It has been two days since Staten Island’s Juan Rodriguez stripped naked at an Obama rally in Philadelphia for a chance at the one million dollars being offered by British billionaire Alki David. It is uncontested that Rodriguez fulfilled the requirements of being naked; of writing the name of David’s web-cam website, battlecam.com, on his chest; and of shouting “battlecam.com!” six times. But David is apparently unsure that Rodriguez fulfilled two other requirements of the challenge: that the streaker be within earshot and eyesight of Obama.
“It’s still not confirmed,” David, 42, told the Daily News on Monday. “Whether he was in earshot and eyesight of the President is what’s being debated right now.”
He said it was not clear if Obama even noticed Rodriguez dashing through the massive outdoor crowd in his birthday suit with the name of David’s website, Battlecam.com, written on his chest.
If David decides that Rodriguez doesn’t qualify for the money on these technicalities, it will truly be a great injustice. Witness the humiliation that Rodriguez went through on Sunday, all so he could feed his family and get his sister that expensive operation she needs, obviously:
The man stripped naked and ran around in a crowd of strangers. As he was curled in the prone position awaiting his arrest, some random dude decided to put his boot on his head for no real reason. He was arrested and charged with “indecent exposure, public lewdness and disorderly conduct.” To pile on the embarrassment, Rodriguez’s penis size was mocked by David in the Post:
David said the stunt … represented no actual criticism or threat to the president.
And after all that, and the best publicity that battlecam.com has ever received, David is thinking of withholding the money because he’s not totally sure that, technically, the president ever saw or heard Rodriguez. Don’t “eyeshot” and “earshot” simply signify the potential to be seen or heard, anyway? Seriously, David, just give the man his prize. Don’t nitpick your way out of this. You already have the wealth and accent of a Bond villain. You don’t need the cruelty of one as well.
Fortune streaker [NYP]
Staten Island man Juan Rodriguez may not get ‘reward’ for streaking in front of President Obama [NYDN]
