You have to defend everyone's right, including those who say, print or publish something that you find disgusting. It's the way it works.
Enter the coupling of Judith Regan and O.J. Simpson. A match made in free speech hell.
My friend and former colleague, Roxanne, has a Dear Judith Regan post up, which was the beginning of a blog swarm over the outrage. It was a call to action to get Ms. Regan to donote ALL OF THE PROCEEDS of O.J.'s book to organizations that help women escape abusive relationships. But 10 minutes ago, MSNBC announced that the book and the Fox program has been canceled.
Ms. Regan has taken so much heat that she felt compelled to explain. In fact, just last week when I did my first post on the subject, Fox had this URL publicizing the event: http://www.fox.com/oj/. It's now been nuked, referring instead to the Fox homepage. Frankly, the public deserved an explanation, because what was to be broadcast next Monday on Fox was nothing short of an outrage. The heat was on. Regan was put on the defensive.
IN the past few days, since the announcement of the forthcoming book and televised interview "If I Did It," it has been strange watching the media spin the story. They have all but called for my death for publishing his book and for interviewing him. A death, I might add, not called for when Katie Couric interviewed him; not called for when Barbara Walters had an exclusive with the Menendez brothers, who killed their parents in cold blood, nor when she conducted her celebrated interviews with dictator Fidel Castro or Moammar Khadafy; not called for when "60 Minutes" interviewed Timothy McVeigh who murdered hundreds in Oklahoma City; not called for when the U.S. government released tapes of Osama bin Laden; not called for when Geraldo Rivera interviewed his dozens of murderers, miscreants, and deviants.
Nor should it be.
"To publish" does not mean "to endorse it means "to make public." If you doubt that, ask the mainstream publishers who keep Adolf Hitler's "Mein Kampf" in print to this day. They are likely to say that there is a historical value in publishing such material, so that the public can read, and judge for themselves, the thoughts and attempted defenses of an indefensible man. There is historical value in such work; there is value for law enforcement, for students of psychology, for anyone who wants to gain insight into the mind of a sociopath.
But that is not why I did it. That is not why I wanted to face the killer. That is not why I wanted to publish his story.
(snip)
I made the decision to publish this book, and to sit face to face with the killer, because I wanted him, and the men who broke my heart and your hearts, to tell the truth, to confess their sins, to do penance and to amend their lives. …
WHY I DID IT
JUDITH REGAN EXPLAINS PUBLISHING O.J.'S NEW BOOK
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FITZ!
Taylor!
MayDaze!
Goldman’s or Goldmans, or perhaps Goldmen?
:-)
This whole thing is hilarious.
Reminds me of “The Magic Christian”–anyone else remember the book?
In it- a rich guy tries to see just how far the average human is prepared to go for money- so he fills a swimming pool with shit- and heats the shit to boiling- and then throws a couple of million in cash in…
Thousands, of course, jumped in. (at least that’s how I remember the story.)
My heart still goes out to Nicole’s loved ones and children.
And, for the people outside of that realm who actually give a shit about what Simpson has to say – get a life.
That includes you, Regan.
Terry Southern also wrote “Candy” the spoof on porn books- that’s actually a porn book.–Little self referential puzzle goin there.
Judith Regan is the one who fucked Bernie Kerik in an apartment overlooking Ground Zero…says all you need to know about good judgement.
Peter Sellers (Guy Grand a Grand Guy), Ringo, Yul. . .Badfinger. “If you want it here it is, come and get it”
rwcole @
5
Too depraved for FOX!
A first?
WHY I DID IT!
“I’m a publicity-seeking, money-grubbing amoral employee of Rupert Murdoch. It goes with the territory.”
rwcole @
5
I remember this. The trickster’s big line was “This’ll make it hot for ‘em”, starting with the heated-shit incident but that was only one of many pranks he played.
Interestingly, every chapter ended with “It cost him plenty to clear his name after that.” Which may apply in this situation too.
Judith Regan was, is, and always will be a douchebag of the first order.
I know, I know… what else is new.
