Gawker: Fake New York Times

Fake New York Times Stunt Spawns Important Ideological Power Struggle

Hamilton Nolan — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 11:57:05 EST

The Fake New York Times that blanketed America last month was an impressive stunt. A vast coalition of liberal groups and assorted artistic types came together, worked for months, and managed to pull off the writing, production, and distribution of a faux newspaper without word leaking out beforehand. The general public was impressed. So how to put the cap on this classic work? With some good old-fashioned public ideological squabbling by those involved. It's just like the 1970s!

Is Greater Than has an interview with Anne Elizabeth Moore, who was involved in the paper's production but bailed out prior to distribution day due to ideological differences. It's interesting! It also includes the following complaints:

‘Cause the project turned out to be, ‘a couple guys in New York pulled some crazy prank,’ — that’s sort of inconsequential in my mind. At least as activism, although also as art. How does that shift any power structures or misconform to any notions of how the world operates?

A ton of stuff was cut — much of it the most engaged critical stuff. Maybe stuff that took on the Times too closely, out of fear, I don’t know. Perhaps coincidentally, most content by female contributors was cut.

I’d been really cautious from the beginning that my efforts — and the efforts of the many many people I brought on board this project — not be ultimately co-opted to further forward the brand of the Yes Men. I’ve personally had enough of my efforts going toward brand names I don’t actually believe in[.]

And so what happened, right, is that The Yes Men here first became the symbol that simply replaced the New York Times as the people in power. For a moment, the positions were reversed. Ho ho! It’s not the New York Times that has all the power, it’s these guys that look and act like the guys at the New York Times and live in the same city and have similar economic and racial and backgrounds. Which is a very disempowering way of thinking about power

Other than that (and more), it was great. [Is Greater Than]

The Cradle Of Civilization

Hamilton Nolan — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 14:21:00 EST

The Anti-Advertising Agency's Steve Lambert, a co-conspirator in yesterday's Fake New York Times, tells us where the idea for this year-in-the-making work of agitprop got started: "like all great ideas, in a bar."

Massive Liberal Conspiracy Behind Fake Times

Ryan Tate — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 23:06:16 EST

It's true, as we reported this morning, that the the liberal prank group The Yes Men was behind today's spoof left-utopian Times. But there were so many more commie pinkos involved in the plot! The cabal sent out a press release tonight, revealing that their ranks include the Yes Men, protest group Code Pink (which disrupted the Republican National Convention and fought Marine Corps recruiting), Improv Everywhere (they did that tear-jerking little league thing), Anti Advertising Agency (the ad-sticker people) and a few others we're less familiar with. They want to make the headlines come true! So cute. After the jump, read the press release and find out which of their claims is being disputed by the Times.

The Times is covering the prank on page C7 of tomorrow's paper. The newspaper seems to be taking the spoof issue in reasonably good humor, but does note that the pranksters' stated 1.2 million circulation is higher than that of the real Times and is otherwise " suspect, if only because of the printing costs that would be involved."

We bet the paper is going to look eerily prescient in July — for accurately predicting a 14-page Times print edition.

Might Spoofers Use A Fake Name?

Hamilton Nolan — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 16:50:24 EST

Confidential to Reuters and all others quoting "Bertha Suttner," alleged spokeswoman for the fake New York Times prankster group: Bertha Suttner was an Austrian pacifist and the first woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize, in 1905. Possible pseudonym alert.

The Official Times Spoofer Video Celebration

Hamilton Nolan — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 15:16:13 EST

The commie pinkos behind today's liberal fantasy spoof of the New York Times have released a video communiqué! It's basically a rundown of the printing and distribution and fabulous wonderment of the stunned populace as they considered a world free of bloodshed. The best part comes half way through: Actual NYT employee: "I don't understand what statement they're trying to make. We've been all over the Bush administration since day one. We set the standard for coverage of the Iraq war!" The faceless response: "Like Judith Miller?" NYT Guy: (turns around and leaves). Ha, they're both right! The video is below:

New York Times Special Edition Video News Release - Nov. 12, 2008 from H Schweppes on Vimeo.

[A more generous response from Alex S. Jones, a former Times reporter and author and Harvard professor: "I’m just glad someone thinks The New York Times print edition is worthy of an elaborate hoax." That is correct.]

The Fake Ads Of The Fake New York Times

Hamilton Nolan — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 13:04:22 EST

The actual stories in The Yes Men's fake issue of the New York Times today are a little too earnestly liberal to be funny, though they're still... nifty? (And look, we know earnest liberals are the easiest group to make fun of, even easier than religious psychos, but let's give them some props for pulling the whole thing off okay? Hope, etc.) But the fake ads they put throughout the issue are a little sharper. Dr. Z makes a cameo! After the jump, five of the best ad spoofs, that have corporate America tumbling down as we speak:

[The group that produced the paper put out a statement announcing their work this morning. It doesn't say that the Yes Men are responsible, but they are. And to the one guy who's already put a copy of the spoof issue on eBay for $199, good luck, you nut. People are going to be a little smarter after going through this.]