Cochran Enjoyed Influence on Pop Culture
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}His law practice was serious, but Johnnie L. Cochran Jr. (search) laughed with everyone else when he became a subject of parody and a pop culture fixture on TV and in movies.
After his O.J. Simpson (search) trial victory, it was almost impossible to escape Cochran references on television. A smooth-talking actor with a wide grin played him as the character Jackie Chiles on "Seinfeld." Whatever the case, Jackie's response was: "I am outraged!"
Cochran, who died of a brain tumor Tuesday at his Los Angeles home, became a TV star himself for a while with his own show on Court TV.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}In an episode of the raunchy Comedy Central cartoon "South Park (search)," a star-studded fund-raiser had to be held so the character Chef could raise $2 million to defend himself against Johnnie Cochran in a lawsuit brought by a record company. The Cochran character employs a nonsensical "Chewbacca defense."
Cochran, who died of a brain tumor Tuesday, was regularly impersonated by comedian Tim Meadows on NBC's Saturday Night Live. And comedian Chris Rock (search) uttered a Cochran line in 1998's "Lethal Weapon 4" when his character was arresting a suspect.
"You have the right to an attorney. If you get Johnnie Cochran, I'll kill you," Rock's character said.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Cochran thought the line was so funny, he quoted it in his biography.