For those of you who are the anti-judith regan:
Tony @
11
When Bill O’Reilly threatens to boycott his own company’s product, you know something is horribly, horribly awry.
watertiger @ 16
You’re onto something. Wonder if the deal was that Regan had to do twenty minutes on the Factor and she couldn’t stand the thought of loofah-lounging with Billo afterwards….
Jacqrat @ 15
This has been a public service announcement for all of you who have been successfully avoiding work. (Last thread).
Terry Southern- the literary hero of the twentieth century- also wrote the screenplay for “Doctor Strangelove”.
Southern fans will remember the famous line “Your gonna answer to the Coca Cola company for this”.
rwcole @ 20
Dubya’s favorite — “Nukaler combat toe to toe with the Russkies.”
Twisted – Good One
Clusterfuck modeled his whole persona around Slim Pickins.
rwcole @ 23
And in the process has “….hair-lipped every man, woman, and child in Bear Creek.”
rwcole @ 19
Yeah, but Peter George and Kubrick helped out (although one can pick out which bits are Southern’s). You just know that “That’s not true. I deeply respect you. Someday, I’m gonna make you Mrs. Buck Turgidson” had to be Southern. :)
montag
So who gets credit for the visuals–the scene of Slim ridin the bomb to oblivion is too good to be believed…Kubrick?
rwcole @ 26
I can see that Montag and RW are out of my league here re Strangelove.
Unfortunately, with the cancellation of the book we may never know where he stashed the murder weapon and his bloody clothes.
rwcole @ 26
Kubrick said quite a while ago that he started the script from George’s book, but kept having to throw out accidental absurdities in order to keep it a thriller (George’s Red Alert was just that), and after three weeks or so of working on the script, he gave up and decided to make a black comedy of it, so, it’s possible he came up with that, but I’ll bet in conjunction with the set designer, Ken Adam, because Adam had recently done set design on “Dr. No.”
Twisted Martini @
9
For real??? Now I have that icky feeling all over…
MayDaze at 18 This has been a public service announcement for all of you who have been successfully avoiding work. (Last thread).
The origin of that discussion was me putting off work to write a post over at egregiousBlog. No more good excuses, the new post is up!
Topic: fighting back against winter depression.
Highlights:
(1) Embracing your lethargy
(2) Finding humor in daily humiliations
………good practice for being old!
(3) Being more “out” about being mentally ill.
Here’s more about the Regan-Kerik affair:
http://www.nydailynews.com/fro…..4000c.html
Just heard some guy on NPR saying that Regan says that she wanted to expose the batterers, etc because she had been a victim of her former husband.
He said one wonders if she wanted to expose schoolyard bullies, would she interview and publish Jeffrey Dahmer.
LOL
OT:
Maca-Kramer.
This is a tough one to explain away.
egregious- Nice piece- nice touch- congrats!
kristinejoy @
34
I don’t think he can.
He’s done. Maybe he can get a job with Trent Lott or George Allen.
rwcole @ 35
Thanks!
Writing is a way to stay one step above the fray, to be a little detached, and ironically more in control of depression. It breaks the downward spiral.
Angie- Yeah maybe throw Ashcroft in there- they can do barbershop.
Didn’t see the video, but I hear that Kramer better hope the residuals keep rolling in, cuz he’s done.
Judith Regan sounds like a “class act” for a “classy outfit” like FOX. Maybe Nancy Grace will do the interview?
MayDaze @
18
…and would like to continue avoiding payment.
It’s too bad, cause Regan was goin ta follow up with a book on Bush–”If I had really lied an the invasion was all about money- how would I have done it?”
Patrick- but pay with no work beats work with no pay in my book!!
Note that all of Judith Regan’s examples of interviewers who were not pilloried for interviewing OJ or similar miscreants did not also have an arrangement that would jointly profit the interviewer and the interviewee.
Regan’s got a series commin out- including the posthumous “What if I Really Was a Crook?” by Richard Millhouse Nixon.
Twisted Martini @ 39
It is really bad. Much worse than you would expect.
rwcole @ 45
Followed by the Ken Melhman story, “What if I really was Doris Day?”
rwcole @ 38
LOL
Thanks for the post Taylor and I just want to take the opportunity to thank you (while you are hosting here at FDL) for keeping the real story about George Felix Allen alive with so much vigor and truth. Many, many thanks from the bottom of my heart!
