Improv Everywhere welcomes strangers arriving at JFK airport

File under I love the human race: Improv Everywhere welcomes strangers arriving at JFK airport. (Via Laughing Squid)

More photos and information about the project: Improv Everywhere welcomes strangers arriving at JFK airport

Mark Frauenfelder is the founder of Boing Boing and the editor-in-chief of MAKE and Cool Tools. Twitter: @frauenfelder. Come and hear Mark speak at the ALA conference in Chicago on July 1.

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morcheeba

When I’d meet my parents at the airport, I’d bring a sign for someone else.. someone famous but slightly obscure, so people deboarding would think “was Kofi Annan really on my plane?” or “how did I miss J.K. Rowling?!!”
jamie

Initial I was put off by the advert at the end, but shortly thereafter I found myself buying a bottle of Absolut.

Having drunk said bottle, I really don’t care any more.
finisterre

This is cool an everything. But did anyone else suffer a (vodka) sour after taste when they got to the end? I don’t think improv and advertising campaigns are really compatible.
TheMostHorrible

Damned spell check. I can’t tell you how many times I have accidentally typed “improve comedy.”
Jackasimov

Something about Improve Everywhere bugs the crap out of me as well, #6. I can’t quite place it. I think it may be the doglike follow-along-with-the-fun mentality of the improvers or something like that. Strikes me as a bunch of b-types following an a-type on his dream to bring joy and happiness (through other people’s discomfort usually – think Bennigans when they gather around the table to sing you there version of Happy Birthday) to the masses.

I’m glad for them, honestly, if that’s what turns you on. But I like it a whole lot more a concept that in execution. Too much smiling. Too much back patting. Leave me alone or I’ll poke you with my umbrelly.
oscar

Improv Everywhere hate? Wow, I’m amazed. I can understand that the “best gig” was both the best and worst thing that happened to that band (See #8), but I think their pranks as a whole are funny and charming.
morcheeba

Yeah, the vodka ad left a sour taste in my mouth, too. In an absolut world, there would be no drunk drivers and no alcoholics.
alphagirl

I’ve been a fan of IE for a long time, and they really do bring joy to my heart most of the time. The difference between them and regular pranksters is that the intent is rarely to make a fool of anyone (except perhaps themselves), but rather to bring something unusual or downright extraordinary to folks’ quotidian routines. This was no exception, although not my fav by far. Regardless, Bravi tutti!
adamnvillani

Wow, that dude does look like Emmit Smith.

Just a nitpick, but what if somebody isn’t returning to New York? Most of the signs are welcoming the person back, but what if they’re in New York on a business trip?
SamF

Improve everywhere? I thought it was Improv.
Anonymous

From someone who works in the international arrivals hall at JFK…..Very Cool
dwotshea

I believe you’re correct, however, can’t it be both? Don’t their spontaneous acts of Improv improve our lives?
Spherical Time

You know, the best thing about IE is that they don’t do anything cruel. Everything they do is usually fairly spectacular and always seems to make people smile.

Unlike some groups and individuals that might make people really uncomfortable or fearful.
Faustus

Wow Dwotshea, that’s pretty deep.
jennybean42

Good thing it was JFK and not Logan.
ChrisGiarmo

i can’t stand improv everywhere. they’re just organized public pranksters. i’d be hard pressed to find how their actions improve anyone’s lives more than the latest, greatest youtube video.
- Antinous
  
  they’re just organized public pranksters
  
  Um, yeah. That’s the point. Humor – ur doing it rong.
Wingo

@ChrisGiarmo: Bummer, dude.
Anonymous

Not everyone IE targets finds their attention quite so appealing…

http://thislife.org/Radio_Episode.aspx?episode=286
Kit10inDublin

Those Improv Everywhere people are cool. Aren’t they ones that did the statue/freezed poses in Grand Central and the Musical in a LA Mall a while ago?

It’s far more enjoyable than a hugely manipulated and set-up ‘for a fall’ pranks the likes of Borat/Bruno/SachaBaronCohen does (that I’d despise) – and pranksters they certainly are but WAY more fun.
vespabelle

those guys stole my idea!
Browntown

@ 3:00ish Well, at least I now know what Santa is doing on his days off. That was a lot of kisses, my friend. I’m not sure if they’ve been naughty or nice. :)
Talia

This is fabulous. I sat here grinning like an idiot. What a fun thing to do.

#6 I feel bad for you. Clearly something inside you died long ago. I only hope someday you can rediscover a sense of playfulness again and re-learn to smile.

Till then, hang in there buddy.
ErikO23

FAKE: no way in hell a bunch of people could spend that much time in an airport without a boarding pass and not end up tazed into a coma.
TheBlessedBlogger

IE single handedly keeps me from losing all faith in humanity. Bless you IE!
gonzilla

Was that Emmit Smith as the driver?
ChrisGiarmo

some more thoughts about why IE bugs me:

some of these ideas don’t seem to be carried out fully. using the posted video as an example, wouldn’t it be great if instead of it being an organized prank with the end user being bored people surfing the net, it was a kind of community outreach thing?

like if they organized a “greet a stranger at the airport weekly group.” or a “let’s stop moving in public places biennial.” and didn’t have to document it in such a self-serving way, just let it be what it is at that moment, without the royalty free music and vodka adverts.