October 19: The Yes Men — those political activists and pranksters — have gained fame by impersonating corporate flacks and government bureaucrats. Their most recent headline-making prank was the Chamber of Commerce hoax, in which Andy Bichlbaum, a member of the Yes Men, posed as a Chamber of Commerce spokesman to announce a dramatic change in policy: The Chamber of Commerce was supporting climate change legislation. The real Chamber of Commerce spokesman stood up and yelled “This is fraudulent!” — but to no avail. Several news organizations, including Reuters, were taken in by the hoax.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://talkingpointsmemo.com/?p=136383