Comedian, author, and late-night host Conan O’Brien recalled how NBC television executives fired Norm Macdonald, who was one of Simpson’s closest personal friends, and ex-NFL star O.J. Sympathy for Simpson’s death. saturday night live The latter’s cringe-worthy joke about Simpson makes a fuss.
After Simpson was accused of murdering his wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend Ron Goldman in 1994, MacDonald spent months on the comedy show’s “Weekend Update” segment. He made joke after joke criticizing Simpson.
By 1998, NBC famously fired MacDonald, with many claiming that the comedian’s constant attacks on Simpson led to the decision to take MacDonald off the show.
Apparently, O’Brien shares that view.
Television host Conan O’Brien attends the 11th annual Stand Up for Heroes held at the Theater at Madison Square Garden on November 7, 2017 in New York City. (Jim Spellman/Wire Image)
In an interview with CNN on Thursday, O’Brien said: called Fox News reported that MacDonald took a stab at Simpson, the “greatest comedy” of the 1990s.
Mr. McDonald was fired in 1998 by NBC executive Dan Ohlmeyer. Mr. McDonald told David Letterman that Mr. Ohlmeyer told him to his face, “It’s not funny.” Ohlmeyer was successful in getting McDonald to leave the show. SNL Commissioner Lorne Michaels supported McDonald.
“It was a big deal back then,” O’Brien told Jake Tapper on Thursday. “Most notably, he passed away. Norm Macdonald, one of my greatest guests of all time and one of the greatest comedians of all time, I think he did some of the greatest comedy in a while. “period. “
O’Brien is adamant that MacDonald lost his job because of the Simpson joke, adding, “And the head of the network at the time was close to O.J.”
The indictment of O.J. Simpson (Photo by Ted Soqui/Sygma, Getty Images)
O’Brien also noted that the Simpson story and the “Trial of the Century” were important moments for America.
“You know, it was a massive one: In this country, where we are in the history of our race, where we are, what progress we have made. There were a lot of times where we needed to stop and reevaluate, and that was one of those times, ‘It was just a turning point,’ O’Brien said.
Mr. Simpson died this week from cancer at the age of 78. Mr. McDonald preceded Mr. Simpson in death, and he himself died of cancer in 2021.
After Simpson’s death on Wednesday, social media users flooded X with clips of McDonald’s Simpson.
Norm MacDonald’s O.J. Simpson jokes: pic.twitter.com/glpVe1h3s7
— Liam McCollum (@MLiamMcCollum) April 11, 2024
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