do it to it yes men

after viewing the yes men, i have a great appreciation for what these guys do and how they get away with it. I'm always up for a good pranks, but these guys take it to a new level. being able to impersonate the WTO, get invited to legitimate conferences, and talk about the most absurd ideas is a great concept and I'm thoroughly impressed with what they do. the first prank they pulled with the golden suit was unlike anything i had ever seen before. a lot of thought and preparation must have gone into creating the idea behind it. for them to do something like this must have taken a good deal of confidence and courage in themselves. I'm surprised at they way the crowd reacted or lack thereof. they didn't really seem to be that shocked when he ripped off his suit to reveal the surprise he had underneath. i know i would have started laughing hysterically. the prank speech about recycling hamburgers was even better than the first. they seemed so serious about their idea, but it was so far fetched that it was almost impossible to believe. even though the crowd was getting extremely upset and offensive, the guys maintained their composure quite well. how could these people honestly think that the two were serious with their plans to recycle hamburgers for people in third world countries? fortunately, the crowd did not appreciate anything that was being said and really took a stand for their opinions.

anyway, i thought the yes men was a good documentary. it wasn't the best film i have ever seen, but i thought they did an excellent job at showing their ideas and beliefs. I've got a lot of respect for these individuals and their boldness to be able to do the kind of things they do. for them to be able to stand up and mock the WTO and big business they way they do is quite awesome. these guys have definitely shown me that a key element to being a great filmmaker is to aim big. you can't settle for anything less than your best. you have to be bold and willing to get the best material at whatever cost (well, death and certain other things might be an exception). these guys have shown me that the possibilities are endless as long as you put everything you have into your project, and i think that is a great lesson to be learned. keep up the hard work yes men.

as for this tying into assignment #5, the guys in the yes men use film as a way of expressing their opinions as anti-corporate activists. there is a very strong political message in this film and our found footage recontextualizations have the ability to convey similar messages. we might not be able to attend conferences impersonating WTO members, but we can still show how we feel about certain issues through the medium of film. these guys have done a great job of delivering their message to people, and i hope to do the same with whatever topic i ultimately decide to focus on.