It’s times like this when I really, really miss Norm Macdonald.
O.J. Simpson died, his family appeared to announce in a Thursday tweet from Simpson’s account, and if Norm was still alive, he would undoubtedly have something hilarious to say about the star’s passing, like, “at least O.J. can now rest easy knowing his wife’s killer is dead.”
As the host of Saturday Night Live’s (SNL) Weekend Update segment, Macdonald went at Simpson so mercilessly that the show fired him after NBC executive Don Ohlmeyer, who was close to Simpson, got fed up with the savagery, according to Rolling Stone.
LOS ANGELES: Actor/comedian Norm McDonald attends the game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Washington Wizards on March 28, 2003 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Vince Bucci/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS: Actor Norm Macdonald plays in the 2004 World Series of Poker Tournament held at the Binion’s Horseshoe Hotel and Casino May 23, 2004 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NV: Comedian/actor Norm Macdonald performs at The Orleans Hotel & Casino July 9, 2011 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
BURBANK, CA: Comedian Norm Macdonald on stage at the “Comedy Central Roast Of Bob Saget” on the Warner Brothers Lot on August 3, 2008 in Burbank, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Comedy Central)
“He begrudgingly put up with Macdonald’s O.J. jokes during the trial, but he lost his mind when Macdonald kept making references to Simpson in the months that followed. Midway through the 1997-98 season, he fired Macdonald from Weekend Update,” Rolling Stone said in the article, which called Norm’s firing the fourth worst decision in television history. For my money, it’s far and away the worst decision of all time.
After Macdonald’s 1998 firing, SNL went downhill pretty quick. His class of Adam Sandler, Chris Farley, David Spade, Colin Quinn and others was legendary. SNL has undoubtedly seen some other rock stars pass through the halls of 30 Rock, like Will Ferrell, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Jason Sudeikis and Bill Hader, but Macdonald’s firing began a backslide that culminated in 2017 when the show went full-woke and became unwatchable in the wake of Trump’s presidency.
After Simpson was acquitted of the 1994 murders of Nicole-Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman, Macdonald delivered an iconic joke in a way that only Norm could do. (RELATED: Hollywood Shares Tributes To Norm Macdonald Following News Of His Death)
“Well, it is finally official,” he quipped, pausing for just the perfect amount of time. “Murder is legal in the state of California.”
In remembrance of Macdonald, we’re sharing this 10-minute compilation of his most hilarious O.J. roasts throughout his time at SNL. My personal favorite was this:
“In honor of the 50th anniversary of their first publication, Random House will be releasing special commemorative issues of man Dr. Seuss classics. The first to hit the bookshelves will be Green Eggs And Ham And O.J. Is Guilty.”
Norm’s Best Weekend Update Jokes
Funniest ‘Norm Macdonald Live’ Moments
Norm Gives Johnny Two-Feathers The Floor
Norm Macdonald On The View Making Bill Clinton Jokes
Hilarious. Enjoy the rest here.
Norm Macdonald constant shitting on OJ Simpson pic.twitter.com/XdNJWvj6Q7
— Litoshitsaaja (@liupidadie1337) November 22, 2023
Oh, wait. He wasn’t done yet.
Still the best OJ Simpson line
Ken Griffey Jr’s reaction 💀😂 pic.twitter.com/f1UE4LNQT5
— McNeil (@Reflog_18) April 11, 2024