THE YES MEN FIX THE WORLD.

David Courier (Senior programmer), Mike Bonanno, & Andy Bichlbaum

The Yes Men Fix the World? And all this time I thought it was the women.

In this rapidly CHANGING political climate and WEEK of history in the making, a film like THE YES MEN is certainly timely if not amazing in the 'gotcha for the good guys' sense. Fearless filmmakers and popular protagonists Mike Bonanno & Andy Bichlbaum create a brilliant dance of exposing corporate corruption. Giving the old concept of "candid camera" a whole new meaning, Mike and Andy perpetuate elaborate schemes to infiltrate company meetings and live BBC television to conduct their righteous mischief.

Their tactics range from holding companies accountable to creating farcical projects for gullible CEO's. On the 20th anniversary of the Bhopal disaster, they managed to get on the BBC, disguised as a spokesperson for Dow Chemical to announce that Dow was taking full responsibility and would be putting 12 billion dollars toward restitution. As the audience watches the sheer audacity of these two heroic characters, the scene takes the expected turn of, "uh oh, what now". The gradual reality sweeps the screen as the media begins to realize it was all a hoax. So the inevitable question came up during the Q & A....what about the people of Bhopal; weren't they angry and upset when all was said and done? Watching the film will tell all, but suffice it to say, after the initial and grand disappointment, the citizens of Bhopal were grateful to be in the news again after 20 years. And that maybe, just maybe someone would be listening.

I asked Mike and Andy where they watched the inauguration, and it turns out they were out on Main St., and just as mesmerized as the rest of us. I asked what they thought of Obama's speech. Andy said, "He gives us all the courage to fight for things." I concur and hope THE YES MEN continue that fight!

Other cool factoids:

• They were able to get clearance for everything in the film including Haliburton!
• Over 300 pieces of film were cleared in just a month and a half!
• When asked how they acquire credentials, they simply said, "We lie."
• Feeling their work was not yet complete, they created a fake (and VERY real looking) New York Times and distributed 100,000 copies all around New York City. Dated July 4th, 2009, the upper left hand box read, "All the news we hope to print, and the lead story reads, "War in Iraq Ends". You shoulda seen the look on people's faces as they took it all in.