Notorious celebrity: Clarence Stowers

Very few people gain their 15 seconds of celebrity by refusing to give someone the finger, but Clarence Stowers did.

In 2005, Stowers was enjoying a pint frozen chocolate custard he bought at Kohl's Frozen Custard in Wilmington, NC, when he came upon part of a human index finger.

Understandably, he complained. It turned out that the finger belonged to a 23-year-old Kohl's employee who had it lopped off in a mixing machine accident. Management asked to have the finger in hopes that it could be re-attached by doctors. Local physicians also asked the same, but Stowers refused. Instead, he took home the partial digit and put it in his refrigerator for use as evidence in a lawsuit.

For fingers or limbs to be successfully re-attached surgically, the operation must be done within a few hours of an accident.

Many who read this story very likely wished they themselves could give Stowers the finger. Appearing below is a photo of the shop where the finger episode occurred.