Comments on: BP doesn't like identity "correction"

BP doesn't like identity "correction"

falcon — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 02:05:08 -0800

Oh dear. Robert White at BP's Legal Department doesn't like the Yes Men's immaculately executed spoof of BP's corporate site. The Yes Men pursue the tactic of "agreeing their way into the fortified compounds of commerce", and their apology is most agreeable. Is humorous exposure of "monstrous crimes" more effective than its humorless exposure, or all a bit too subtle to be effective?

By: objet

objet — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 02:38:44 -0800

They do call themselves "The Yes Men" for a reason. Or...didn't that aspect of irony über alles sink in? Plausible deniability isn't plausible until it's deniable - so laugh it up, homeboys and homegirls. You want some Caffeine-Free Vegan Diet Coke with that entertainment?

By: loquacious

loquacious — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 02:53:54 -0800

I love those guys. It makes me wish I had a womb so I could bear their children. Such refined, redeemable snark.

By: cillit bang

cillit bang — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 02:54:07 -0800

Christ, that website is almost as funny as "has a small willy" Wikipedia edits.

By: farishta

farishta — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 03:04:30 -0800

A link to their brilliant documentary. Also, google video search results, which include smaller clips of the film. A great exxon hoax, as well.

By: DU

DU — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 04:25:06 -0800

Humorous exposure gains eyeballs, which is good. But it also provides a release¹ other than doing something about it, which is bad. ¹A laugh, a shrug and a what-r-ya-gonna-do-they-all-do-it.

By: A dead Quaker

A dead Quaker — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 04:44:04 -0800

There's nothing subtle about one of their older pranks involving a giant inflatable phallus (possibly NSFW).

By: poppo

poppo — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 04:49:49 -0800

Hmm let me search Metafilter for 'theyesmen.org'...Ah yes here we are

By: StickyCarpet

StickyCarpet — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 06:52:07 -0800

immaculately executed spoof Right down to displaying wrong because the background "white" uses a color that I've changed to something else in my Windows theme.

By: caddis

caddis — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 06:58:58 -0800

Hmm let me search Metafilter for 'theyesmen.org'...Ah yes here we are not a double though, so what is your point?

By: Artw

Artw — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 08:24:57 -0800

Heh. I built at least 2 versions of the BP site before that one, and worked quite extensively with the current one (which, IIRC, was originally bult by some guys from Sapient). Immaculately Executed? Looking at the souyrce it looks like they've pretty much just copied the code entirely and swapped out some text and images, which I guess is about as clever as the text and images you use. Weirdly they've even retained certain aspects of the horrible filestructure and the use of about 20 stylesheets per page...

By: fearfulsymmetry

fearfulsymmetry — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 10:26:36 -0800

Looking at the souyrce it looks like they've pretty much just copied the code entirely and swapped out some text and images, which I guess is about as clever as the text and images you use. Sue 'em!

By: spiderskull

spiderskull — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 10:41:34 -0800

Aren't they protected by fair use laws? I imagine you could make a fairly good satire argument here ("drag racing" under "Business Uses" should be adequate).

By: wemayfreeze

wemayfreeze — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 11:11:15 -0800

It's likely that they just used their tool of choice, Reamweaver.

By: stagewhisper

stagewhisper — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 14:33:54 -0800

I will have their children.

By: poppo

poppo — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 16:11:48 -0800

not a double though, so what is your point? To show you some other stuff from the same people. Or did you mean like, what is the point of my existence? Cuz I'm kind of iffy on that one.