OJ Simpson: "IF I did it..."

After scathing criticism, threats from resellers to outright refuse to sell the book, and threats from broadcasters to refuse to carry an interview about the book with O.J. Simpson, ReaganBooks has pulled the plug on the controversial book, "If I Did It".

Its sad that it took them this long to finally realize that putting additional millions of dollars into the pocket O.J. Simpson for a "fictionalized" account of the murder of Nicole Simpson by a man that just about anyone on the street will tell you is guilty would be a bad idea. Rupert Murdoch, the chairman of the News Corporation, announced, "I and senior management agree with the American public that this was an ill-considered project [...] We are sorry for any pain this has caused for the families of Ron Goldman and Nicole Brown Simpson."†

Personally, I think the whole prospect of the book is disgusting. In my understanding there already exists legislations barring convicted felons from profiting from descriptions of their crime, either through book or interview. However, since O.J. was acquitted of the murder, such legislation wouldn't bar him from writing a detailed account of the crime under the guise of "If I had done it...". Even if O.J. were actually innocent of the crime, it is no less disgusting and tiwsted that the husband of a brutally murdered wife would attempt to profit from a story supposing that he had commited the crime himself.

Its about time that publishers came to their senses.

† Carter, Bill and Edward Wyatt. (2006, 21 November) Under Pressuer, News Corp. Pulls Simpson Project, pp. A1, A23

Jam it back in, in the dark.