Whisnant begins spreading news of the leg in the local media, calling himself “The Foot Man” and expressing his desire to create a roadside attraction using it.

When Whisnant learns of this, he refuses to turn the leg over and begins going on local radio to make fun of John and mock Tom's death.

Whisnant reveals that, as a child, his father was one of the few people in town not employed by Tom Wood's furniture business, and that he has always resented never being invited to birthday parties at John's house.

Whisnant's friends and family indicate that his desire to be a beloved celebrity stems from the severe physical and emotional abuse he suffered at the hands of his father.

Whisnant becomes obsessed with marketing himself to the local community as "The Foot Man", spending money on shirts, fliers, and other promotional merchandise for a business venture that doesn't exist yet.

His wife tells him that she is considering divorcing him due to his behavior; Whisnant retorts that he will be happy and productive once he is famous and has his own television show.

In 2014 he was arrested after employees saw him driving around a Wells Fargo brandishing a .38 revolver; he was later released into the care of a local hospital for unspecified reasons.

[5] Writing for RogerEbert.com, Nick Allen wrote "“Finders Keepers” succeeds with a staggering amount of empathy when its narrative focuses on more than a prized foot, and centers on two men experiencing life phenomenons bigger than them.