Spoofing the WTO? Just say 'Yes'

"The Yes Men" is a bold documentary cataloguing a group of political and social dissidents that is taking over the World Trade Organization's identity, one phallic costume at a time.

And it all began with Bush - not your run-of-the-mill Ten Commandments shrubbery, but instead the force known as George Dubya.

The Yes Men got their start by parodying President Bush's campaign Web site and eventually establishing a site imitating the WTO, the world's leading organization governing corporate international trade.

The film follows the group on its ensuing nonconformist tomfoolery.

Directed by Dan Ollman, Sarah Price and Chris Smith, "The Yes Men" trails Andy Bichlbauer and Mike Bonnano on their hilarious and eye-opening mission to take on the WTO.

The Yes Men are credited with switching the voice boxes with Barbie dolls and G.I. Joes in toy stores across America and rigging the computer game SimCopter to depict gay male characters.

In the film, they begin combatting the WTO, which they argue perpetuates the poverty levels of Third World countries by giving them the sleight of hand in foreign trade.

When their parody of its Web site gets confused for the real deal, attracting businesses looking for speakers at their next conference, the Yes Men take the opportunity to impersonate WTO spokesmen to push their anti-globalization agenda.

Their mission: clarifying the identity of the WTO and revealing what the Yes Men believe are the true beliefs of the organization.

Their get-up: second-hand business suits, borrowed shoes and a blow-up phallic costume.

Their target: business and economic conferences and corporate meetings around the world.

They give a lecture at a college in Plattsburgh, N.Y., on the usefulness of recycling human waste to feed poor people in Third World countries. The lecture was complete with a video simulation.

They even get a spot on CNBC, folks. Hardly ever are they argued with or their credentials contested, a disconcerting fact.

The highlight of the film is when they introduce WTO's solution to management problems by revealing a blow-up phallic appendage equipped with a television screen, so that corporate big wigs can keep a close eye on their workers at all times.

In the end, the Yes Men pull out no stops to shock their surprised and unblinking audiences in this audacious documentary.

And, of course, what would a good political documentary be without some Michael Moore? The documentary guru makes a cameo in the film, gushing his usual blend of social and political criticism.

I leave you with the quote at the end of the film: "The future is bright for the Yes Men. The future of the world is a different story."

Contact the A&E Editor at artsdesk@unc.edu.