On April 10, 2024, Orensal James “OJ” Simpson passed away from prostate cancer at the age of 76. Simpson is best known for being on trial for the murders of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman. The trial was televised and lasted 11 months, beginning on November 9, 1994 and ending on October 3, 1995. Simpson pleaded not guilty, but his response has been parodied ever since.
In 2017, comedian Dave Chappelle famously joked about his four encounters with Simpson on his comedy special “The Age of Spin: Dave Chappelle Live at the Hollywood Palladium.” Since the trial, jokes have been made about Simpson online. However, the news of his death prompted users to constantly make jokes and memes about him.
According to the article, TMZ“The news of O.J. Simpson's death has sparked a wave of commentary, much of it coming in the form of humorous memes based on the most controversial aspects of his life.” The article features several examples of Simpson-related memes and jokes.
Users of X (formerly known as Twitter) PostedWith a photo of the late comedian Norm MacDonald: “Tonight we announce the unfortunate passing of NFL legend OJ Simpson. May he rest in peace.'' On a more positive note, sources say the real culprit… was found dead! ”
Regardless of whether Mr. Simpson is guilty, the public reaction to his death is part of a new trend on social media where users post memes and joke excessively about the deaths of controversial celebrities. is highlighted.
Emily Hester, a freshman electrical engineering student, weighs in on this phenomenon.
“When people react this way on the internet, whether or not it's proven that a controversial celebrity committed that controversial act, for many members of society it's almost comforting. I think it's because it's something like that,” Hester said.
Hester said she also makes jokes when she's sad because “it's a way to make light of something scary.”
Queen Elizabeth II and Henry Kissinger are other controversial public figures who have had memes and jokes made after their deaths. Queen Elizabeth II passed away on September 8, 2022 at the age of 96.Article by new york magazine We've included numerous examples of posts by X users joking or making hateful comments about the former Queen and the royal family.
As an example, post By an X user named Justin Baragona, CNN A reporter asks a British woman about Queen Elizabeth's death. The woman interviewed said she was not “the Queen's biggest fan” because of “British colonial history” and “pretty shady” things like Prince Andrew, she added. .
Kissinger passed away on November 29, 2023 at the age of 100. It also received a flood of memes and jokes about Kissinger's death.according to Stargazing Article “Henry Kissinger's long-awaited death has been an internet meme for years, and now it's finally happened.”
This article provides readers with examples of memes related to Henry Kissinger. post Created by an X user named Evan Shapiro. The post shows Kissinger taking photos of BeReal while in hell.
Kissinger was involved in the US bombing of Cambodia, which resulted in an estimated 150,000 civilian deaths.same Stargazing The article states that Kissinger “is also accused of facilitating genocide in East Timor and Bangladesh, numerous coups, death squads, and assassinations in Latin America.”
When it comes to social media users reacting to controversial celebrity deaths, comedy is often seen as the perfect way for people to express their thoughts about each celebrity. The acceptance of each celebrity's actions has led people to find solace in making fun of terrible tragedies.
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