All hijinks... ever
These are projects carried out over the years by Yes Men and their activist partners. For the full, gory stories behind them, take a peek behind the curtain.
Fake websites
Because a so-called fake website started the Yes Men, we've made dozens more over the years. These websites represent our opponents more transparently than they ever present themselves—making these true websites, not fake! Also, whereas sinister people use trickery to get outcomes, we reveal hoaxes to mobilize.
Talks
These are the presentations we've made at corporate conferences over the years. For maximum effect, wear ill-fitting shoes and slouch in a folding chair as you click through them.
It's time once again for people to decide how the world ought to be, and to stop leaving decisions in the hands of the children with the most toys. Starting today, the Democratic Party is going to serve the people once again by fighting for what people need and want, and that therefore wins elections.
Associated Hijinks: DNC Takeback
Our entire panoply of defensive and security solutions to terrorism has collapsed, worthless! There is simply no imaginable answer to the terrorist threat within the paradigms of defense and security.
Associated Hijinks: A total terrorism solution for Europe
This was a victory, but we're sad, we're suffering from lawsuit withdrawal. This was the first and only time in 17 years of Yes Mennery that anyone has been muttonheaded enough to sue us.
Associated Hijinks: U.S. Chamber of Commerce Goes Green
Runaway climate change would mean mass migrations, famines, and death on a scale never witnessed before. Needless to say, that would be bad for business.
Associated Hijinks: U.S. Chamber of Commerce Goes Green
The British used mummies as fuel, a crime still keenly felt by Egyptologists. But the Vivoleum feedstock is UNprecious, and responds to the needs of a shrinking market with greater supply: the dance of capital appears in full flower.
Associated Hijinks: Exxon's climate-victim candles
So far what we've got: Good for business, bad for people. We now need a fourth phase: good for business—good for people. And the path to this, as any economist worth his salt will tell you, can be summed up in one word: stewardship.
Associated Hijinks: The WTO's "stewardry" solution for Africa
The Great Deluge was surely seen as a terrible catastrophe by Noah's contemporaries. Yet Noah seized the day, and at the end of that day, Noah found himself with a monopoly of the animals.
Associated Hijinks: Halliburton Solves Global Warming
A more complex case is IBM’s sale of technology to WWII Germany for use in identifying Jews. But no one can deny they were profitable, and although this issue remains a skeleton in the closet, in retrospect it is quite clearly golden.
Associated Hijinks: Dow's Golden Skeleton
Like literal children, citizens don't always want to be kept safe from "real life" things. Sometimes they struggle and scream against being kept safe, sometimes with ear-piercing shrieks that can make your skin crawl.
Associated Hijinks: The Web Police vs the Yes Men
With the use of this technology, a single hamburger, for example, can be eaten more than ten times, providing a cumulative total of three times the nutritional value of the original “fresh” hamburger.
Associated Hijinks: Let Them Eat Hamburger
By forcing the issue, the North not only committed a terrible injustice against the freedom of the South, but also deprived slavery of its natural development into remote labor.
Associated Hijinks: The WTO's Golden Phallus
Systemic Trade Barriers are the most insidious form of free-trade barrier. These are deep barriers, at the level of systems and structures, at the very core of the governments of most countries today....
Associated Hijinks: The WTO proposes the end of democracy
Videos
These are short videos revealing individual actions, or used within actions, or coming from actions. We've also made a few movies of varying lengths, including three feature-length, that tell complete stories.
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Behind the curtain
These are the secret stories of actions that Yes Men have been a part of—in all their complexity, and not as a movie or press release represented them. Be sure to check out the lessons we learned from these and other adventures; some might even be useful!
Photos
These are photos from various actions, usually in high-res.
Fake Press Releases
President Donald J. Trump Launches Initiative to Give Doctors a Real Voice OPENING AMERICA AGAIN | Issued on: May 13, 2020
Today, the White House Reopen America Task Force launched an exciting new initiative, DoctorsForOpeningAmerica.com, to give medical professionals a long-missing voice in supporting the President's plan to reopen America.
"So many doctors, nurses, and EMTs have…
Associated Hijinks: Doctors for Opening America
It was after we distributed these brochures (pdf) all over the Belfast Chamber of Commerce's "urban revitalization" conference that the Belfast City Council threatened to sue PPR and to involve the police.
Associated Hijinks: Belfast Gets Brilliant
The night before the announcement, a number of advertisements went up around Belfast. These, plus the brochure, were what got the City Council so dramatic.
Associated Hijinks: Belfast Gets Brilliant
For more about the below confrontation, please see our legal correspondence.
