…Exploring the role of the prankster as artist, activist and social observer and the significance of the prank in society.
From Charlie Todd of Improv Everywhere:
For our latest mission, over 1,000 people rode the subway without underwear or pants in New York City. Our annual No Pants Subway Ride has been a tradition for years, and we decided it was time to up the ante. Enjoy the video first and then go behind the scenes with our mission report and photos. (We have blurred out the private parts of all the riders but keep in mind it still might not be considered “safe for work.”)
From Charlie Todd of Improv Everywhere:
The 9th Annual No Pants Subway Ride went off without a hitch today in New York. It”s tough to count, but we”re guessing we had around 3,000 participants. Riders met at meeting points spread out all over the city and converged on Union Square. The high was 28 degrees. For more photos and videos as they are submitted, visit here.
Video from the Daily News:
http://player.ooyala.com/player.js?width=425&embedCode=tuOXk0MTo7GAlPvFn-t9f0QlmqrALRC9&height=238
Related links:
From Charlie Todd of Improv Everywhere:
The 9th Annual No Pants Subway Ride will take place on Sunday, January 10 in New York and cities around the world.
Last Year’s No Pants Subway Ride:
All are invited to participate. The event will take place at 3:00 PM on Sunday, January 10. Everything you need to know is now available. Please read this carefully!
Requirements for Participation
1) Willing to take pants off on subway
2) Able to keep a straight face about it
**This is a participatory event. Do not show up unless you plan to take your pants off.**
When: Sunday, January 10 at 3:00 PM, Sharp! (Over by around 5:30)
Where: Five meeting points spread out all over New York City.
Bring: A backpack and a metro card.
Wear: Normal winter clothes (hat, gloves, etc)
Facebook: You can RSVP to the Facebook Event
Details for New York
Details for other cities
Have fun!
Submitted by Charlie Todd of Improv Everywhere:
The 9th Annual No Pants! Subway Ride will take place on Sunday, January 10 in New York City. More info with the meeting point and start time will be posted to our site in early January. For now, save the date. You can RSVP on Facebook.
Once again we are encouraging folks in other cities around the world to stage their own No Pants rides on the same day. Here is the list of cities who participated last year. Anyone organizing a regional No Pants event should let us know by leaving a comment on this post along with all of the necessary details. In a few weeks we will publish a list of all participating cities along with links to any Facebook events. Groups have staged the event on trolleys, light rails, and buses in the past, so don”t let a lack of subway system stop you!
If you are unfamiliar with this tradition, you can read the history here: The No Pants Subway Ride.
Jumping the Snark
by Dave Gilson
Mother Jones
November/December 2009
In an age of Yes Men, flash mobs, birthers, and fake pundits, is the prank dead?
What’s a good prank worth? How about $2 billion? That’s how much Dow Chemical’s stock value dipped in just 23 minutes on the morning of December 3, 2004, after its spokesman went on the BBC to announce that the company would make amends for the 1984 Bhopal toxic-gas disaster “simply because it’s the right thing to do.” (Dow had acquired Union Carbide, the original owner of the Bhopal chemical plant, in 1999.) Within the hour, the flack was exposed as one of the Yes Men, a duo that’s spent the past decade perfecting the art of anti-corporate trickery. The feat cemented their reputation as the world’s preeminent political pranksters (a reputation they recently reaffirmed by pranking the US Chamber of Commerce). It also proved that a punch line can occasionally pack a real punch.
The Bhopal stunt kicks off the pair’s new film, The Yes Men Fix the World, the follow-up to their self-titled 2004 movie. But don’t let the puffed-up title fool you into thinking that the Yes Men believe their hijinks are actually making the world a better place. A better title would have been The Prank Is Dead. Continue reading “Jumping the Snark”