight. One of Simpson’s lawyers, Robert Kardashian, paved the way for the next generation of his family change the face of celebrity action. A local Los Angeles television reporter who covered the case Harvey Levin, then founded TMZ, an incredibly fundamental pillar of modern, multi-platform celebrity coverage – and the channel that broke the news of Simpson’s death.

And of course, like so many American stories, there may be a difficulty of race.

Simpson’s acquittal on murder charges exposed a fundamental error: some blacks welcomed the verdict, while many whites were in disbelief. Simpson probably confuses the matter further over the years, famously saying, “I’m not black. I’m OJ.” But for many black Americans who felt that their interactions with police and courts had produced unfair outcomes, the acquittal was a notable exception.

In this June 17, 1994 file photo, a white Ford Bronco driven by Al Cowlings carrying OJ Simpson is seen being pulled by Los Angeles police cruisers on a Los Angeles highway. (AP Photo/Joseph Villarin, file)

“There was a sense that the only justice was for a rich black man to get out of prison when a rich white man did,” said John Baick, a history professor at Western New England University.

Three a long time later, that conversation is not over – he’s definitely still talking about it with students. On Thursday, Baick invoked Simpson to speak in school about race, fame and wealth; only after its completion did he learn that his subject had died.

A generation has passed since these events were fresh. And after hundreds of hours of film, thousands and thousands of written words and countless talking heads, the OJ Simpson case stands as two things: an American moment like no other, and an interlude that encapsulated a lot of what American culture is and is becoming.

Out of weird old America comes an obsession with brutal true crime and a bizarre forged of film noir villains and heroes, not to say tragedy and mystery. It was also a harbinger of an emerging, fragmented web culture that, in a few years, would give us smartphones, social media, reality TV saturation, and live coverage of just about the whole lot.

Was it, as many loudly said, “the trial of the century”? It’s subjective. But every culture is made of little pieces, and the Simpson case left behind many of them. It’s an indisputable truth: after chasing a slow pace, American media culture has quickly gained momentum. So quickly that many of the case’s central questions – about race, justice, and how we eat murder and misery as just one other set of consumer products – remain unanswered.

“Where does this fit in? What do Americans think about it now?” Baick wonders. “What you think of OJ Simpson may be a litmus test for a long time.”

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OJ Simpson trial after trial paved the way for ‘Keeping Up with the Kardashians,’ TMZ and many questions about race appeared first on TheGrio.

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An attempt to save the image of Jeff Bezos’ future wife backfired after weeks of outrage and ridicule over her skimpy outfit

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2 weeks ago

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December 9, 2024

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Lauren Sánchez has apparently gained a popularity for her fashion hits and misses as social media users began following her every move.

Billionaire Jeff Bezos’ current fiancée stepped into the highlight long before she met the Amazon co-founder, after years spent as co-host of “Good Day LA,” a reporter for “Extra” and host of “So You Think You Can Dance,” and he even starred in a number of movies like “Ted 2.”

She faced criticism for posting a sultry selfie in November in a negligee-inspired gown by designer Laura Basca. In October, the 54-year-old again faced backlash when she showed off her latex Halloween costume as Catwoman.

Now, weeks after being deemed “cheap” and tasteless, the founder of Black Ops Aviation has turn out to be a subject of discussion.

Jeff Bezos’ fiancée Lauren Sánchez shows off a “winter white” look, weeks after critics slammed her busty latex outfit. (Photos: @laurenwsanchez/Instagram, Theimagedirect.com via Page Six)

On December 5, Sánchez and the business mogul attended The New York Times’ DealBook event in New York City. For the occasion, she wore a white Alexander McQueen suit and a white lace corset. The beaming bride-to-be sent two mirror selfies of her outfit, which she signed: “winter white.”

One follower particularly was stunned by the whole look he ejaculated that she was “very attractive and beautiful, gorgeous and stunning, charming and fantastic young lady, sexy, charming, charming and elegant” in the photos that Sánchez took.

Two other people swooned over the photos and wrote: “So chic and elegant!” and “You look great.” But as you would possibly expect from online viewers, not everyone was impressed.

When Page six published paparazzi photos from the trip, the critic commented: “It’s 30 degrees in New York and she gets out of the limo in a white Miami smock, her bra visible to everyone. No taste. Nothing. A cashmere turtleneck, flannel trousers and a wool jacket can be classy.

Someone else sharply asked: “Who can be the first to tell her that she looks tacky and not elegant and refined? Does she even know what sophistication means? A 3rd person noted: “She looks more like she’s wearing a bathrobe.”

Another person wrote in a comment from a licensed pilot: “White means…” possibly referring to rumors that Sánchez and Bezos are scheduled to exchange vows over Christmas. At least one person doubted the couple would have the opportunity to say “I do.” This person said: “This will be the longest engagement ever. They will NEVER get married and we all know why!!!!”

Sánchez told the “Today” show hosts that she was in the process of planning the big day last month. She didn’t comment on speculation about exchanging Christmas vows.

Renewed interest and scrutiny of Sánchez has increased as the pair have been spotted in various locations in recent months. The couple reportedly began dating in 2018. Their engagement was announced five years later, in May 2023. Their upcoming wedding can be a second journey for each of them.

Sánchez was previously married to celebrity agent Patric Whitesell, with whom she has two children. She can be the mother of a son, whom she shares with Pro Football Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez. Bezos was married to the mother of his three children, Mackenzie Scott, for 25 years once they divorced in 2019.