Sure to be most popular in the series “What if I Really Did Kill Six Million People” by Heinrich Himmler.
egregious @
31
Very good. Yes, writing is good to occupy the mind and divert attention from depression.
Unless, of course, one is trying to make a living from it, and then, it’s a contributing cause. :)
Slowness shouldn’t be cause for embarrassment. This is easily masked by convincing every one you know that you’re actually very relaxed, and that your favorite word is: languor. :)
Chin up and bull through the darker days.
Cheers.
Maybe OJ can launch a hunt for the person at Fox who killed his special.
Regan interviewing Satan for a blockbuster– big bucks!!
Hey–Regan’s got her blouse door open–is the welcome light lit?
What I’d like to know is what happened after O.J.’s last big announcement, remember, the one about how he was going to track down the real killer? How’s that going, O.J.?
Montag at 49 Slowness shouldn’t be cause for embarrassment.
If I get any slower they’re gonna come and tow me away.
My friend says her old dryer has 3 settings: kill, maim, and off. Being mood swingy is kinda like that.
Karl Rove: “What if I lied my ass off to Patrick Fitzgerald.”
Rove and Libby: “What if I outed an American spy during wartime?”
egregious @ 54
Sounds like the makings of an excellent comedy sketch to me. :)
Could be worse. Think about depression, SAD and chronic fatigue syndrome all at once. I went through that for a couple of years. Plants grew faster than I moved. :)
Sparkles the Iguana @
28
He had his lawyer take them out of his house in a brief case. Karsashian? forget the spelling. The confession was moot – it was written all over this lawyer’s face when the verdict was read.
montag @ 53
“You know, I have commenced a search of every fairway, green and strip club between Miami and Brentwood. No luck yet, but I’m still looking. Now watch this drive.”
egregious: Two speeds – SLOW & STOP?
:-)
montag @ 57
Well, that would be me from 1982 to 1995. Better now.
Dr. Bong–
Feels like being in Reverse some days :)
Keep those cards and letters coming, people, I’m developing a funny sketch based on gears.
egregious –
(1) Embrace your lethargy
Surrender to the Nap . . .
-ck- @ 63
SARK! Yay naps. She wrote an entire book on the joy of napping. Lots of other ecstatic and creative stuff.
rwcole @ 45
Late nite contest? TRex yoo hoo?
If I Didn’t Do It
George W. Bush and his Texas Air National Guard Commitment
Angie @ 47 – You bet, Angie. Getting rid of George Allen and electing James Webb became my mission. To hear Webb talk and write as senator-elect of Virginia makes my heart sing.
montag @ 53
If he tole ya, he’d hafta kill ya.
egregious @ 65
There would have to be titles with attitude: So What If I Did? by Don Rickles
And real nostalgia: What If I Did It My Way? by Frank Sinatra
Epu’d from last thread:
This is too good. Go back and read the full comment if you haven’t already. katie Jensen obviously knows a thing or two about mental illnesses. That Bush is in the midst of one such is no more of a surprise than the fact that OJ ‘might’ entertain ideas of confessing to his wife’s homocide. That much of the country suffers a fascination with such people seems to me a tap root to the tree of evil. After all, was it not the OJ debacle which brought Rupert Murdoch to the pinacle of his present empire?
This is only a little OT:
Taylor Marsh @ 67
Too true!
The very words Senator-Elect Webb make me happy.
He and Tester are gonna do great on TV. They actually have things to say as opposed to the usual fluff.
egregious @ 72
They actually have things to say as opposed to the usual
fluffBiden verbal leakage.Speaking of Terry Southern, credit where credit is due: he probably wrote the entire screenplay for Easy Rider, no matter what Dennis Hopper says:
http://www.westword.com/issues…..ture3.html
A long read, but worth it for any Southern fan.
“What if Grandma had balls” by Grandpa
Taylor Marsh @ 67
Mine too! I think it was an incredibly important race not just for Virginia and my loved ones there (who worked tirelessly for Webb, btw) but for our Nation. I am still completely giddy about it.
