It seemed like the centerpiece of every celebrity tipping stor
is a photo of the transaction receipt
with the celebrity's full name and account number on it.
If we fake the receipt, there's a chance
a nosy journalist could verify the transaction
and expose the fraud.
So if we really wanted it to appear real,
We'd have to use a bank card that was owned by someone
with the same name as our celebrity.
So I started calling every Michael Richards
listed the local white pages to ask for permission
to borrow their bank card for a one-time transaction
they'd be fully reimbursed for.
...and for--
- But unfortunately, none of them would help me out.
Ok--hello? Mr. Richards?
For a moment, I thought I was all out of options,
but then it occurred to me that if we could find someone
who was willing to temporarily change their legal name
to Michael Richards, we'd be able
to open up a bank account on their behalf
and get the debit card we neede to make the transaction real.
And after posting several ads, we finally got a response.
- So can I ask why you wanna change your name?
- I've been Paul for a long time.
Since I was a kid, uh, I think probably five.
Um...
my family started calling me by my middle name
and it just stuck. - So you just wanted
to be Paul Holmes? - Yeah.
- Okay, for this project, I'm willing to pay you...
- Mm-hmm. - To change your name
to Michael Richards. - Okay.
[laughs] Why?
- We're trying to make it seem like a man by that name
left a big tip at a restaurant.
- Okay. - And...
for that I'd be willing to pay you $1,000.
[lightly chuckles]
Uh, what's going through my brain right now
is the huge pain in the ass this is.
You know? Uh...
and I'm thinking if $1,000 is worth it.
Um...
I mean, is this a yard sale?
Can I counter offer with some money?
- What amount do you feel comfortable with?
- 14's in my head. I like it.
Uh, you can counter offer with 12.
Whatever man, you know? Give me anything over 1,000
and I'll think that I win.
- So, like, $1,001? - Mm-hmm.
- You'd be happy with that? - Yeah, sure.
- Okay. So, she we do $1,001?
- Sure. Yes.
- I mean, is that-- - Mm-hmm.
- As long as you're happy. - I am happy.
- I just wanna make sure you're happy with that.
- Mm-hmm.
- Okay, well, it was great negotiating with you.
- Yeah, good. I'm an easy negotiator, man.
- Yeah, great. - Yeah.
- Well thank you. - Absolutely.
- After settling on an amount that we are both
happy with, I had Paul fill out the legal paperwork
that was required to begin the name change process.
But that's when I realize we had a big problem.
To complete a name change in California,
you're legally obligated to publically announce the change
in a newspaper of general circulation
for four weeks in a row.
If anyone suspected that the Michael Richards tip was fake,
finding this name change in the paper
would be their smoking gun.
I tried calling my legal adviso Judge Anthony Filosa
to see if there was any way around this.
You have to publish it?
You can't just change your name secretly?
- But unfortunately, there wasn't.
So I felt like the only way to do this
while maintaining our secrecy was by creating a newspaper
that no one would ever read.
My hope was that by calling it "The Diarrhea Times,"
no one would ever want to pick it up,
but to ensure our publication seemed legitimate to the courts
I rented us an office space in a media building downtown
and hired a professional ghost writer named
Austin Bowers-- who once wrote me an entire boo
in less than a week, to serve as the paper's
Editor-in-Chief.
You ever been the editor of a newspaper before?
- Nope, this'll be the first time.
- The paper would obviously need content
and it seemed like Austin had a big vision.
- Um...definitely wanna include lots of topics:
um, business, arts, politics.
Draw lots of people in and they'll come.
They'll read. They'll share.
- Right? Just make sure there's a section
for name change announcements? Okay?
- Right.
Austin walked me through the rest of the paper
which included articles on entertainment,
current events, and even a section
for political cartoons that he drew himself.
That supposed to be Donald Trump?
- Yes. - And after including the name
change announcement in the bottom corner of page three,
next to an op-ed about "Zelda Symphony,"
the first issue was ready to print.
So you're gonna start working on the next issue?
- Yes. - Okay, awesome.
So after receiving thousands of copies back from the printer
we circulated our inaugural issue of "The Diarrhea Times"
to the dozens of distribution partners
we had set up around L.A. County.
Meeting the minimum requirement to be recognized by the courts
as a legitimate publication.
Since California law dictates the name change be published
for four weeks in a row, over the next month,
Austin wrote three more issues
with the name change announcement in each
that were made publically available to L.A. residents.
So with all the legal requirements now met,
Robert Paul Holmes was given a date to appear
at the L.A. Superior Courthouse where his name change
to Michael Richards was approved.
- Here I am. I am officially Michael Richards.
Which is...weird and...
again, I'm not relating to it that much, but...
time will tell, I guess.
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