6 TV Shows With Crazy Real-Life Repercussions
3. South Park Inspired A Forensic Science Seminar
During its 21-season run, South Park has influenced much more than just other TV shows with its blend of sharp social commentary, crude animation, and even cruder humour.
During its second season, Trey Parker and Matt Stone introduced the world to the concept of the 'Chewbacca Defense' while lampooning Johnnie Cochran's nonsensical winning argument in the O.J. Simpson case, in the episode 'Chef Aid'.
The 'Chewbacca Defense' has since become a part of the vernacular in legal circles, used by journalists and commentators when describing courtroom arguments designed to deliberately confuse the jury. In 2005, forensic scientist Erin Kenneally and his colleague Anjali Swienton even presented this topic before the Florida State Court System in a seminar titled Poking the Wookie: The Chewbacca Defense in Digital Evidence Cases.
This isn't the only example of South Park's reach extended beyond the TV screen. The episode, Make Love Not Warcraft, for instance, went on to inspire a weapon in the MMO game itself when the Wrath of the Lich King expansion pack was released.