Improv Everywhere's Silly Mannequin Stunt Gets Everybody Arrested

Improv Everywhere

Improve Everywhere describes itself as a prank collective. You may remember seeing YouTube videos of them doing things like putting on a musical at a food court (okay, that kind of stretches the boundaries of "improv," though) and starting the annual No Pants Subway Ride, which some may enjoy for reasons having nothing to do with humor.

For their latest stunt, they got 40 people to dress up like mannequins to contribute to the modeling of fashions at The Gap on 5th Avenue in Manhattan. As their video shows, the shoppers look amused and not remotely afraid or concerned about folks wearing full body coverings to simulate looking like mannequins. Security was not as amused and called 911 over the pretend dummies. Then the police came and arrested everybody, providing a lovely image of pranksters dressed like mannequins face down on the floor all over the store.

Improv Everywhere reports a happy ending, however. Once the police found out what was going on, everybody was released and allowed to leave. The cynic in me wonders if the video cameras recording everything and the crowd that gathered to watch contributed to the peaceful conclusion to the incident.

Watch below. Wouldn't it be amusing to see a bunch of actors dressed like cops go into a clothing store and try to arrest actual mannequins? That stunt might not end quite as peacefully once the police showed.

Comments

[Paul.]

For their latest stunt, they got 40 people to dress up like mannequins to contribute to the modeling of fashions at The Gap on 5th Avenue in Manhattan

It's expensive living in New York, no?

Does this pranking thing really pay a good wage? Or do these people have regular jobs?

[Heroic Mulatto]

You could be one too!

[Fist of Etiquette]

LOYALTY DAY IS RUINED.

[Paul.]

No, loyalty day is affirmed!

[Heroic Mulatto]

As much as my burning rage for all things obnoxious flash mob has been ignited, fuck the police.

[Paul.]

The cynic in me wonders if the video cameras recording everything and the crowd that gathered to watch contributed to the peaceful conclusion to the incident.

No, cops will beat an unarmed man to death right in front of video cameras and get acquitted. The presence of video cameras has done nothing for accountability. This ended peacefully because the NYPD were in a good mood that day.

[Notorious G.K.C.]

Does the state anti-mask law apply here?

http://www.adirondackalmanack......nrest.html

[Paul.]

Good catch.

[Scruffy Nerfherder]

Rule 34

[Archduke von Pantsfan]

morons.

[mad.casual]

Dear Reason,

Please go back to running real stories about police brutality instead of lending credence to the phrase "Nothing to see here."

Thanks!

[mad.casual]

link derp: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/.....27769.html

[Scott S.]

We happily gutpunched our readers about this case two days ago: http://reason.com/blog/2014/04.....n-camera-c

[mad.casual]

Sorry Scott, didn't mean to say you didn't cover the previous story.

[Paul.]

Cancel your subscription?

[mad.casual]

When you pay too much for articles about trivial police brutality, you start ignoring articles about police brutality.

When you ignore articles about police brutality, you sympathize with others when they do the same.

When you sympathize with others about ignoring police brutality, you get disenfranchised with the advancing police state and complicit populace.

When you get disenfranchised with advancing police state and complicit populace you buy a cabin in the woods and begin justifying the advancing police state.

Don't justify the advancing police state. Get rid of trivial articles about police brutality...

[The Last American Hero]

I disagree. If the Feds spent $100k on cowboy poetry grants, it's not a big deal given the scope of the government, but it's still a waste. Should we only have articles involving 1 billion dollar plus boondoggles?

As with spending, the government needs to be hammered at all levels and all transgressions big and small until they reform their practices.

[prolefeed]

Devil's Advocate: if the store manager asked the mannequin-ish people to leave, and they refused, isn't that trespassing? Not seeing how this is unreasonable behavior, other than using store security instead of government police.

[Heroic Mulatto]

According to IE:

I figured there was a chance we'd get asked to leave, and I instructed the participants to leave the store if asked. (To prevent getting in trouble for trespassing.) The security guy didn't ask us to leave or even talk to any of the fake mannequins, he just went straight to calling 911.

This being NYC, I can believe they when straight to 911 being anything unusual now falls under the OMG! TERRORISTS DOING 9/11 x2 RIGHT HERE! RIGHT NOW! rubric.

[prolefeed]

Then that was totally dickish behavior by The Gap, which you would think would take a hit from potential customers pissed off at this stuff.

[Paul.]

Considering the people in the video, I'd guess they'd take a HUGE hit of potential sales.

[JW]

"The Great Mannequin Massacre of 2014."

[Paul.]

Well, to be fair, this does now sound like the perfect vector for terrorist attack.

Have a bunch of hipsters show up wearing tights, and everyone just looks and says, "Meh, it's just those Improv Everywhere douchebags.

*dirty nuke explodes*

[mad.casual]

It's every Hollywood heist scene from 'V for Vendetta' to 'The Thomas Crown Affair' and 'Oceans 11/12/13', you show up first hand and blow up Parliament or steal the artwork and walk away in complete anonymity thanks to a sea of nitwits or uniformed first responders all dressed like you.

[JD the elder]

A lot of people (not just in NYC) use 911 for pretty much everything, because any distinctions more subtle are just too much for their little brains. If it requires teh authoriteez, then they call 911.

[Roger Wilco]

"It was a good time! First time detained or arrested or having my civil rights trampled on or whatever you want to call it..."

Guess the bar is low in NYC... no beatings = a good time.

[Paul.]

I miss the time when New Yorkers looked like this.

Now I watch these videos, and everyone looks like this.

[Notorious G.K.C.]

Yo, I got your invidious comparisons right here!

[Paul.]

Is that you in there second picture?

Loafers with no socks and rolled up pants...

[Notorious G.K.C.]

You can tell it's not me because I carry a baguette and wear a red beret.

[Juice]

A lot of them still wear those painters caps though.

[Paul.]

My first and last time in New York was in the 80s. When a causal glance out of my window in the Bronx could easily catch random petty street crime. Is it wrong for me to miss those times? It probably is.

I think the Hipsters are just a side effect of mass prosperity.

I'll stop bitching.

[Juice]

You must love diehipster.com.

[Paul.]

I don't, because unlike my fellow Reason travelers, I don't subject myself to that which I don't care for. Like all those guys that pore over Jezebel articles (so I don't have to).

I'm mildly annoyed by hipsters-- but mostly for their contradictory political views. Their fashion sense is something that will definitely be laughed at, even by former hipsters in five years.

I also recognize that it may have to do with the fact that I find myself shaking my cane more and more often-- at everything. So dudes with product in their hair sporting messenger bags just seem like easy targets.