George was a parasite that so needed to be removed from office and you did much to deliver his thumpin’!
looseheadprop at 2:19 pm -
Did the major research institution say anything about the half life of this newly discovered element? *g*
egregious @ 37
I don’t know if this will work for you, but I have noticed that in the years i am able to take the time off from work to make the Advent season all about baking and walking in the snow and hot chocolate and going to the ballet etc, I don’t get the the long dark day blues. The extra sleep associated with taking days off may have something to do with it.
years like this one (I have a trial starting Jan 2nd) when I have NO TIME for holidays, I tend to get it bad. Each day until about a month after Solitce it just gets harder and harder to answer the call of the alarm clock.
Don’t know if you can swing any of that, but the smel of Butter and vanilla and cinnamin in the oven works wonders. Aroma candles do NOT substitute. Maybe that’s why the best cookie recipes come from northern climates?
Terry Southern is the best. Try his novel “Blue Movie” – a clever, screamingly funny Hollywood satire about an attempt to make a porn film with major stars and studio resources. Go Teeny Marie!
Good, the damn thing is cancelled. It might have made people a little bit more stupid than usual, they should save this for just under two more years then make America Ultra -Retarded in time for the pResidential election. Woohoo, go John McCain! Go Hillary! Make us all dumber than George Bush did!! Woohoo!!
Stephen Parrish, CPA @ 77
Somebody sent that to me this AM in an email. I thought it was kinda clever.
Dan Whitworth @ 74 – Regarding Terry Southern, I referenced him in my first book, “My Year in Smut.” I found “Candy” in the attic one day as a little girl and it blew my mind. It also led to my passion for investigation, which eventually led to the reporting I do in my life today.
If you’re interested…
http://www.taylormarsh.com/taylor_book.php
“You can’t fight here, this is the war room!”
Dan Whitworth @ 74
The real scumbag in this story is Rupert Murdoch. He’s the world’s leading sleaze merchant and hate monger. He’s made his billions at the expense of others.
KO is going to focus on Iraq and Vietnam tonight.
lhp @ 71
LOL (figuratively ROFLMAO, because I’m supposed to be working)
Ed Deevy @ 84
Indeed. This was a News Corp. cross-marketing venture, nothing more, nothing less. ReganBooks–>Harper Collins–>News Corp.
Fox Television–>News Corp.
P J Evans @ 86
Careful you don’t 707
:-)
She makes it sound like some kind of weird psychotherapy. Also I don’t think it was the heartbreaking but the stabbing and slashing I have problems with. But that’s just me.
Besides me (for it is well proven by some FDLers that I’m an idiot), I’m sure that everyone here at FDL is very intelligent. So, if You would, let’s assume that everything went as Rupert Murdoch had planned with this whole “OJ” thing. The question is, what reward was Rupert Murdoch looking for?
Also, did you fall for it?
deviantdevil @ 90
#1 Money.
#2 Hell, no.
Howie Klein thinks it’s Andrea’ Mitchell that’s saving MSNBC ……
http://www.washingtonpost.com/…..00587.html
SPECIAL COMMENT COMING TONIGHT
http://thank-you-keith-olbermann.blogspot.com/
The proper place for the confessions of O.J. Simpson on the how
the killings might of occurred is in the journals of some Criminal
Journal on how a “killer” who got off on a jury nullification verdict
finds the psychological need to confess. Are not bars the places
where confessions take place as well as in the booth of the Church.
Too bad this bastard does not have the integrity to confess without
pretense. Tells me he still in a state of psychic dissociation typical
of sociopaths. Let him make his own DVD and hock it at a flea
market. Hope we never hear from him again-hope he vanishes
into cosmic worm hole. Sad for his children though.
Kurtz
COLORADO BOB @ 92
COLORADO BOB @ 92
Umm, Howie Kurtz, y’mean?
If anyone is interested in some backgound on the LA02 race, here is a diary a DKos. Can’t vouch for any of the info, just FWIW.
BIG SORRY >>>> THAT”S KURTZ.
COLORADO BOB @ 97
Had a feeling there for a moment that Howie Klein was gonna take that personal, like. :)
Just wanted to say have a great holiday before I sign off. Time for my radio show.
Thanksgiving blessings to you all.
montag @
95
haoward PUTZ you mean!
