The Spectacle: Media and the Making of the O.J. Simpson Story

In the Year of Simpson, the country was caught in the throes of the biggest story ever. No other single news event in our history could match the sheer scope and intensity of coverage given to the O. J. Simpson murder case. But the media did not just report the Simpson case, they were instrumental in creating it—a spectacle of such stupendous proportions that it hijacked American culture. In this critical expos^D'e of American media, Thaler presents a riveting narrative about the men and women who gave us the story of the century. It is a sprawling tale of the media grappling with their role as news-reporting entities; seduced by the values of entertainment and tabloidism; and faced with increased competition, fragmented audiences, and frantic pressure to keep both eyes on the bottom line. The Simpson story is one of exploitation, of media overkill and outright pandering, of huge profitmaking, all of which undermined the trial and fueled tremendous public cynicism about the way in which justice—and the media—work in this country. For more than a year, America was held captive to the great murder story. In Thaler's analysis, the media, more than any other single participant, altered the workings of the Simpson courtroom and the outcome of one of the most celebrated trials in America's history. From the first coverage of the murders to the final days of the trial of the century, the media were not only telling us what had become of justice in this country, but also what had become of them. This is that story.

Table of Contents:
Introduction Murder in Los Angeles Bundy and Rockingham The Chase Frenzy in L.A. The Greatest Story Ever Metamorphosis The Race Card Judge Ito and the Media The Great Camera Debate Media Wars The Trial of O. J. Simpson Firestorm Exposed House of Mirrors The Journalists The Fuhrman Trial The Black and White Press Closing Curtain Judgment Day Aftermath Prologue Index

About the Author :
PAUL THALER is Director of Journalism and Media at Mercy College. A former newspaper reporter and freelance writer for The New York Times and Forbes MediaCritic, Thaler has been a noted media expert for many national publications and network programs. He is author of The Watchful Eye: American Justice in the Age of the Television Trial (Praeger, 1994).

Review :
?[T]haler does help the reader make sense of one of the decade's most dramatic tragedies.?-Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly ?From the moment the nation stopped and watched the white Bronco crawling down a California freeway to the reading of the verdict and its far-reaching aftermath, America was held captive by this story. With welcome objectivity, Thaler tells how it all happened. This is not just another O.J. book but a sharp analysis of the case that prods us to a greater awareness of the interplay of forces affecting our understanding of daily events.?-Library Journal ?Readers will find interesting criticisms of mass media and delightful factoids about The People of the State of California versus Orenthal James Simpson in this book....Thaler decisively contributes to our understanding of "media logic" at the end of the millennium....This book (is) most rewarding as a tour of a massive, extended media event and as an expose of an interplay among crime, race, culture, justice, and celebrity in postmodern America.?-The Law and Politics Book Review ?Thaler's book is not simply another turn on this story we have all been overexposed to ad nauseum. It is not about Simpson's guilt or innocence, or about the machinations, personalities, and twisted jurisprudence of the so-called 'trial of the century.' Rather, The Spectacle is a wonderfully written analysis of the most visible and simultaneously invisible players and forces in this epic drama: the mass media.?-New Jersey Journal of Communications ?The Spectacle is a fascinating read that captures courtroom dynamics, exposes hypocritical trial 'performers, ' analyzes media presentations, and sidebars the lives of many connected to the case. A must for an assortment of courses across the academic landscape--and for all who forfeited a valuable chunk of their precious lives to the Simpson spectacle.?-Choice "ÝT¨haler does help the reader make sense of one of the decade's most dramatic tragedies."-Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly "[T]haler does help the reader make sense of one of the decade's most dramatic tragedies."-Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly "From the moment the nation stopped and watched the white Bronco crawling down a California freeway to the reading of the verdict and its far-reaching aftermath, America was held captive by this story. With welcome objectivity, Thaler tells how it all happened. This is not just another O.J. book but a sharp analysis of the case that prods us to a greater awareness of the interplay of forces affecting our understanding of daily events."-Library Journal "Thaler's book is not simply another turn on this story we have all been overexposed to ad nauseum. It is not about Simpson's guilt or innocence, or about the machinations, personalities, and twisted jurisprudence of the so-called 'trial of the century.' Rather, The Spectacle is a wonderfully written analysis of the most visible and simultaneously invisible players and forces in this epic drama: the mass media."-New Jersey Journal of Communications "The Spectacle is a fascinating read that captures courtroom dynamics, exposes hypocritical trial 'performers, ' analyzes media presentations, and sidebars the lives of many connected to the case. A must for an assortment of courses across the academic landscape--and for all who forfeited a valuable chunk of their precious lives to the Simpson spectacle."-Choice "Readers will find interesting criticisms of mass media and delightful factoids about The People of the State of California versus Orenthal James Simpson in this book....Thaler decisively contributes to our understanding of "media logic" at the end of the millennium....This book (is) most rewarding as a tour of a massive, extended media event and as an expose of an interplay among crime, race, culture, justice, and celebrity in postmodern America."-The Law and Politics Book Review