Compare And Contrast Tragic Heroes And Oj Simpson

The most famous case of an athlete getting away with a crime is O.J. Simpson. One of the most famous running backs in American history was involved in the biggest murder scandal of them all. O.J. Simpson was accused of the murder of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman. No other case in recent or present time has come close to affecting the U.S. judiciary system and the media access to the courts or shaping the public perception as much as this trail has (Hayslett). This incident happened twenty-two years ago and it is still the number one talked about case.

Famous celebrities are loved and adored by people in society, but many of the celebrities we loved are now recognized as tragic heroes. Tragic heroes that started off amazing and ended up with a downfall like death, prison sentence or troublemaking due to alcohol and drugs. One of these well known celebrities are O.J. Simpson is considered a tragic hero. The talented football sensation Orenthal J. Simpson is a tragic hero because he was known to be violent and made bad choices, leading to accusations of murder.

The O.J. Simpson trial was one of the most recognizable cases in American History. It went on for 9 months. At 12:10 am on June 13, 1994, Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman were found murdered right outside of Bundy drive condo in Brentwood. Evidence found in the scene led the Police to suspect that O.J. Simpson was the murderer. Although the prosecution pointed to the evidence of the case Simpson lawyers argued that the police bungle the investigation and planted evidence. An examination of the case is that one of the policemen was racist and planted evidence in the scene to accuse O.J. Simpson of being the murderer.

One prime example of heroism is Jason McElwain. McElwain doesn=t have the fame and fortune as other star athletes, but his dedication and perseverance

Throughout humankind, many heroes have impacted world’s history. Some are true stories while some have become legends. These storied are retold over and over due to the hero, which shows a common

A hero isn’t just Superman but someone who stands up for what they believe in and is a sense of hope for everyone. Jackie Robinson was the first African American Major League Baseball player. In the article, Robinson was calm and knew how to ignore the racism. “Robinson didn’t fight back when he was confronted with racism” (www.biography.com/jackie-robinson). Jackie Robinson changed baseball by ending racial segregation, which was allowing other African Americans to play in the major leagues. “Jackie Robinson succeeded in putting the prejudice and racial strife aside, and showed everyone what a talented player he was” (www.biography.com/jackie-robinson). Jackie put aside his difference and proved to everyone that he was no different than white players. Jackie was calm when confronted with racism. He didn’t fight or attack

All throughout history, whether present or past, books are filled page to page with people we consider heroes, as well as villans. Some quick people that come to mind when thinking of the fall of their legacy lead me to people like Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, Andrew Jackson and Napoleon Bonaparte. No matter what the subject; whether it be considered history of a sport, US history or even some celebrities lives, there will always be the one who was a hero in the spotlight and then the real truth comes out. Herofication dates back to the times of the beginning of America where Christopher Columbus, the man who we celebrate on Columbus Day to the public eye today is seen in a positive light. Contrary to popular belief, Columbus wasn't the nicest

In modern day America sports are a very important part of our culture, because we are constantly watching sports and participating in sports. In any sport we watch mythology is present. The very act itself of playing the sport is reflective of old roman times when gladiators would kill for the crowds entertainment although today instead of killing its by hitting a home run or scoring a goal. “At their best, sports are about the extraordinary capacities of the human spirit.”(Wolter). These athletes can become extremely popular to the point were they are viewed as superhuman just like in myths, and there is a reason because the best athletes in their respective sport do what no average person could do. “The most legendary performances speak of almost super-human feats: the sub 4 minute mile, Michael Jordan’s flu stricken playoff

Although, the media can be a reliable resource that can be utilized to recognize public heroes many individuals would reconsider, since, in many occasions the media should be focusing on the good and the positive impact that heroes have made, and because they do not, it has become more of ear tickling gossip that gives society a negative and a biased view of individuals and in many leadership roles.

In addition, athletes in the past have been a positive role model for athletes and young people, today. Just like President Barack Obama recently said about Tommie Smith and John Carlos holding black fists up during the award ceremony, “What Tommie Smith and John Carlos did may have been controversial at the time, but it created opportunity for future generations.” This means that the athletes, in the past, that spoke out against their disbeliefs, set an example for present athletes, and how to get their point across, but at the same time being a role model for young people. Furthermore, since athletes are already on a bigger stage, when they speak out, they are allowing us, as a nation, to see our flaws, so we can unite together and change it. When Colin Kaepernick kneeled during the national anthem, it was part of the Black Lives Matter movement, and it helped our nation come together to find a solution. By doing this, our

Even though O.J. Simpson and Othello seem to be different, being that one is fictional and are from two distinctly different time periods, they actually have a lot in common. Obviously they are both men of color, but were also both in a position of power. Othello was a well respected Venetian general, who worked hard to get to his position. While O.J. was a famous football player who was on TV and in movies. Both men were in interracial marriages, Othello was married to Desdemona, who was considered to be “one of the most beautiful and virtuous in the land” (Hall). And O.J. was divorced from and had two kids with Nicole Brown Simpson. Both women were killed, one confirmed and one not proven, by their husband or ex-husband.

After watching O.J. Made in America, I gained a different perspective of O.J Simpson and the understanding of how society was back in the early 50’s. When I had first heard of O.J Simpson it was not about football or him being in movies, it was about how he had brutally murdered his wife at the time and her lover. Along with hearing about how he had brutally murdered the two, it was known how he was self-centered, very egocentric and would try to talk his way out of everything which the film had stated. In the beginning of the film it showed O.J Simpson in court, being asked if he was first arrested at the age of 46. Then instantly moved forward to how his football career started. I feel like the director did this to show how O.J was before the allegation of him being convicted of manslaughter. High school he was known for football and eventually a college recruiter scouted him from the University of South California. Furthering his fame with football he was known in college for the “run”. The run was when USC was playing against UCLA. When USC was losing badly within 11 minutes O.J made a touch down making the win for USC. Finally From there the New York Buffalo’s coach recruited him where later on he had retired from the football fame to now being an actor.

Heroes are prevalent in everyone’s life. Whether someone’s hero is a living person or a fabled character from a movie, everybody has come into contact with some sort of hero. In fact, the concept of heroes has existed for hundreds of years, dating all the way back to Ancient Greece. Over time, heroes have drastically changed. As society has evolved, our heroes have evolved with it. Their goals and motivations have changed to coincide with the views of modern society. Modern day heroes have less selfish motives, better qualities, and are portrayed differently than ancient heroes.

Not only has the media created celebrity heroes they have made then seem untouchable. For example, Ray Lewis superstar linebacker of the champion ship team Baltimore Ravens. Lewis portrayed as a staunch, Christian, and an example for other to follow. This stands in contrast to the same person who was charged with homicide in 2000 after a club brawl in Atlanta left two men dead (Bisciotti,S 2013). The charges against Lewis were ultimately reduces as part of a plea deal. Families of the victims received over one million dollars in compensation from Lewis. Lewis has been a role model since this incident. It goes to prove that although everyone can change their lives, the label of hero, is too readily dished out to athletes and sports figures.

It is difficult to believe that O.J. Simpson was once a respected and celebrated professional football player, sports commentator, and actor. However, his image was irrevocably shattered on June 17, 1994 when Simpson was involved in a car chase that lasted about an hour on California's I-405 (O.J. Simpson leads L.A. police on a high-speed chase, 2013). Dubbed the "Crime of the Century," O.J. Simpson's trial was a media circus and was sensationalized for a number of reasons including Simpson's status as a celebrity, the mishandling of evidence, and the issue of race.