For all you freedom freaks
OT – FEAR FEAR FEAR, an asteroid may hit Earth in 2029!! Brought to you by your friends at CNN. Sponsored by Head-on.
Right back at you, Taylor!
lhp–
Now you’ve got me thinking about butter and vanilla and cinnamon.
Mmmmmmm.
Yes I think the northern cookie baking thingie is because of it being extra dark. Starch-craving, how you know winter has arrived.
It affects a neurotransmitter, see we are just self-medicating :)
And now, a comic interlude….
montag @ 91
FDLers, why is montag’s answer to #1 incorrect, therefore making #2 incorrect?
deviantdevil @ 106
You might want to explain that… from your perspective, of course. :)
montag @ 107
#1: Murdoch wanted to blame Clinton?
Colorado Bob–could we interest you in using mostly lowercase letters?
Also I do not see any reference to Howie Klein in the WaPo article.
Furthermore, I would be…surprised…if he viewed Andrea Mitchell as the savior of the world. Just sayin’.
deviantdevil @ 106
OK, I’ll bite:
1. Credit for not doing it.
2. Yeah, we fell for it.
Hugh @ 89
Isn’t it special how she makes herself out to be America’s mother-confessor? Doesn’t it just make you want to run out and mail her a huge wad of money?
deviantdevil @ 106
Because you don’t bury the survivors?
Ezra Klein is reporting that the Houston janitors have won a contract!
Because Faux’s rating are in the toilet and he wanted his newscorpse front and center anyway he could…
(He guessed the thumpin’ was a-coming, now he can appear as though they are listening to the public and have been all along)
COLORADO BOB @ 97
You have good things to bring to this blog but the caps are stepping on your helpful messages.
For example, it would help us readers to see in place of all caps:
Colorado Bob
Big Sorry – That’s Kurtz.
We do let one commenter, Grandpa Delbert, talk in all caps because he is too old to hear us :)
Just an idea, and if this doesn’t work for you, feel free to ignore.
jeffreyw @ 113
I don’t doubt it’s less than they deserve, but it does look like they have something to be proud of.
jeffreyw @ 113
Excellent. Judith and Rupert have shown them the path to healing.
twolf1 @
102
Do you have a link, please?
This is the most current comment about Apophis that I could readily find on NASA’s Web site: http://impact.arc.nasa.gov/news_detail.cfm?ID=165
New thread, kids! Fresh from the oven!
{{{egregious}}}
deviantdevil @
106
Was your correct answer “media attention”?
Re labor, at the Giant [grocery] today I was talking with a new employee who was about to go on break. The supervisor came by and said that she could only have 2 fifteen minute breaks during her 8 hour shift.
wtf? Isn’t that illegal?
egregious– If the super was talking about breaks and not lunch, I think it’s about right.
Two fifteen minute coffee breaks (plus lunch) is pretty standard.
egregious @ 104
You-all should try living in Sweden for a year. These folks go all growly and bear-like from about mid-October through the Christmas holiday. Then comes, like Santa in the sky, the Winter Holiday, where everybody either goes to the stuga in the country to play in the snow and drink a lot and lounge around in bed; or they head to whatever sunny southern resort they can get an all-inclusive deal on.
Then starting in mid-February they are in a foul mood until, well, May or so, cause it takes a hell of a long time for the land to finally warm up.
They eat a lot of candy. It was a trip to be a California family living there. Culture shock.
I’ve just been mailed by a complete stranger to tell me that my old pal egregious had a blog and sure enough…
You go girl! You’ve got friends watching your back and telling your other friends that your doing good stuff.
Ummm I hesitate to mention this but I recently got a new shower put in. Three settings:
Off – stun – smear you across the wall. If your friend would like it I’m willing to get it uninstalled and shipped across the Atlantic. Tell her not to think of it as a death trap … more of a matching set kind of thing.
Gone midnight here so time to go to bed *poof*
egregious @ 104
As long as it’s not oxytocin…
It was not my answer that the question was seeking. The question was what was Rupert Murdoch’s answer… What was his reasoning for doing what he did.
