Book 13 (of 52) – The Nineties

The Nineties: A Book – Chuck Klosterman

How does one define the Nineties?  Chronologically, the Nineties started January 1, 1990 and ended on New Year’s Eve 1999.  Culturally, it can be argued that the decade began on November 9, 1989 with the fall of the Berlin Wall and ended on a Tuesday September morning when the Twin Towers did the same.  Regardless of how you define it, Chuck Klosterman’s book takes a look back at the last decade of the 20th century, the decade that formed the background of Generation X.

Klosterman digs deep into the figures and events of the day, both the obvious and the less so.  From Singles, the prototypical Gen X movie (at least if you’re white) to the hullabaloo surrounding 2 Live Crew and Ice T’s controversial release Cop Killer.  The fast political rise and just-as-quick fall of Ross Perot and the Teflon-like nature of Bill Clinton.  The country’s brief obsession with clear drinks, like Crystal Pepsi and Zima.  Michael Jordan’s baseball career.  O.J. Simpson and the white Ford Bronco.  Dolly the cloned sheep.  And how the fallout from the election in 2000 has led to the political polarization we see today.

You Must Acquit

oj20 years ago today, I was at the Hilltop Apartment of my friend Tina, along with our other friend Kelley, waiting for the verdict to be read in the OJ Simpson trial before heading off with Kelley to a Business Law exam.  I imagine all of us were surprised that Simpson was found not guilty, more than 8 months after the trial began.

On June 13, 1994, Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman were found murdered in Brentwood, California.  Immediate suspicion fell upon OJ Simpson, the ex-husband of Nicole Brown Simpson and NFL Hall of Famer.  He was arrested four days later, after leading police on a slow speed chase around Los Angeles from the back of a white Ford Bronco driven by his long-time friend Al Cowlings.

The trial, which made stars out of nearly everyone involved, from the witnesses to the police to the lawyers and the judge, was the news story of 1995.  While most people assumed Simpson did it, his defense hinged on racist cops who were out to frame the celebrity for having married a white woman.

I don’t remember much about that particular Business Law exam, or class, to be honest.  But the events of this day have stayed with me for the past 20 years.  The day a man (likely) got away with murder due to the color of his skin.