The News Record

Issue date: 10/22/07 Section: News

Media Credit: Romana Fernandes

Mike Bonanno, from The Yes Men - an activist group that impersonates people in power and corporations who they believe cause public harm- gave a presentation at MainStreet Cinema on Wednesday Oct. 17. The event was sponsored by the University of Cincinnati Student Activities and Leadership Development and the School of Design Architecture Art and Planning.

"The Yes Men expose the ways the developed world exploits the third world in their trade practices and how unfair global trade is, particularly the World Trade Organization," said Un Kyong Ho, Diversity Education Program Coordinator of UC Student Activities and Leadership Development.

The Yes Men also impersonate the Bush Campaign and the Dow Chemical Corporation. They target any leader or corporation they believe to be money-hungry, putting making money ahead of the welfare of the public.

There are two main leaders of The Yes Men, Mike Bonanno and Andy Bichlbaum, although they are accompanied by a slew of group members.

Bonanno showed videos of their exploits and answered any questions that the audience had.

A Union Carbide plant leaked a deadly gas in Bhopal, India in 1984. Many people died, and many people are still living with the effects of the deadly gas. The area still hasn't been properly cleaned up. according to the video Bonanno showed.

In 2001, Dow Chemical purchased Union Carbide, which includes the plant that leaked the gas in Bhopal. Dow has refused to clean up the mess the leak left and help the victims.

The Yes Men made a fake Dow Web site pretending to be them, saying they were going to clean up the mess the leak made. The BBC World TV came across the site and believed that it was really Dow and contacted the site for comment. Bichlbaum went on BBC World TV pretending to be a Dow Spokesman and said Dow was going to compensate the victims of Bhopal and clean up the mess. The story aired all across the nation, and Bonanno showed the clip at the presentation.

In addition to the Yes Men, Mike Bonanno, also known as Igor Vamos, is a professor of video and media arts at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York.

"Some people consider it art, some people consider it political activism," said Ryan Mulligan, foundations coordinator and visiting assistant professor of the school of art at DAAP. "Students need to learn about options that exist in the world. The Yes Men are very accessible in what they do, they are controversial and funny, a good-natured protest."

Continued...

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