Whole Foods Invaded by Angry Yes Men Movie Audience

Photo on left courtesy Todd Goldman, right courtesy Jennifer MacFarlane

The team behind the Yes Men movie are doing a great job getting audiences at Film Forum to participate in direct-action stunts after the screenings. On Wednesday night organizers persuaded most people in the audience to head over to a nearby Chase bank and write political stuff on the sidewalk with coal—because JP Morgan Chase underwrites Massey Energy, which does a lot of mountaintop removal coal mining. Anyway, last night they kicked it up a notch.

Following the 8 p.m. screening, almost 150 audience members marched over to the Whole Foods on Houston Street to send a message to CEO John Mackey, who's outraged many with his conservative position on health care reform. The group was joined by five protesters ensconced in post-apocalyptic SurvivaBalls, which are described as "a self-contained living system—truly, a gated community for one. If you have a SurvivaBall, even if everyone else is dying, at least you can weather all storms."

Around 10:30, the moviegoers spread throughout the store. Then one of the Yes Men agents announced "a spill in the public health aisle," and everyone came together chanting an anti-Mackey song to the tune of "Hey Mickey." Sample lyric: "Hey Mackey, you’re a swine, you’re a swine you blow my mind, hey Mackey!" (The stunt was inspired by a similar action in Oakland.)

Security promptly escorted the SurvivaBall people out, and no arrests were made, unlike a recent gathering in Stuy Cove Park. Yes Men "secret agent" Joseph Huff-Hannon tells us audiences have been "flying into a rage after seeing the movie and want to vent on nearby corporate targets." Following tonight's 8 p.m. screening, Rev Billy will incite the crowd to unload on "one particularly blatant example of injustice" near Film Forum. So brace yourself, um...Chipotle?

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By John Del Signore in News on October 9, 2009 4:17 PM

Comments [rss]

Kevin

God, you people are way too cynical.

This is just silliness. They don't deserve scorn. : )

Bilwick

So from what I gather the "Yes Men" basically say "Yes" to the Cult of the State and the Sub-Cult of the Chosen One. Typical "satirists" of our time. Like Bill Maher, they see themselves as puckish free spitis, thumbing their noses at authority, when actually they're shills for statism.

Mr. Know-It-All

And you know none of these self-righteous jackasses would ever actually stop shopping at Whole Foods. It's just like buying carbon allowances for your SUV. You can put a salve on your conscience without actually having to inconvenience yourself by changing your behavior. Besides, where else would they get their anti-oxidant quinoa salad to recover after power yoga?

phyllisdean

I think they're protesting bedbugs... isn't that what they're dressed as? I am all for protesting bedbugs. Kudos, protesters! We'll destroy those bedbugs someday!

felixthecat2

Why is Chris Christie shopping at Whole Foods news?

NannyState

Because when he left, there was still food on the shelves.

upperwestsider

I want to know what the giant cheese balls/dumplings are filled with. Is it nice and cozy in there? If they fall over do they bounce, break open, or just roll around?

matty

I don't understand. They aren't protesting whole foods but they are at a whole foods and protesting?

INEFFECTIVE MESSAGE ALERT

upperwestsider

At first look, I thought they were dressed as giant fresh mozzarella cheeses.

Potty Boy

Or Chinese xiao long bao (dumplings)

upperwestsider

That too! Giant dumplings were my second thought.

NannyState

How much did they spend on 365 soda and Tofutti Cuties?

sj

Hard to know who is douchier, the protesters or regular whole foods customers.

Guest

What corporate bigwigs won't do for money.

ides_of_march

How does your boss pay you?

tsk_tsk_tsk

first off: the yes men aren't adolescents, you moron. and there's a difference between working for money and a greed so powerful it trumps human decency.

but people like you always seem to forget that, or conveniently ignore it. not everyone who earns money is greedy; not everyone who makes money would consciously screw other people over to make it.

what don't you get?