FX’S “American Crime Story” Revives Marcia Clark’s Reputation

By NICHOLAS NEGRON
Opinion Editor

America’s image of Marcia Clark has been changed due to the FX series “American Crime Story: The OJ Simpson Story.” The former prosecutor became a tabloid sensation during and after the trial. The double murder of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Lyle Goldman resulted in a nation divided.
Now called the trial of a century, Clark essentially became a public enemy to half of the country. The emotions attached to the trial were deeply rooted in class and racial tension. Clark received backlash from the country for attempting to prosecute a successful black man.
On the other side of the spectrum, she was attacked by the media for “losing” the trial. She became a joke and fodder for “Entertainment Tonight” and “The Inquirer.” The new television series has caused America to revisit the trial. Sarah Paulson’s portrayal has allowed the public to see Marcia Clark in a different light.
Clark was the only lawyer on the trail to have her looks judged by the nation daily. The courtroom is not a runway, but for Clark, it was the equivalent of an “America’s Next Top Model” competition of one. She was seen as harsh and cold. Her mid-trial haircut did nothing to counteract this notion.
The series shows Clark sitting down at the prosecution table, with all eyes on her new ‘do. She is visibly uncomfortable, on the verge of tears. It is only the comfort of Christopher Darden that gets her through the trial. Paulson portrays Marcia Clark as a strong but sensitive woman. She is a dedicated mother, who is dealing with a custody battle at the same time as the Simpson trial. She is fighting a losing battle on both ends.
In one episode, when talking of scheduling a trial date, Clark combats with Johnny Cochran and Judge Ito over not being able to have a babysitter. She stands up for herself, and deems it sexist to essentially fault her for having to care for her children. The amount of time she puts into the trail causes the father of her children to seek full custody; he claims the children are being raised by babysitters.
As if the stress of juggling an internationally covered trial with a custody battle wasn’t enough, nude photos of Clark emerged in “The Inquirer.” The photos were sold by Clark’s first husband’s mother. They were taken while Clark and her first husband were on a beach vacation. The photos were sold a decade later, long after the couple’s divorce.
Clark’s privacy was violated, and was essentially communally molested. Today, nude photo scandals go away within days or weeks, as the world’s attention span has seemed to die down. Back in the ‘90s, a scandal could live on for months and years. Clark was unable to escape the image, as it appeared on every major publication, and censored on television. Her children were subject to seeing these photos in their everyday life. On the show, Clark is seen breaking down in the courtroom.
In real life, Clark revealed that she was raped at the age of 17, on a trip to Israel. She was to ashamed to tell anyone for years, hiding it from her husband. Eventually, she shared this story with the world in her book. It was also addressed in the finale of the FX series.
Sarah Paulson brilliantly showcases a woman in misery. Through all of the tribulations that Marcia Clark went through during the trial, it is admirable to see how strong she is. Clark is now a novelist, penning five books. Four are novels. One is the famous “Without a Doubt,” released in 1997. The book is a reflection on her experiences during the trial.
The series has certainly caused a resurgence in interest for the OJ Simpson trial. The finale attracted over three million viewers. Celebrities such as Ellen DeGeneres and Wendy Williams have expressed how much they respect Marcia Clark On social media, people champion for her every week during the episode. While the actual trial of OJ Simpson did not result in any justice, “American Crime Story: The OJ Simpson Story” has justly repainted the image of Marcia Clark to the world; displaying her true character.