Saving the World One Prank at a TIme

Andy Bichlbaum and Mike Bonanno use these outrageous and courageous methods to expose and target companies who use catastrophes as pathway to profit, and well as those who ignore the impact of people outside America. Their pranks, while viewed as cruel, unmask these companies showing their true light. Bichlbaum and Bonanno analyze these market opportunities, demonstrating the possibilities in the process (brings to mind Erin Brockovich). It is easy to see why people view their methods as cruel—in giving false hope to the people who really suffer and have to deal with these hard issues everyday of their lives. This utilization of Jurgen Habermas’ Public Sphere demonstrates what can happen if a few people, or a lot of people, take action against the accepted way of life. With out too much difficulty, these two men managed to convince organizers of events (with impressive media coverage) that they were people holding positions of power, and to get their ideas out. Despite the fact they were usually found out rather quickly (with in a few hours), those hearing the talks got a glimpse of what life could be like if the companies that Birchbaum and Bonanno pretended to represent actually cared about more then their stockholders. If only this could be a reality.