And the Oscar goes to …
Is it coincidental or just cruel luck that the Oscar Pistorius trail kicked off on the same day that the Oscars was flighted in South Africa?
They say honesty is the best policy, so let us admit there are freaky familiarities between the two events – such as both involving a lot of hype, plenty of song-and-dance shenanigans and, most likely, some decent “acting”.
The Oscars is regarded as the greatest night in Hollywood to honour the shining stars of the silver screen, catching the eye of the world media.
Many times, it is not just the sheer scale of excellence in terms of acting and directing that gets the nod for the golden statuette, but as with all things in life, well orchestrated lobbying and shameless self-marketing goes a long way to gain favour.
Similarly, the Oscar Pistorius trial has also grabbed the eye of the press, and yes, before the trial, we bore witness to truckloads of propaganda and publicity to convince the public of either his innocence or guilt.
The trail reminds of the famous OJ Simpson saga, during which the former athlete was acquitted based largely on the fact that the bloody glove found on the scene of his wife’s (Nicole Brown) death did not fit him.
It was held at the Superior Court in Los Angeles County, California, that spanned from the jury being sworn in on November 2, 1994 to opening statements on January 24, 1995, to a verdict on October 3, 1995.
The case has been described as the most publicised criminal trial in American history, with Simpson being acquitted after a trial that lasted more than eight months.
Similarly, the Pistorius case has attracted massive media attention, with hundreds of foreign and domestic media camped outside the court, a reflection of Pistorius’ status as a global symbol of triumph over physical adversity.
However, we can only but hope that the Pistorius trial will not last eight months. While it was proposed that the trial could take last a minimum of three weeks, if you take into account the somewhat 107 witnesses waiting to be called by either side, it is almost certain to last far longer.
While the Oscar’s is normally a very long night of glitz, glamour and drama, it is still nothing compared to the epic that therefore awaits in Pretoria High Court – let us pray the media who covers the event have no family life.
And yes, let us use the term “acting” in a tongue-in-cheek manner when it comes to court room dramas. After all, the world is watching, so why not put on a bit of a show if you represent the state of the defence?
Who cannot deny the OJ Simpson trial actually turned into entertainment – is this not where the Oscar trial is heading? After all, this is a chance for all involved to catch some headlines, and who really doesn’t want their 15 minutes of fame?
Court room dramas after all have become the hype of Hollywood over the last decade or so, with television series like Law and Order and also Boston Legal turning the world of law into a world of entertainment.
Audiences have been privy to many melodramatic and also tense Hollywood court room dramas, some based on fact, so watch this space … someone is probably already busy with the Pistorius script.
Reality court room dramas is after all nothing new – Judge Judy has for example added a touch of entertainment to matters of law.
The big difference between the brand of Hollywood court room drama and our local splash of law and order is the lack of jurors.
The jury is after all many times the focus of these dramas for they hold the nerve wrecking final say, and maybe questions might be asked in the Oscar trail why South Africa persists in having no jury.
Jury duty in South Africa was abolished in South Africa in 1969, and the last jury trial to be heard was in the District of Kimberley.
Some judicial experts had argued that a system of whites-only juries (as was the system at that time) was inherently prejudicial to ‘non-white’ defendants (the introduction of nonracial juries would have been a political impossibility at that time).
More recently it has been argued that, apart from being a racially divided country, South African society was, and still is, characterised by significant class differences and disparities of income and wealth that could make the re-introducing the jury system problematical.
So while the glitz and glamour of the Oscars have already faded, and while the show goes on in Pretoria, let us least remember what is reality and what should stay a show.
The Oscars with all its bright lights remain but a shallow reminder of man’s quest for escapism, yet the Oscar trail should serve as a reminder that we live a in a violent society where life does not count for much anymore.
Sadly, when all is said and done, after the trial and when the media go back to their hovels, no one will really be a winner and there will be no golden statuette on offer.
A woman in the prime of her has died and a famed athlete’s future, no matter the verdict, will most likely remain in tatters.
That is the reality of life that should never be cheapened by sensationalism, man’s hunger for shallow entertainment or the constant need to reduce people to become TV characters that simply fade away.
