Johnson was filmed making an awkward OJ Simpson reference on Wednesday as he struggled to put on a pair of gloves during a visit to a coronavirus vaccination centre.
As he struggled to put on gloves that were too small, Johnson compared himself to a former US football star OJ Simpson, who was acquitted in 1995 of the murder of his ex-wife and her friend.
118,000 deaths. Time for an OJ Simpson joke. pic.twitter.com/RVH3RZYMCv
— Phantom Power (@PhantomPower14) February 17, 2021
While some took Johnson’s comment as a distasteful, bad joke, others found it quite humorous. Social media filled with comments and reactions, triggering the trend of “OJ Simpson.”
If the glove don't fit? pic.twitter.com/jPffemlIEN
— A Confederacy of Dunces (@AConfedofDunces) February 17, 2021
Top top quality. Fair play pic.twitter.com/VzezseydgL
— Zach Coulson (@CoulsonZach) February 17, 2021
Lmfao 😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/JmAIWkCZca
— TheWolfPack 💙 (@TheWolfPack1876) February 17, 2021
— Daz 🇬🇧 (@Daz35908513) February 17, 2021
For someone who doesn't know how to comb his hair, don't ask for too much.
— Alex Spring (@AlexSpring17) February 17, 2021
Ha yeah lols, two innocent young people were murdered, the trial turned into a circus, so funny
— Omaira Gill (@OmairaGill) February 17, 2021
When OJ Simpson was on trial in 1995 for the murder of his former wife, part of his defence argued he couldn’t get his hands in a pair of gloves found at the scene because they were too small for him. This prompted Simpson’s lawyer to say:
“If it doesn’t fit, you must acquit.”
Many found the PM's joke to be in poor taste, given the rising death toll of Covid-19 patients in the country. As of 17 February the number of deaths of people who had had a positive test result for COVID-19 and died within 28 days of the first positive test, is close 119,000.
