For this episode, we’re sharing a clip from the Quakers Today podcast featuring our recent guest, Keil Trois, who also uses the pseudonym Jeff Walburn. Hear Keil describe the creative campaign he organized with The Yes Men collective against the Mattel corporation.

In the summer of 2023, Keil and The Yes Men pulled an elaborate hoax on the media and the Mattel corporation, timed to coincide with the release of the popular Barbie movie. Together with environmental activist Daryl Hannah, they faked a widely published announcement that "Mattel intends to go 100 percent plastic-free by 2030 in all their toys. Mattel was forced to publicly clarify that this statement was false, inadvertently drawing attention to the environmental crisis wrought by plastic waste.

Through their artistic interventions, Keil and The Yes Men demonstrate how humor and disruption can drive conversations that inspire real-world change. Keil's work pushes boundaries to offer hope.

Guest Bio

Keil is a filmmaker and a core member of The Yes Men, an art-activism collective known for using creative interventions to tackle issues like climate change and corporate greed. He has collaborated with activist groups worldwide, blending creativity with direct action to inspire social change.

Dig Deeper

• Listen to the full Quakers Today episode featuring Keil, “Quakers and Barbie: How Lies Exposed the Truth About Plastic Pollution.”
• Read Friends Journal’s article on this story, “Speaking Lies to Power.”
• Explore the rest of The Yes Men’s hijinks.
• Learn more about this and other campaigns against Mattel conducted by the Barbie Liberation Organization.
• Find Keil Troisi on Instagram and Daryl Hannah on X.

The transcript for this episode is available on https://pendlehillseed.buzzsprout.com/
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The Seed is a project of Pendle Hill, a Quaker center open to all for Spirit-led learning, retreat, and community. We’re located in Wallingford, Pennsylvania, on the traditional territory of the Lenni-Lenape people.

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