Yvon Chouinard and the American Express Members Project Commercial

[GreatestOfAllTime96]

I love this commercial for 5 reasons. 1) Rock climbing is awesome 2) the view @0:11 is amazing 3) Its about nature 4) The music and 5)that dam that he took out is near Ventura where my gma lives

[jahtrout]

Yvon Chouinard is a natural treasure for so many reasons. But for me, his love of wild places is the defining part of his legacy!

[MattKratochvil1]

It's a selfish thing to protect nature because we are a part of nature it's self that is what he means in the video

[Chilililabombwe]

For those thinking we are running out of water - I was warned about that in a strategy session with a guru type three decades and his doomsday scenario did not come to reality. Also, Canada is abundant with water we are delighted to sell it to AmericansI I think we can all agree to keep the environment clean and it is people like Patagonia who give another view and I like that. But not to get people to live like they do in Africa. What amazes me is why do not go and live in Africa then?

[jolati]

This is disgusting. So-called environmentalists won't be happy until we are all living in caves, freezing in the dark.

[greengringo2003]

@jolati Yes! The hard-core "environmentalists" are in it for the control over other people. They are not happy people. They have an inner sickness that won't permit themselves to even like themselves. We are talking mental illness, people.

[qwerty09877654321]

I'm not liking AMEX because of this commercial. There's probably good reason to take out or upgrade some dams. But, there's lots of better reasons to HAVE a dam where human people are the priority... drinking water reserves, clean power, etc. Which outweighs concerns over minimal wildlife impact. Generically saying "bust down dams" is irresponsible and illogical. Being a free market is right; the issue is that these wackos use the government to force others to bend to their will, which is wrong.

[Alpuche2]

@qwerty09877654321

Before you make ludicrous assumptions....DO your HOMEWORK FIRST, thats the educated skeptic thing to do. Ventura County plans on using the water to preserve and save the ocean for life and people. We, the world is nearing the end of water reserves. The removal of the Matilija Dam with pervious roads,& other eco-friendly construction is to save water, create jobs by 10thousands, and save money. In the Camarillo area, they are building solar panals for the county.

[nillis32]

@qwerty09877654321 .... just do some research on the dam's he's trying to destroy.

[bonepeeler]

Patagonia sucks. I'm going to do my own thing.

[MrDouglasXD]

He said, it's a selfish thing to want to protect nature. So he hates nature? Wow, I'm not using American Express anymore.

[upproducer]

@MrDouglasXD

This and the two prior responses are some of the most unintelligent I've ever read. Are you serious? Think about it or the next Darwin award is for you and pals.

[stoodOnAnArk]

Oh the power, I must make a video so I can delete all the comments made on it. Sorry but you left yourself open on that one. The only reason I have AMEX is to get 3 points for every $ spent. Nothing else. What a silly advert, go and pick up some rubbish someone else has thrown down and do something useful.

[Jefreetoh]

Can someone give a clear answer as to what the name of the song in this video is???

[TIMECEAPER]

song

[brianfeu]

I got to see 180 deg south when it premiered in Portland. It was great to see Yvon so active at his age. Yvon's 1% campaign is great and hopefully this members project will do some good.

[adamkissel]

I just don't feel sorry for damaged rocks.

[jaybreak]

Thank God he's here to protect the rocks!

[mrajholler]

@aurianTitan I get the symbolism and am impressed by Mr. Chouinard. The constructution of the commercial causes it to lose narrative momentum when he says "..And I'm also a dam buster". Things suddenly go from one thing to another without the filmmakers establishing a solid connection between the two concepts of designing mountain climbing equipment and busting dams. I would imagine there is a longer cut of this commercial that does a better job but needed to be edited for time.

[tardbuster007]

get his ass to the gulf

[mrajholler]

This commercial is confusing. There is way too much story. Why is he a dam buster? What led him to that? Where is this dam? He goes from climbing a mountain to trying to bust a dam. Does he climb the dam? Production wise this is first rate, but they bit off more then they could chew. How about 2- one minute long commercials, one about mountain climbing, one about dam busting?

[AurianTitan]

@mrajholler the mountain climbing symbolizes strength and victory--conquering the dam. Large dams are normally built around mountainous valleys so the mountains can act as a barrier to form a lake behind the dam. Why would you climb a dam when it is unstable and has a smooth surface? Why do you need to know where the dam is?

[HighPlainDrifta]

Thank You For This Video I'm So Glade To Find This.

[ajd2466]

does anyone know what reservior that is?

[thecooker241]

Best commercial I've seen in a long time. First off, opening scene rock, being grasped by a hand...omg rock climbing commercial. Yes and no, this commercial has a message 'it's a selfish thing to want to protect nature." For the record i'm glad to be climbing in a age where I don't have to use pitons.

BTW The Chief today was amazing. Here's to Queen Victoria!

[patagoniavideo]

Remember folks, calling each other names, besides being childish, is a sure fire way to get your comment removed. Two were deleted today for that reason. It's good to disagree, but it's better to disagree respectfully.

[HighPlainDrifta]

@patagoniavideo Thank You Very Much For This Post, So Many People Need To Listen To Yvon

[ladydoe89]

im not understanding the message. he says when we destroy nature we destroy ourself. then he says its a selfish thing to want to protect nature. what does that mean?

[free4202130]

@ladydoe89 He's saying that even if our only priority is ensuring the survival of humanity (a selfish motive when you consider how many other species we share the planet with), we still need to protect the environment otherwise we'll destroy ourselves.