A piece that appeared the next morning in the Daily Mirror. For other press, please see announcement.
Image
Associated Hijinks: City Council's most excellent legal threat
On Enbridge website
Terminal 19 Miles of Line 3 Replacement Project Will Not Displace Duluth Businesses, Residents
October 28, 2019
Company presentation caused dismay among corporate and government leaders
DULUTH, MN - On Saturday, October 26, representatives of the Indigenous Pipeline Council (IPC) gave a presentation to local business and political leaders in Duluth. They claimed that the…
Associated Hijinks: "Fake" releases
Statement from Minnesotans for Line 3 About the IPC Plan for Duluth
On Saturday, representatives of the Indigenous Pipeline Council, a Native-led energy solutions company, gave a presentation to members of the Duluth business and political community. Some supporters of Minnesotans for Line 3 were in attendance.
The IPC described their plan to reroute the last 19 miles of the Line 3…
Associated Hijinks: "Fake" releases
On Indigenous Pipeline Council website
Peace Pipeline Signals New Era for Energy Transport
Duluth terminal segment a great leap forward in technology, justice
Duluth, MN — The Indigenous Pipeline Council has launched a promising new vision for the future of energy in America.
Before a rapt local audience on Saturday, the native-led IPC outlined plans to reroute the last 19 miles of…
Associated Hijinks: "Fake" releases
These "fake" releases were issued on Monday—but they weren't so much fake as upside-down, a representation of what companies like Enbridge routinely do, but in Native lands rather than a city like Duluth.
IPC release
Front group response
Enbridge response
Associated Hijinks: Peace Pipeline
CITY OF CAPE TOWN
1 OCTOBER 2019
STATEMENT BY THE EXECUTIVE MAYOR DAN PLATO
Executive Mayor Dan Plato denies apartheid link, announces sweeping new policy to address segregation
A misleading and slanderous protest in the Cape Town City Centre yesterday tried to link Mayor Dan Plato to the apartheid-era National Party. Today we announce a suite of major policy…
Associated Hijinks: Nats Never Die
Human Error Caused Unauthorized EP4 Leak
EP SECRETARIAT -- The EP Association wishes to apologize for confusion caused by a rough-draft Equator Principles 4 that was mistakenly sent yesterday to all Equator Principles Financial Institutions (EPFIs) and members of the press. It was the result of human error and misplaced hopefulness, and should not be construed as the final edition of the EP4…
Associated Hijinks: Yenning for a Coal-Free Future
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May 22, 2019
Mizuho Financial Group, Inc.
1-5-5 Otemachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
Mizuho and Other Banks Victimized by Environmentalist Hoax
TOKYO -- On Monday morning, a press release announced a new edition of the Equator Principles, the industry guidelines for environment and human rights compliance. However, this press release was fake, made to look like it was sent…
Associated Hijinks: Yenning for a Coal-Free Future
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Equator Principles 4 Released
Targeted Update Brings Noncompliance Accountability to Industry Guidelines on Human Rights and Climate Impact
May 21, 2019 | EP Secretariat | EP Association News
EP ASSOCIATION -- Following four phases of intensive stakeholder engagement, the Equator Principles Association is pleased to share the fourth iteration of the Equator Principles (EP4) …
Associated Hijinks: Yenning for a Coal-Free Future
Advisory: Hoax Letter Not from BlackRock CEO
Company Release - 1/16/2019 5:00 PM ET
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- On January 16, an unidentified party sent an email to the news media and several thousand BlackRock employees containing what looked like Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Laurence D. Fink’s Annual Letter to CEOs. This was in fact a hoax designed to confuse journalists and the…
Associated Hijinks: BlackRock Does the Right Thing
Larry Fink’s Letter to CEOs
"Purpose In Action"
Dear CEO,
At the start of each year, I have made it a tradition to write to you, the leaders of companies in which our clients are shareholders, to advocate governance practices that we believe will maximize long-term value creation. This year, while celebrating our 30th anniversary amid a turbulent market, I took time to reflect on new areas of…
Associated Hijinks: BlackRock Does the Right Thing
ERRATA
An earlier email from the Washington Post erroneously stated that President Trump has departed the Oval Office. We stand corrected (by ourselves, as well as dozens of Twitter users). This event in fact occurred three months and a half from now, possibly.
Sadly, many thousand print copies of the Post, hurriedly assembled in the wee hours, were distributed on the…
Associated Hijinks: Trump Is Over - If You Want It
BREAKING
The Washington Post has learned that at 5:15 a.m. today, Michael Richard Pence was sworn in as the 46th President of the United States.
