The complicated life of O.J. Simpson has entered a new chapter. After over eight years in prison, Simpson was granted his freedom.
A group of four Nevada commissioners decided today that Simpson would be released as early as October 1st after serving time due to a botched robbery attempt at a Las Vegas hotel. He was found guilty in 2008 of armed robbery, kidnapping and other charges stemming from a confrontation with sports memorabilia dealers. Simmons claimed the memorabilia being sold was his personal property and not items permitted for resale. The altercation occurred in September 2007.
O.J. Simpson wins parole after serving nine years for armed robbery and kidnapping https://t.co/di9NLhRSI6 https://t.co/G3ECaWR0u2
— CNN (@CNN) July 20, 2017
How O.J. Simpson goes about ingratiating himself back into society remains to be seen. It’s quite obvious, though, that as Simpson enters back into free society, the world has changed since his sentence.
Is O.J. Simpson Ready for Society?
After he was acquitted of the murder of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman, O.J. made some curious decisions. He moved to South Florida and engaged in debauchery the likes of which only South Florida can provide. And he wrote a book titled “If I Did It.”
Ultimately, O.J. escaped the murder charges brought against him. He was, though, found guilty of wrongful death in a civil case filed by Ron Goldman’s parents. He eventually ended up in a jail cell as the result of a robbery in which he participated in that concerned memorabilia from his playing days.
Throughout it all, O.J. seemed oblivious as to the extent to which the court of public opinion found him guilty. Not that that willful ignorance ever suited him (or anyone) well, it definitely meshes less well in the social media era.
Are We Ready for O.J. Simpson?
Given everything involved, this may prove a trivial issue, but a free O.J. certainly offers a test to how far our celebrity-obsessed culture can go. There’s already rumors of a reality show for Mr. Simpson. Further, are we ready for an active O.J. Simpson Twitter account?
Arguably, it was the Trial of O.J. Simpson that sort of started the reality TV trend. If the post-prison O.J. garners anything close to the attention he got while standing trial, that’s not a great sign for society.
How Will it Play Out?
Admittedly, this might fall guilty to the pitfall just described, but O.J. Simpson hasn’t known anything other than celebrity since he was a child. Once one of the most famous athletes in the world, the former Heisman Trophy winner experienced a historic fall from grace. A fall from grace that was his own doing (“allegedly”). While out of the public eye in prison, he could seek to re-discover his place in the public eye. That, undoubtedly, would prove awkward for everybody.
However, O.J. (who recently turned 70) did not participate in any notable public interviews while in prison. Perhaps he’ll spend his newfound freedom just living. Out of the celebrity world he previously existed in. That’s probably the best-case scenario.
