For those who don't remember the O.J. Simpson trial, it can feel odd coming to terms with the fact that many of the people featured in American Crime Story are able to watch a dramatization of what was, for many involved, the most important legal case of their lives. Some people who were a part of the case enjoy the show, including prosecutor Marcia Clark, who called the series "terrific" in a statement to Bustle. Others, however, have a less positive reaction to The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story. One such member is Clark's co-counsel on the case, as Christopher Darden spoke about American Crime Story recently, but didn't have much good to say. When Bustle contacted Darden, he declined to give further comment on the series.
Darden's overall feelings towards the series could best be described as ambivalent at best. He told TMZ that he hasn't watched the show simply because he has "other things to do." However, while he seemed to not care much about the finer points of the series or his portrayal in the show, he did have some thoughts on how it has handled the racial issues surrounding the trial.
Darden takes some issue with the show's confidence in tackling the issue of race. "I think you have a production ... of basically non-black writers and non-black producers and they want to take this iconic trial with these black lawyers and talk about race," he said to TMZ. "I don't see how you talk about race without including the people who are most affected by it." Darden makes a good point about the importance of diversity in writers rooms, and is correct that the majority of the creative crew behind American Crime Story are not black, but seems to be unaware of co-producer Joe Robert Cole, who is black and wrote the upcoming episode "The Race Card."
"People need to understand that there is a part of [The People Vs. O.J. Simpson] that is fictionalized," Darden also told TMZ. "It's not the trial." It's not known what Darden thinks about Brown's portrayal of him, or whether he believes the television show is highlighting the most important aspects of the case. Despite being based on one of the most highly-regarded books about the Simpson trial and the culture around it, Darden holds firm in his stance that he doesn't need to see the series because, as he put it to TMZ, "I was there. I don't need to watch it."