This article was originally published on : atlantablackstar.com
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Apart from the song with singer-songwriter India Shawn – Andscape

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2 weeks ago

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December 9, 2024

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India Shawn is a contemporary muse with a chilled nature, crafting love stories and heartfelt tales in smooth, charming songs. With over a decade of experience in the music industry as a singer-songwriter, Shawn has incredible strength. She was born in Los Angeles, and her musical roots reach throughout the country. Beginning her profession in her hometown, Shawn eventually found herself in Atlanta, where she immersed herself in the city’s deep-rooted R&B scene, further shaping her artistry.

“I transferred to ATL, I was in 10th grade, and that’s when my music journey really started,” Shawn told Andscape. “I met people who were trying to get by, so I ended up recording and learned what songwriting was really early on.”

Before releasing her debut EP in 2012, Shawn wrote songs and collaborated with artists similar to Chris Brown, El DeBarge, Keri Hilson and Monica. In 2013, she gained much more notoriety when Solange Knowles published her song “I’m Alive” on the Saint Heron compilationmarking her as an artist value watching.

Following the release of the single “There Must Be a God” from the Andscape soundtrack, she caught up with Shawn to learn more about the muse behind the vibes.

Singer India Shawn grew up singing in church with her family. “I feel like most of us R&B kids have that experience,” she said.

India Shawn

Name:
India Shawn

Hometown:

Los Angeles

Artistic soundscape

Airy, soft, telling a story, multidimensional, soft, mysterious, atmospheric

The oldest musical memory

Shawn’s soulful sound is deeply rooted in her upbringing, with influences drawn from her childhood memories and the musical culture of her church. “I sing with my sister all the time, and I also grew up singing behind my mom in church. She was the leader of praise and worship. So I feel like most of us R&B kids have that experience,” Shawn said. “I had these little solos in church, and I believe what made me consider in it was that after the service people got here as much as me with tears of their eyes and said, ‘You really moved me while you sang.’ “These early moments of connection with music and audiences laid the foundation for conveying depth and sensitivity through her music.

Influences

For Shawn, music, especially R&B, has all the time held a special place in her life. “Me and my sister are harmonizing in the living room, just picking some of our favorite songs, including for me Mariah Carey, Babyface, Boyz II Men and (and) Brandy,” she said of her early music memories.

Creative process

Shawn often draws inspiration from real-life experiences and relationships that influence her music. She weaves this into the authenticity and atmosphere of her songs, but she didn’t immediately recognize where her inspiration got here from. “It’s funny that it took me so long to make that connection, but I realized that I was telling my whole story and presenting my business through my music,” she said. “It took me two albums to realize, wait a minute, I’m giving people a lot to understand here… these aren’t just songs. This is truly the life I live.”

Challenges and development

As Shawn’s profession grows, so do his moments of appreciation and reflection. “I literally just thought about a very gradual progression of my career. It’s like step by step, but there are more breakthrough moments. My first tour, which was so beautiful, I just knew I could pack a room and people knew my lyrics and sang my songs to me. Those moments that make the waiting not in vain.”

Shawn has plenty of recommendation for up-and-coming singer-songwriters. Her biggest sacrifice? Collaboration is essential. “I think (cooperation) is really why I’m still here. So find your people… you’ll know when it feels right, you’ll have that freedom and fluidity, and you’ll be able to really create things and create without having to think too much.” He also shares the importance of patience. “Just be patient during the journey. This has been a theme throughout my profession. Let it develop. I feel like more things come from being in that flow and being present reasonably than forcing all of it.

Current project

“There should be a God”, the lead single from Andscape , now streaming on Hulu, also serves as a teaser for Shawn’s solo album. “(This song) is such a manifestation of God’s love,” she said. “I think when you find yourself in a place of waiting, you can feel very hopeless. So when you see glimpses of God’s love again, or the fact that you know there is a higher power, there is a source that is thinking about you, has you in mind, has a perfect plan for you, it’s just like the clouds parting. And this is the moment, I understand. I understand that I had to go through all this to get here. And that’s exactly what I felt in the studio that day.”

Sheila Matthews is a digital producer at Andscape and a proud HBCU graduate. She believes “Return of the Mack” must have won a Grammy, and her Twitter mentions are open to all debate.

This article was originally published on : andscape.com
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ICYMI: Tessa Thompson’s Mocha Lip, Danielle Brooks’ Updo and More – Essence

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2 weeks ago

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December 9, 2024

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With just a number of weeks left until the tip of 2024, the celebrities are setting the tone for the brand new 12 months this week. And although mocha mousse is anticipated to be fashionable in 2025, neutral shades in darker tones have gotten more and more popular. Paired with an array of beauty eras – from elegant Twenties updos to 2000s-style round pink, the brand new Hollywood showcases its best 12 months-end beauty moments.

Tessa Thompson and Issa Rae are the newest to debut mocha lips holiday shade near the season, and Coco Jones’ lipstick was cranberry red. Doechii’s perforated suggestions and signature face-lift tape made it probably the most avant-garde look of the week, and within the sweetest moment, Chloe and Halle Bailey’s round pink cheeks made pink cheeks a winter styling staple.

From makeup to hairstyles, Sabrina Elba and Alva Claire opted for light, coffee colours, and Jourdan Dunn’s short hairstyle proved relevant at any time of the 12 months. Meanwhile, Lupita N’yongo, Danielle Brooks and Venus Williams’ braided buns showed just how classic this style may be.

In case you missed it, take a take a look at 17 of the very best celebrity beauty moments from the week below.

This article was originally published on : www.essence.com
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