A Look Back At The Late, Great Norm Macdonald's History Of O.J. Simpson Jokes

The world is remembering O.J. Simpson — how you choose to do that is up to you — and I think I speak for all of us when I say, "Man, I wish Norm Macdonald was here."

The late, great comic’s career is inextricably linked thanks to jokes about Simpson costing Macdonald his job on Saturday Night Live.

Yes, in some ways, he became too funny for Saturday Night Live, something no current cast members need to worry about happening to them.

READ: TWITTER REACTS TO OJ SIMPSON DEATH NEWS

Macdonald — who died in 2021 — handled Weekend Update duties on SNL from 1994 to 1997, and for a lot of people, he was the best to ever sit behind that desk.

During his run, one of his favorite targets was one Orenthal James Simpson, who of course was on trial after being charged with the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman for most of Macdonald's time on Weekend Update.

Sit back, relax, and enjoy 11 and a half minutes of some of the best joke writing you will ever come across:

Did you watch it? If you didn't, what the hell is wrong with you?!

I'll add a few favorites in case you're in a waiting room or something, but you've got to enjoy these jokes when told with Norm's inimitable delivery:

• "According to retailers, the most popular Halloween mask this year is O.J. Simpson. And the most popular Halloween greeting is, ‘I’ll kill you and that guy that is bringing over your glasses, or treat.'"
• "In his new book, OJ Simpson says that he would've taken a bullet or stood in front of a train for Nicole. Man, I'm gonna tell ya, that is some bad luck when the one guy who would've died for you, kills you."
• "O.J. Simpson's lawyers say they don't want the families of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman in the courtroom during the trial. They're afraid the presence of the family members will just remind O.J. of how much more killing he still has to do."
• Tomorrow, Judge Lance Ito will take OJ and the jury on a tour of the now-famous crime scene. For the Jury, it will be their first look at the actual location. Of course, for OJ it'll be just a case of ‘been there, done that.’"
• It was revealed this week that defense lawyer Johnny Cochran once abused his first wife. In his defense, Cochran said. "At least I didn't kill her like some people I know."

And then there was of course, what is probably the most famous of all of Norm's OJ jokes which came after OJ was acquitted:

• "Well, it is finally official: Murder is legal in the state of California."

Those are just a few of the pieces of comedy gold Macdonald was bringing to the Update desk each week, often with the help of legendary SNL writer Jim Downey.

One Of The NBC Higher-Ups Who Was Friends With OJ, Wasn't Big On These Jokes

Not everyone was digging those jokes, and that included one guy who could do something about it. According to a Rolling Stone history of Norm's SNL firing, the head of NBC's West Coast Division, Don Ohlmeyer, wasn't big on the Juice jokes. In fact, he hated them because he was good buddies with OJ Simpson.

Now, think about this for a second: Weekend Update is a topical segment and OJ's trial was the biggest news story of the decade (maybe several other decades too). So what were Norm and Jim Downey supposed to do? Pretend it didn't happen?

Well, if they wanted to stay at SNL, probably. Ohlmeyer asked that both Macdonald and Downey be removed from the show. The brilliant (and underrated as an Update anchor) Colin Quinn took Norm's place.

Ohlmeyer was quoted in the 2002 book, Live From New York: An Uncensored Oral History of Saturday Night Live by Tom Shales and James Andrew Miller, as saying that his buddy-buddy relationship with OJ was not why Norm got the ax.

"My only concern was what I thought was best for the show," Ohlmeyer said. "I might be wrong or full of s--t, but it wasn’t like I had some political agenda. The OJ Simpson thing was over by this time."

Whatever the case, Norm took it in stride and was quoted in that same book.

"I always understood that Ohlmeyer could fire me because he was the guy that owned the cameras, so that didn’t bother me … I was always happy that SNL gave me a chance."

Norm returned to SNL as host in 1999, while Downey returned to the show's writing staff in 2000.

It would've taken a lot more than a firing to get Norm Macdonald to stop telling OJ Simpson jokes. (Photo by Gabe Ginsberg/Getty Images)

Norm Continued His OJ Joke-Telling Ways

However, if you thought this would deter Norm Macdonald from telling OJ Simpson jokes, you're not very familiar with Norm Macdonald.

Here's what he had ready to go when he hosted the 1998 ESPYs just months after being fired.

"And there's Charles Woodson, how about that? What a season he had," Norm began. "He became the first defensive player to win the Heisman Trophy. Congratulations, Charles, that is something no one can ever take away from you… unless you kill your wife and a waiter, in which case all bets are off."

However, there was some form of an olive branch from Norm to the Juice, and it came on his 2011 stand-up album and special, Me Doing Stand Up.

"As indignant as I was about his acquittal, I'm equally indignant about his going to prison for stealing his f---kin' own shirts," he said. "I don't think that's fair. I don't think if you steal your own shirts you should get 35 consecutive life sentences."

So, if you need a laugh today, I implore you to throw on some Norm — specifically his plethora of OJ jokes — and have a laugh.

Man, that guy is missed… Norm, I mean.