Johnny Cochran's Headstone
Netlore Archive: Circulating via email: A photo purporting to show the headstone of famed lawyer Johnnie Cochran. The inscription reads: 'O.J. DID IT.'
Description: Viral image
Circulating since: April 2005
Status: Fake
Example:
Email contributed by John W., April 22, 2005:
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Subject: Cochran's Headstone  Click to Enlarge |
Analysis: Famed lawyer Johnnie Cochran, whose roster of celebrity clients included Michael Jackson, Rosa Parks, Sean "Puffy" Combs and, most notoriously, O.J. Simpson, died on March 29, 2005 at the age of 67.
The headstone you see in the image above is not Cochran's, however. For one thing, his first name is misspelled "Johnny" (Cochran spelled it "Johnnie"). For another, the "photo" was obviously created using a website called "The Original Tombstone Generator" (now defunct) which allowed users to add an inscription of their choice to a standard gravestone image (see screenshot at right).
The joke, for the benefit of those unlikely few who missed the celebrity trial of the '90s, plays on the opinion held by many that accused wife-murderer O.J. Simpson, though acquitted, was actually guilty and that Cochran, who headed up Simpson's defense team, must have known that even though he helped the former football star beat the rap in court.
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Sources and further reading:
Famed Attorney Johnnie Cochran Dead
CNN News obituary, 30 March 2005The Original Tombstone Generator
Website where you can create your own tombstone inscriptions and email them to friends
More Photo Fun:
The Urban Legends Slide Show
Dozens of weird, wacky images circulating via emailUL Image Quiz
Can you tell which images are fake and which are real?
Last updated: 04/29/05
