The Yes Men
Submitted by ELLEN NGUYEN on Sat, 2005-01-01 08:00.
I love sticking it to "the man." Apparently, so does this group of activist-minded pranksters called the Yes Men. In this documentary, two of the members, Mike and Andy, have created a World Trade Organization parody website. Funny thing is, respected international groups have contacted the two via the website, thinking they're the real thing. The film follows a few of their exploits as the bogus WTO (assuming silly made-up names like Hank Hardy Unruh), making appearances on European finance television, at a couple of international conferences, and at a college lecture hall. One of the most hilarious moments features a golden bodysuit revealed under a velcro suit--the climactic moment of a conference in Finland--with a giant phallic appendage supporting an employee-monitoring device built into the, uh, head. What's at once funny and disturbing is that a lot of these people actually buy into their prank, taking the two very seriously. The film is profoundly disappointing proof that there are suits out there who are mind-boggingly stupid and gullible. But the duo's mission is to shed light on the faults of the WTO, who they portray as greedy and profit-minded, indifferent to the laborer's quality of life. The Yes Men is another grand moment in a landmark year for documentaries--reality film, if you will--with its blissfully ridiculous subversion: "the Man" has been "Punk'd," big time. Don't be afraid, just be more aware. login to post comments
