They hoaxed the BBC, stunned Bhopal gas victims and received widespread condemnation for playing a cruel joke on sufferers. But Andy and Mike, who went on air on the 20th anniversary of the tragedy to announce that Dow would pay £12 billion compensation to victims, are unrepentant. By even generating false hopes, they believe their intervention was successful. The anniversary would have passed off without any media attention in America, they maintain. The hoax “focused so much attention on Bhopal and Dow’s attitude that it was worth it”, they insist. In London to promote their forthcoming film Yes Men, Jude Finistera alias Andy Bichlbaum, who gave the interview to BBC as a Dow official, told The Observer: "We thought it would take Dow maybe five or 10 minutes to respond. I actually thought I'd be pulled off the air during my speech. But two hours? I mean come on." His associate Mike Bonanno chipped in: "So it was their (Dow) fault in a way. They should have retracted immediately." The duo admit they felt guilty for a few days after pulling off the stunt. "It was a dreadful four or five days. Not sleeping, feeling guilty as hell. I kept wishing it would just blow over," Andy acknowledged. But the Yes Men’s present belligerence comes from the emails and messages of support they claim they received from all over, including Bhopal activists. It's no surprise, therefore, that the furore has not dimmed their enthusiasm for wreaking confusion and embarrassment. "We both had grandparents who died in the Holocaust so we share a suspicion of power and a healthy fear of the places it can lead to if the powerful are left unchecked," said Bichlbaum. Their goal, they claim, is "to make the world a better and fairer place". |
