Still hoaxing Big America

IT RESEMBLES a strange Kumbaya circle, made stranger by the people it involves – defence contractors at the United States Homeland Security Congress.

They link arms, smile goofily beneath special headbands and sing a bogus Native American song about peace, love, and renewable energy.

It’s the final scene of the documentary The Yes Men Are Revolting, and Mike Bonnano (not his real name) says it’s the one he’s most proud of in his 20 years as an activist prankster because it showed how he could make a practical difference.

As the Yes Men, Bonnano (real name, Igor Vamos) and his partner Jacques Servin – who goes under the name Andy Bichlbaum – the pair stage outrageous and hilarious hoaxes as a personal campaign against corporate greed. They’ve impersonated spokesmen for McDonald’s, the World Trade Organisation and Dow Chemicals (often accompanied by false corporate websites) for their previous outings, The Yes Men and The Yes Men Fix the World. The Yes Men Are Revolting is no different.

This time they’re a bit older and juggling family and work commitments with their utopian ambitions of world peace. The focus now is primarily about climate change but also the wider picture of what can be achieved when people are willing to accept change for the better.

After the singing and handholding finishes, an executive from Northrop Grumman, a US defence technology company worth more than US$30 billion ($41b), says he’s excited to get on board with the renewable energy plan pitched by Bichlbaum, parading as an official from the Department of Energy.

‘‘It is an idea that right now holds the potential salvation of the entire planet,’’ Bonanno says about the energy plan.

Speaking about the unlikely handholders, he says ‘‘surprisingly enough, most people are not egomaniacally insane’’.

‘‘If they’re given the opportunity to do what they believe in their hearts is the right thing, they go with it… getting defence contractors to dance for renewable energy will change the world.’’ Or at least, it’s a step in the right direction.

After 20 years, the Yes Men say they don’t know when they’ll stop, but it won’t be anytime soon. There is still a lot to achieve and they are in the process of passing the flame to others keen to make a difference.

The Yes men have set up the Action Switchboard, a place where activists can meet, collaborate and set practical goals with real action plans.

Bonanno says he doesn’t know whether the voice of The Yes Men would have been louder or heard further if the pair had employed more conventional methods of protest.

‘‘Conventional pathways for activism are conventional because they have worked in the past, so you can’t discount their power…we don’t call our methods better than any other method.’’

And everything they do is partially by accident, he says. ‘‘It’s not the way most people protest but it’s our way to say no to corporate greed.’’

The Occupy Wall Street mass protest resonated with The Yes Men and it helped reignite their passion.

But mass protests are not always possible or practical and that’s where smaller and more calculated methods for change play a part.

Sometimes it will involve a wig and a well-researched character from the Department of Energy announcing a new plan for renewable energy.

Or sometimes it will take a group of people who want to make a difference, meeting on an online forum to share ideas and outline an achievable plan.

Bonanno says The Yes Men draw on the methods and experiences of other activists and protesters, including those in New Zealand.

‘‘There’s quite a great activist history among New Zealanders.’’