“Media attention” is of course a good answer, it it is part of it since he is in that line of business. But as I was reading the posts from the start — yes, I only skimmed some so I may not have a full grasp of all said — nobody stated the obvious, that OJ was found, in a court of law of the United States of America to be not guilty. If there is to be an argument or emotional outburst over anything, it should be how the trial was conducted, not as to whether OJ was guilty or innocent. I repeat, court records do show that OJ stood trial and was found not guilt of that particular crime. Also, the civil trial was a greater travesty and mockery of the judicial system (if one can put all emotion aside). Yes, did anyone shout and scream about that? Of course not. So, what information has Rupert Murdoch garnered from the way people reacted? Was it that we are apt to take our eyes off the ball easily? Is it that even the grassroot bloggers can be taken for a ride with Rupert Murdoch doing the driving? Actually, the interview would have been good to see and hear, but now we will not be able to. Why? Emotions. And it is those emotions that will eventually conquer the grassroots and bloggers if they do not check their six. Rupert Murdoch is not where he is because he is an idiot. Rupert Murdoch is not where he is because he gave up the fight.
One other point. Karl Rove is nothing. He is only possible for people like Rupert Murdoch. It is another case, in my ever humble opinion, of people taking their eyes off the ball. Rupert Murdoch is not ever going to stop throwing them, so the grassroots had better keep their glove on and eyes peeled for each and every one.
That is that as it is, my humble opinion.
angie @ 123
No, she specifically asked about lunch. The supervisor said she could only have a 30 minute lunch break if she worked 8 1/2 hours, not 8.
Doesn’t pass the smell test, I’m thinking. Is it because she is a new employee, or do they screw everybody?
rwcole @ 124
Ya but without lunch => illegal.
mfi–
Still here? Keep up the good work. We hae tried to pass along the news that everything in Iraq is Not Going Swimmingly.
Slainte.
mfi– how wonderful to “see” you again on this side of the pond!
blessings.
You and yours sow amazing seeds of wisdom, justice and peace daily.
deviantdevil @ 128
Nice try. Your opinion doesn’t make other answers incorrect. Here’s a fact. Fox ratings are declining. Here’s another. Advertising rates are the main source of income for television and those rates are dependent upon ratings. Higher ratings can demand more dollars per minute. Here’s another fact. November is a Nielsen Media sweeps month–one of three critical advertising months in which advertisers reevaluate rates and ad placement. Here’s another fact. The book tie-in is published by a News Corp. entity. ReganBooks is owned by Harper Collins which is in turn owned by Murdoch.
This was intended to be what is now a classic multimedia cross-marketing deal. Every network tries to do this. Generate buzz in the news and commentary side of the network, driving viewership to the special, aiding ratings during a sweeps month and the special drives book purchases.
The only reason this was dumped was a great deal of highly negative publicity at the announcement, and that publicity coming from the relatives of the victims.
Murdoch making a point about truth and justice and public opinion? The guy who gave up his home country citizenship to do an end-run around US law so he could get the FCC to increase his cross-media ownership in several markets and therefore increase his profits and lower his costs?
That’s a good one.
egregious @ 130
This issue is state law – varies from state to state. Some states have virtually no legal protections at all for workers.
Taylor @ 82: thanks for the tip. That’s about how long I spent in the smut biz, too.
I was a projectionist, just so’s nobody thinks I’m bragging or something.
montag @ 133
That is, of course, all a matter of your (no-so-humble) opinion. You have spoken the prevailing rhetoric well. Now, can you argue the point as to why what you said may be incorrect?
WHY I DID IT
JUDITH REGAN EXPLAINS PUBLISHING O.J.’S NEW BOOK
Yeah. “why I did it.”
bitch.
Ooops, is my face red. I meant to say
“Why I did it.”
To make money.
Bitch.
deviantdevil @
136
Pardon? Let’s back up. You said I was incorrect because I expressed something that did not conform with your opinion.
I offered facts. You expressed opinion.
In the reality-based world, facts do trump unsupported, unreasoned opinion.
Cheers.
I guess maybe Fox figured they had a monopoly on the Simpson franchise.
Isn’t Regan Bernie Kerik’s inamorata? There isn’t even a thin veneer on American society; it is pure trash top to bottom.