Nathan Fielder Tells Kimmel He Could Face 6 Months In Jail Because Of 'Dumb Starbucks'
On Monday it was revealed that prankster Nathan Fielder was behind "Dumb Starbucks" as part of his Comedy Central show "Nathan For You."
While the real Starbucks was not so happy with "Dumb Starbucks," it ended up being the health department that eventually shut down the coffee shop that was giving out free coffee and pastries from a grocery store.
Fielder appeared on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" last night to set the record straight about "Dumb Starbucks."
"Yesterday I did a press conference to talk to the media, meanwhile - and this is totally real - the health department came at that exact moment and shut us down for selling coffee without a health permit," Fielder explained to Kimmel.
Fielder continued, "What they don't understand is that legally, we are an art gallery and the coffee we are selling is considered the art, and galleries don't need health permits. Also, by not having the health permits and saving those fees, we are able to pass on those savings to the customer. It is the same price as Starbucks because we feel we have a brand that is just as solid and our coffee is just as good."
And despite Starbucks saying "they can't use our name" because "it's a protected trademark," Fielder insists he didn't do anything wrong.
"Starbucks did say some things in the news and to media outlets that weren't so positive about this, it is fine and I am operating 100 percent legally using parody law," says the comedian, who has pulled stunts like this before.
"We have to deal with the health board right now, we had to meet with them today," he explained deadpan. "I really just found this out that the penalty is up to six months in jail - so we are trying to be very nice to them."
It is unlikely Fielder will actually be locked up for the joke, which Comedy Central lawyers described as "protected free expression" not trademark infringement against Starbucks.
As for why he decided to open "Dumb Starbucks" in the first place, Fielder told Kimmel: "I have a business background I have always wanted to open my own business. On my show, I usually help people think out of the box and open their own business, and this one was kind of so good that I wanted a piece of the action myself."
Watch the full, deadpan interview below: