reporter: only time will tell if steven slater turns into another howard beale, inspiring others to follow in his footsteps. steven slater just said, i m not taking it anymore. this is it, this is the last and that s why it s such a fantasy that people are glomming on to. it s like, oh, we wish we had that in us. to tell people off and just walk away, and take two beers. that s the important thing. he definitely exited in a grand fashion. he is a dramatic fellow. so i wouldn t expect any less of him. reporter: slater now faces up to seven years behind bars for his stand. but he didn t slide into notoriety without these parting words. it seems like something here has resonated with a few people, and that s kind of neat. reporter: i m andrea canning in new york. a lot of jokes going around about tguy f pe talking about there is a serious side. hay rart father recently passed away, his mother s blingce,