Thursday, July 31, 2008

The Yes Men (2003)

The usual suspects have to speak of matters that they have no knowledge of like Michael Moore {later Greg Palast} making some comments about the WTO in the first 4 minutes of the film...
I have seen various stuff from the Yes Men on the web and while quite cute in their antics they seem to be nothing more than assholes. Taking the identity of someone else or the organization in any particular manner like they are doing just seems wrong on so many levels, especially the WTO. They really do nothing except a governing body to facilitate trade, which much of the developing world wants and needs. The Yes Men have a jaundiced view of the world that does not reflect the reality that they cavalierly mock. Including the fact that WTO is not and is never in the business of telling people what to do and what technology to use only the rules of the game to facilitate trade. What Dweebs..."This represents the World Trade Organization, this is the World Trade Organization" as they point out the ridiculous phallic suit printed in the paper. I guess maybe in their world that is what the WTO does but not in reality.
The title of Mr. Unruh's presentation is the "Future of Textiles
The Future of a Lifetime
and The Lifetime of the Future"

Interesting that they used scenes of The Birth of a Nation to depict the us Civil War.
The Yes Men created "www.GATT.org" as a parody website that looks identical to the real WTO website.

In spring 2001, the site received an email requesting the WTO to speak at a conference in Finland entitled: "Textiles of the Future".

Hank Hardy Unruh was born.


Filmmakers Chris Smith and Sarah Price (the production team behind American Movie) direct the bizarre documentary The Yes Men. The film follows Andy and Mike, two regular guys who pretended to be corporate bigwigs in order to expose powerful corporate evil doing and have a bit of fun in the process. In 1999, they created a parody of the World Trade Organization website that mocked the harshest ideas about globalization. However humorous its intent, the website earned them invitations to important business trade meetings around the world. Companies and organizations actually thought they were the real WTO. Andy and Mike played along, impersonating despicable executives in order to publicly humiliate them. The guys refer to their pranks as "identity correction." The Yes Men premiered at the 2003 Toronto International Film Festival and was shown as part of a special screening at the2004 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide

Warning: This product is intended for mature audiences only. It may contain violence, sexual content, drug abuse and/or strong language. You must be 17 or older to purchase it. By ordering this item you are certifying that you are at least 17 years of age. {Brief nudity of male genitalia.}

Theatrical Feature Running Time: 82 mins
The Yes Men (2003)
{Identity Correction-but whose interpretation of that identity?}


World Development Movement
Barry Coates???

The scene of lecturing to the college students after giving them McDonalds' products was quite funny. They had videos of how they envision a process of taking waste out of toilets and piping it to some Muslim country to sell as recycled burgers. Yes disgusting, especially considering that value menus 1,2,3, etc are based on the times recycled. They say that only 20% of the nutrients are retained and thus 80% is discarded. At least their idea for reducing the waste in the system is a novel approach.

I wonder why so much attention is given that they have no money to buy decent pair of shoes (plug for Salvation Army) but have enough to fly all over the world. And looking at their lectures they have like what appears to be 3 cameras and thus three camera crews. They seem to have money for that but not for a $30 pair of shoes??? Is that to show how we are so poor and fighting the Goliath "International Corporations"? Probably...

Australian Film Center
Strangely, we never do get to know the people that are interviewed and to what organization they belong. Seems a bit cynical that you present people that could just as easily have been plants in the fake conference.
In September 2003, the World Trade Organization had its Filth Ministerial meeting in Cancun Mexico. The talks collapsed when rich countries refused to stop pushing unfair and inappropriate free trade rules on poor countries. Rich countries have yet to adequately respond to increasingly urgent demands for reform.
That pretty much sums up their vacuous stance on the WTO. They don't want it to exist but then criticize when no progress is being made. Like the usual Libtard logic of damn if you do and damn if you don't. The latest rounds also collapsed and in some small way, I want to thank them for their obstructionist views. And of course just making shit up about an organization that they seem to know nothing about besides from talking points.

Special Features:
1. Deleted Scenes (Stupid shit mostly-like mannequin to drive in the carpool lane)
2. Other MGM movies
3. Commentary by the two actors and the 3 directors???

Derail Doha, Save the Climate Walden Bello | July 28, 2008

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