| main | build | media | thought | Yes Men Impersonate the WTO The following story comes from the good folks at ®TMark and the Yes Men. ®TMark is a legal corporation working for cultural profit instead of a monetary one. They bring international funding to guerilla campaigns with a variety of worthy targets. A recent spoof was the creation of Gatt.org. The GATT was the predecessor of the World Trade Organization and at first glance the website ®TMark created at the domain looks official. In early 2000, ®TMark transferred Gatt.org to a group of brilliant impostors known as The Yes Men. In May 2000, The Yes Men received an e-mail inviting Mike Moore, Director-General of the WTO, to discuss the WTO at a conference on international trade matters. The Yes Men decided to do the ethical thing... and to try their best to fulfill the request. In late October, one Dr. Andreas Bichlbauer--the substitute "Moore" decided to send--spoke at the conference. His lecture described the WTO's ideas and ultimate aims in terms that were horrifyingly stark--suggesting, for example, the replacement of inefficient democratic institutions like elections with private-sector solutions like an Internet startup selling votes to the highest corporate bidder. None of the lawyers in attendance expressed dismay at Dr. Bichlbauer's proposals. Apparently few in the audience could tell the difference between Bichlbauer's staged ravings and the WTO's usual "Free Trade Uber Alles" pitch. For the full story visit the Yes Men. Watch the video: What do you have to say? Last comment was added on Friday, September 27, 2002 Name: Your thoughts: Comments: Cheddarman says: Phenomenal work. Cheers! skepticTank says: Funny skit. True...not sure, but love the thought of it. god says: These guys are great!! My hat's off to them, and I hope they continue to disorient and confuse the corporate world. potz says: LMAO!!!!!! but it's not true... common look how cheap the video looks and the guy never interacts with anyone or even with the overhead. Not a single shot where he is talking to the audience Knighthawk AKA Sasatan AKA NINBoyDean says: yes, i agree with this wholeheartedly. WTO & WEF am homogay. selena moon says: Quite wonderful. Perhaps you should team up with Negativland to dis the WTO. el Nath says: Forget balls, the Yesmen have enormous ovaries. An excellent campaign. TC3 says: If that is a true story, then that is absolutely beautiful. Bravo, well done. Diwynter says: Steve Jackson games also put out an edition recently. Diwynter says: Hail Eris, eh? A discordian among the group? Interesting. If anyone cares, discordianism is an interesting philosophy that, at points, intersects with the stuff found around here. I'm not really a discordian, just well-informed. I'm sure if you google'd Discordianism you'd find some good sites, most listing the entirety of the Principa Discordia, the discordian "bible." VERY much worth a read. It's like the email address of the person who knows how to get a ticket for the clue bus. two down says: its like you disprove your mandate and all that it stands for same as below says: Seeing it another time you have me thinking you, Mr Yesman that you lost this as well in your impostering satire says: As a lwyer I am amazed - truly the line b/w reality and comedy is blurred. Wernt you just shitting bricks!!How did you have the balls to go on nowto says: can cul? YES! werdmvmnt says: this is what we should all be doing on one level or another. we need to create art that will inform the public, sell ideas, and deconstruct society and its culture... Lets begint o create with a fresh mind! sam sinister says: i wish i had such big balls... Danny Glix says: you motherfuckers are ingenious. Danny Glix says: you motherfuckers are ingenious. Lux Fruthor says: My hat is off to you Yes Men. Hail Eris aimphuck.com says: these guys are good, damn good. and yes they have enormous balls. chemlabs.net says: these guys are fucking great! wish I was there. kid koexist says: inspiring. as if MTV's Jackass went political. ;P dida says: brilliant absolutely brilliant gabe says: in short you guys have balls the size of church bells. Well done annonymouse says: The mother of all stunts. I can't believe there are people who had the balls to pull this off. decrepit says: It is brilliant stunts like this that will (in some small part) change the world.