George Clooney Has Been Kidnapped!!! (not)

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Stolen cardboard Clooney cutout sparks ransom situation with anonymous prankster and Indiana eatery

Owner embracing prank, but still misses Clooney

Shannon Samson , TheIndyChannel.com Staff
4:26 AM, Oct 14, 2014

16 mins ago



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INDIANAPOLIS - An Indianapolis restaurant owner is the target of some mischief that involves a recently married star.
Roger Upchurch opened Barrio Taco & Tequila Bar roughly three months ago in a northeast-side shopping center on 96th Street.
Soon after, premium tequila company "Casamigos" sent him a promotional cutout of one of the brand's owners: George Clooney.
Upchurch displayed the actor's likeness in the front of the restaurant where everyone could see it.
"Women loved taking pictures with it," Upchurch said. "I would have loved to exploit that a little more."
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But the fun stopped Sept. 16.
During a charity event that night at Barrio Taco, attended by some 200 people, someone stole the Clooney cutout, apparently walking right out the front door with it.
Two days later, a ransom note appeared on the restaurant's Facebook page, which said, "We have George Cardboard Clooney. Ransom: 10 Free Margaritas at Barrio Taco and Tequila Bar."
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Then, "Cardboard George Clooney" got his own Facebook page, which showed a photo of him at an outdoor event with one of his captors holding a drink and a pink flamingo.
"I thought it was pretty funny," Upchurch said. "We'll pay the ransom as long as we know he's safe."
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Upchurch said the prank has been good for business, bringing traffic to his Facebook page and the restaurant itself.
He denies that it is a publicity stunt he orchestrated, although he said it may have been an inside job.
Upchurch said a friend of one of his employees is on the short list of suspects.

OK, can we smell a publicity stunt here?

Absolutely!  Jump on George's coattails!

I think it was a cool idea and cheap publicity.