Reason First: Can Social Media Save OJ Simpson's Image?

OJ Simpson is looking like he never had a double homicide charge against him or served nearly a decade for robbery. All of this, of course, is allegedly orchestrated propaganda to boost the former NFL star and actor’s profile. He donned casual clothes by a poolside, showing off his ring, watch, and sunglasses in one Instagram video. In it, he addressed all of the dads out there on Father’s Day. In a Twitter post, Simpson provided much more substance. He outlined the rumor that he is Khloe Kardashian’s father and that Kris Jenner and he engaged in trysts.

Simpson seemed confident and assured in his demeanor. While wearing relaxed collared shirts and finding locales that would suggest a vacation spot, Simpson has demonstrated that a black man can restart his life from extreme negative scrutiny and life behind bars from the robbery case. In the years following the uber-infamous “Trial of the Century” and all of the fallout that remains to this day, Simpson appears to be handling both his acquittal and release from prison with equal measures of poise and aplomb. He still has the money in the bank due to his various pensions. The man started his career in the NFL cruising and bruising his way to the The Buffalo Bills Wall of Fame, the NFL Most Valuable Player award in 1973, and the Pro Bowl five times. Though his legal concerns will forever shadow the work he put in on the field, it is important to note just how much of an impact he had made on American pop culture. His two cases seem to have been only tests to the man’s character and rationality. His reputation and on-screen appearances as a dim-witted jock may be reversing now. He’s not bowing and scraping. His head’s not hung low in humility. He has positioned himself to be just as confident as he was in his prime. Unscathed by the press or the onslaught of hate and vitriol, Simpson has brushed all of that off of his shoulders, seemingly.

How far will Simpson go on social networking sites? Only he and his supposed handlers can control that. Or maybe the over half a million Instagram followers will aid him in his quest for vindication of the robbery and alleged murders of his wife Nicole Brown and Ron Goldman. His beaming smile seems genuine, but also like he’s got something up his sleeve. It may be too cocksure to be sincere. However, with his time that he has in freedom, he might just be smiling because of the potential endorsement deals, and, as he stated in the Instagram post, “fantasy football.” Simpson could get within this sphere and make a killing if he knows how to play the game. He asserted that all of the false talk about the manager(s) was just that. He asserted that such claims were unfounded. He, in an extremely matter-of-fact and calm speaking style, addressed this issue as if mountainous newspaper piles, dozens of crime books and television series, and a miniseries had not been made largely to disparage the man. He looked directly into the camera and spoke his piece. To transform from the odious monster that the major news outlets painted him as to being an internet favorite, it appears as if OJ has come to the conclusion that although he might have been convicted of a much lesser crime, he did not go to prison for life or see the electric chair because of his role in the two homicides.

Now rehabilitated and ready to take on life in this new America, this man of color may be able to know what was once deemed impossible: redemption.