The phrase Chewbacca Defense is satirical term for legal strategy which relies on overwhelming listeners with clever-sounding (yet irrelevant) arguments to confuse them into failing to properly evaluate opposing arguments and reject them.
The term is used on many weblogs and Internet discussion forumss, especially ones that often feature legal issues. Slashdot is one such example, where the Chewbacca Defense has been occasionally mentioned in discussion of legal affairs where the poster feels the legal arguments make no sense. At present time the most common targets are Microsoft, SCO, and the RIAA. (See [1],
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The term originated in the animated TV series South Park episode "Chef Aid", premiered October 7, 1998 (14th episode of second season). In typically poignant South Park style the episode satirizes (real life) lawyer Johnnie Cochran, who defended O. J. Simpson during his murder trial.
In particular, the episode makes reference to a famous bit of sloganeering by Cochran in the Simpson trial, where he repeatedly stated to the court in his closing statement, "If the glove doesn't fit, you must acquit!" (The glove was a piece of evidence in the trial supposedly worn by the murderer as he committed the crimes.)
In the episode, Cochran defends a record company against copyright violation charges by Chef - that (fictional) song "Stinky Britches" by Alanis Morissette was in fact written by him earlier, a claim which is made obvious (to the viewer at least) by abundant evidence. In return Cochran uses his "famous" Chewbacca Defense, which he "used during the Simpson trial".
- ''Ladies and gentlemen of the supposed jury, Chef's attorney would certainly want you to believe that his client wrote "Stinky Britches" ten years ago. And they make a good case. Hell, I almost felt pity myself!
- But ladies and gentlemen of this supposed jury, I have one final thing I want you to consider. Chewbacca is a Wookiee from the planet Kashyyyk, but Chewbacca lives on the planet Endor. Now, think about that. That does not make sense! Why would a Wookiee - an eight foot tall Wookiee - want to live on Endor with a bunch of two foot tall Ewoks? That does not make sense!
- What does that have to do with this case? Nothing. Ladies and gentlemen, it has nothing to do with this case! It does not make sense!
- Look at me, I'm a lawyer defending a major record company, and I'm talkin' about Chewbacca. Does that make sense? Ladies and gentlemen, I am not making any sense. None of this makes sense.
- And so you have to remember, when you're in that jury room deliberating and conjugating the Emancipation Proclamation... does it make sense? No! Ladies and gentlemen of this supposed jury, it does not make sense.
- None of this makes sense.
- If Chewbacca lives on Endor, you must acquit! The defense rests.
Cochran's use of this defense is successful to the extent that the jury finds Chef guilty for "harassing a major record label", with punishment being either 2 million dollars fine to be paid within 24 hours or, failing that, 8 million years in prison. Ultimately, a Chef Aid benefit to raise money for Chef is organized, featuring his old showbiz friends—Elton John, Ozzy Osbourne and others (the real-life artists recorded songs for the episode and accompanying album)—and Johnnie Cochran, after a change of heart, uses the Chewbacca defense to acquit Chef and make the record company acknowledge his authorship.
It is worth noting that in Star Wars, Chewbacca does not in fact live on Endor (which is a moon, and not a planet), although in early drafts of Return of the Jedi, the second Death Star was built in orbit around Kashyyyk, the tree-covered planet of the Wookies, not Endor, the tree-covered moon of the Ewoks.
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