O.J. Gets Parole: What Now?

O.J. Simpson got paroled and, for a few days, American conversation set the clock back to the early 90s, to the days that began with the fateful “slow speed” Bronco chase, through the trial, to the acquittal and immediate public outcry.

In many ways, the Simpson trial was America’s first reality show. It had everything: fan favorites, bumbling law enforcement, bad guys on both sides, fast talking, high-dollar attorneys who were as much showmen as legal eagles … and there, squeezed into the middle … was The Juice.

O.J. Simpson was American sports royalty, a star who transcended the platform that gave him his fame, who left behind his roots and never looked back. He started out breaking records — and, proverbially, if not literally, defenders’ ankles — on the gridiron, before moving on to TV and commercials. He was universally loved by everyone and even respected by the fans of the teams he routinely ran over.

Simpson went from hurdling defenders to hurdling seats in airport terminals for rental car commercials. And he played a straight man to Leslie Nielsen’s madcap humor in the Naked Gun movies. Simpson’s appeal crossed over. He appeared to be a hero, the everyman who made very, very good.

But there was a dark side. Multiple calls for domestic violence. Police intervention. Many believed Simpson had been given the benefit of the doubt ... many said, because of his celebrity status. When it was revealed Simpson was the prime suspect in the murder of Nicole Brown Simpson, public sentiment split almost immediately.

For many in “white America,” O.J. was a symbol of a man given so much who threw it all away. For many in “black America,” he was a symbol that money could bridge the perceived gap between the races in the justice system.

More than 20 years later, the country is still evenly split on this issue. Folks just can’t seem to understand each other, and that lack of cross-cultural understanding has bled over into the feelings expressed when it was announced Simpson had won parole. No, he hadn’t been convicted of murder, but he was convicted of armed robbery, for stealing back memorabilia he claimed was his all along.

Now, Simpson is a free man. And where does he go from here? Many in this country are convinced he got away with murder. Many who initially cheered that not guilty verdict also believe him guilty. They celebrated for different reasons.

While I don’t believe O.J. will fade off quietly into the sunset, in the world of public relations, he is all out of juice.

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Ronn Torossian is CEO of 5WPR, one of America’s leading independently owned PR firms.