Andy Bichlbaum and Mike Bonanno are the Yes Men, who - according to Wikipedia - are culture jamming activists who practice what they call 'identity correction' by pretending to be powerful people and spokespersons for prominent organizations. (Actually their identity correction also applies to their real names - Bichlbaum and Bonanno are pseudonyms). They first came to light when their 2003 self-titled documentary was released which showed them pretending to be members of the World Trade Organisation, and now they are back to fill us in with what they have been up to in the last six years.
The film really should be titled The Yes Men Go To More Conferences Pretending To Be Important People, for that, essentially, is what it is. It seems that all it takes these days is a quirky name (their alter-egos include Jude Finisterra and Hank Hardy Unruh), a business card and a half-decent looking website, and conferences all over the world will be more than happy to give you a slot.
All starts well enough in Yes Men-world. They finaigle their way on to the BBC live news channel to give an interview pretending to be representatives of Dow Chemical, and offer to pay the long-contested billions of dollars that the people of Bhopal believe is theirs after the chemical spillage of 1985. The Dow stock loses 2 billion, the BBC is embarrassed. But in Bhopal victims hopes have been raised, albeit briefly, before crumbling again.
The Yes Men realise that their trickery may have unforeseen side effects and travel to India to meet with their victims. They do the same later when they pull a stunt about the victims of Hurricane Katrina. In both cases the victims applaud their tactics as a way of at least bringing attention to their plight, but if the film highlights anything it's just how much big companies are able to get away with in the light of, it has to be said, public apathy.
Sure the speeches are funny - at one global oil conference they pretend to launch a new candle made from deceased humans -but the point becomes increasingly fuzzy. Their final New York-based prank seems like a last resort, and they definitely do not live up to the promise of the title.
