The Yes Men Fix the World

In the real world, the victims of the 1984 Union Carbide gas leak in Bhopal, India, were barely compensated by the negligent chemical company. An estimated 10,000 died, and another 150,000 were left with permanent injuries. But in the Yes Men’s fixed world, the victims receive generous compensation. For years now, the Yes Men have been pulling off pranks with a purpose‚ which include finagling their way onto the BBC, pretending to be a spokesman for Union Carbide and announcing that the company will pay the victims of Bhopal $12 billion. The hoax sent the chemical company’s stock plummeting. The comedic genius of the Yes Men is that they brilliantly—albeit temporarily—blur the lines between what is real and what is right.