The spectacle : media and the making of the O.J. Simpson story

"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 "[T]haler does help the reader make sense of one of the decade's most dramatic tragedies."-Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly "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 "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 "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 "�T�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 ?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 ?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 ?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 Read more...