It would seem that shortly before — perhaps at 3:15am, when a private helicopter was recorded departing the White House area — Donald John Trump abandoned the office of the President.
May 1, 2019 is sure to be remembered as one…
Associated Hijinks: Trump Is Over - If You Want It
Download this press release and more here
REFUGREENERGY Launches in Brussels: Migrants Legitimized as Power Source
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 3rd, 2017 (BRUSSELS) REFUGREENERGY, a green energy startup utilizing the power of refugees to fight climate change, successfully launched its public campaign in partnership with the city of Brussels on Saturday, September 30th, 2017. Outside of la…
Associated Hijinks: RefuGreenErgy
DNC LAUNCHES #DNCTakeBack TOWN HALLS TO HIGHLIGHT UNSEEN ASPECTS OF "BETTER DEAL"Medicare for all, tuition-free college, strong unions, and the end of corporate lobbying are among the progressive positions largely missed in last Monday's announcement. Join the conversation on Twitter at #DNCTakeBack
Official announcement video (longer highlights video coming tomorrow)
Announcement transcript,…
Associated Hijinks: DNC Takeback
NRA Denounces "Arm Everyone" Hoax
On June 22, an unidentified group of anti-gun "activists" sent out a fake press release claiming that the National Rifle Association was partnering with Smith & Wesson to distribute guns to inner-city victims of police violence, as a first step towards arming everyone in America.
This claim is completely fraudulent, as is the accompanying website, www.…
Associated Hijinks: NRA Shares the Safety
NRA and Smith & Wesson Partner to "Share the Safety"
Fairfax, Va.— American cities are hotbeds of crime, from gang violence to police brutality, but a major part of the problem is that the most vulnerable populations cannot afford to defend themselves. A new program from the National Rifle Association, in partnership with Smith & Wesson, seeks to change that.
Share the Safety is a…
Associated Hijinks: NRA Shares the Safety
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
UNODC Unveils Historic "4/20" Policy Redirect at UNGASS 2016
NEW YORK, 19 April 2016 - On the first day of the UN General Assembly Special Session (UNGASS) on the world drug problem, the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC) announced that they will adopt extensive reforms to their decision-making processes and encourage evidence-based drug policy that…
Associated Hijinks: UN Ends the War on Drugs
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
United Nations Denounces “4/20” Hoax Press Release
UN urges pot smokers to opt out of drug violence by home growing
NEW YORK - A hoax press release was sent out from the UN Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC) yesterday claiming that the United Nations General Assembly Special Session (UNGASS) on the world drug problem had been scheduled for April 19-21 in order to…
Associated Hijinks: UN Ends the War on Drugs
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Deplorable Prank Announcement Untrue
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Portland, Ore (May 19, 2014) -- A press release distributed by an unknown party and an announcement by the 2014 commencement speaker, both released today, contained false information regarding Reed College's divestment from fossil fuels. Reed College…
Associated Hijinks: Reed Divests
Divestment News Celebrated at Commencement Ceremony
Portland, OR (May 19, 2014) - Reed College's Board of Trustees approved with a majority vote a plan to divest its endowment of direct coal and oil industry investments and redirect funds to environmentally conscious investment managers and community owned renewable energy projects during a special meeting convened near the end of the academic…
Associated Hijinks: Reed Divests
This speech was presented on April 30, 2014 at the Homeland Security Congress (Crystal City Hilton, Arlington VA) by "Bana Slowhorse" of the Bureau of Indian Affairs (actually Gitz Crazyboy), just after the Department of Energy speech. It was followed by a "traditional" Indian circle dance.
I just want to say good morning and thank you for your time. I am Bana Slowhorse. I am the Director…
Associated Hijinks: Operation Second Thanks
This speech was presented on April 30, 2014 at the Homeland Security Congress (Crystal City Hilton, Arlington VA) by "Benedict Waterman," Undersecretary Of Policy Implemetation at the U.S. Department Of Energy. It was followed by "Bana Slowhorse's" speech.
Ladies and gentlemen, it is a great pleasure to be here, and to make this announcement here.
On behalf of the Department of Energy, I…
Associated Hijinks: Operation Second Thanks
Hollywood Interference Rejected By Russian Energy Company
Despite a celebrity setback, Gazprom is marching ahead with its "Year of Ecology" animal relocation program. Having successfully saved entire populations of reindeer, birds, and salmon, the newest phase involves relocating polar bears from endangered Arctic habitats to zoos worldwide, preserving them for future generations. "We are…
Associated Hijinks: The Gazprom/Shell Polar Partnership