[ladydoe89]

@free4202130 thank you :)

[BOOGiEtOWN92]

@ladydoe89 i dnt get it either. im showing this video to my environmental science class :/ maybe they can shed some light on this

[bitch12433]

this so far is my favorite commercial

[DarkDemonics]

What's the name of the song? it's nice. :P

[Jacket7237]

Wow - First the banks send US into a complete and ever deepening depression -- which will eventually cause third world like living conditions for those in the USA

Now the banks (American Express in this case) are trying to con us into using our labor to disassemble our civilization for them -

Sad, a lot of well meaning people will participate in taking our society apart because images of animals pulled on their heart strings.

Its just a con game people. Bankers propaganda on the people.

[stzzo]

Awesome. Chouinard is one of my heroes.

[iddyo]

The music might have been made just for the commercial.

[iddyo]

I love this.

[Thepunkass007]

song what is this song!??

[Thepunkass007]

what is this song?

[Thepunkass007]

please please please for the long of god, what is the song in this commercial called, and hwere can I find it??!

[HunterMann]

the song is easily attainable: sit down at a piano, remember the tune and start playing...it will come to you if you really want it...grasshopper.

[hitheresunshine]

I personally love this commercial. I have no clue how you guys are talking about all this political business, but I find the message in the commercial wonderful.

Plus, the cinematography is fantastic. X3

[jonspooner]

I'll NEVER BUY AN OVER PRICED PATAGONIA WETSUIT KNOWING THE OWNER IS A KOOK LIKE THIS!

[pyrexmasta]

@jonspooner I happen to like the message he is sending. I don't really know about the dam, but the pitons being replaced is good because ive seen more piton scars in the rock.

[jonspooner]

@IngeniousEpithet

Capitalist is not evil, your freaking brain washed. It's people like you that will lead to total govt conrol. This message is dangerously mixed.

[aciddrops]

0:30 turned the TV on, heard "I'm a damn buster." and loled

[sdryder369]

the message is beautiful, one of the best commercials I've seen in a long time

[roflroflhoghoghoglol]

Whats the song?

[joshm24]

This may be a news flash to you but Patagonia is a for-profit business and is in to make money just like american express. It's all part of capitalism. The beauty of capitalism is if you believe in what Patagonia is doing and in the products they make, you have the choice to purchase from them. If you don't like American Express you have the choice not to purchase from them. With Socialism it's like a very bad corporation forcing you to buy from them.

[IngeniousEpithet]

@joshm24

That's a very very oversimplified view of capitalism. And we're still faced with the REAL WORLD where capitalism hasn't delivered on all the utopian ideals behind it. It's a failure just like Communism. Time to move on to something better.

[Dreammotive]

The only thing that has hindered the success of capitalism is fascism. When you have ridiculous government regulation and arbitrary law, businesses are not able to perform as they would like. Fascism has failed and its time to move on to something that works: True capitalism.

[IngeniousEpithet]

@Dreammotive

That is a myth I hear over and over and over again. You fail to understand the REALITY of hierarchy, power, and wealth. Yes governments oppress us, but so do businesses. Anything that is top-down and concentrates wealth/power at the top is very likely going to be oppressive to those below it, whether they're workers, consumers, the populace, or even the environment. In our centralized system, a de-regulated market would be HELLISH and TERRIBLE for the common man.

[IngeniousEpithet]

@Dreammotive

You also seem to think that if the market were de-regulated tomorrow, everyone would magically be able to prosper and get rich because that darn ol' government held them back before. This is far from true. Having a poor/working underclass is not a system defect but a system REQUIREMENT for our society. Unregulated capitalism greatly increases the rich/poor gap. Just look at history, unregulated capitalism brought us child labor, poisoned goods/water/air, wage-slavery, & corporatism

[IngeniousEpithet]

@Dreammotive

You want an example of BOTH the failures of communism and capitalism? Look at China... that's what you get with a market that is rigidly watched over BUT is unregulated in some of the worst ways. The trick is to find a balance, the purpose of our government should be to protect us from ANY kind of oppression of our natural rights. Though as an Anarchist I laugh at the notion that any government or manifestation of capitalism would free us or allow us to prosper- it wont.

[IngeniousEpithet]

@Dreammotive

Do you know the definitions of fascism or the actual system we live in?

Capitalism has always been a problem, whether in fascist countries or not. Our entire civilization is oppressive and unsustainable, what the hell do you think will happen when we let ALREADY-unregulated businesses run amok? Who controls our government? Wealthy business interests. When they have no regulation, that will truly be the beginning of REAL fascism in this country. You need to take things into context.

[Dreammotive]

@IngeniousEpithet you say " the purpose of our government should be to protect us from ANY kind of oppression of our natural rights." I completely agree and that completely supports every idea that i just said. If the free market is simply allowed to grow as it naturally will, everything will be fine as long as the personal rights of individuals are enforced and protected. The only regulation needed is that already written in the constitution- the right to life liberty and pursuit of happiness

[IngeniousEpithet]

@Dreammotive

Well then how do you enforce and protect the rights of individuals without regulation of business/markets?

The main goal of a business within capitalism is profit and expansion. That is quite a dangerous and imperfect system, especially when plugged into the world of humans, finite resources, hierarchy, civilization, and competition amongst individuals.

[Dreammotive]

@IngeniousEpithet The same way all other rights are enforced. When someones rights are infringed, They report the crime, an ivestigation is done and charges are pressed, the guilty are punished. All we need to do is defend individual rights and no more regulation is needed.

[IngeniousEpithet]

@Dreammotive

Ahh, but what happens when corporations buy themselves the label of an "individual" in the eyes of courts and constitutionality? What happens when corporations become lawful people and have all the same rights as a human does but without the responsibilities? How do you put a BUSINESS in jail when it murders somebody? The truth is, this has already been done. Do a google search on "corporate personhood", you should find all the disgusting details.

[Dreammotive]

@IngeniousEpithet It's very easy and solvable hrough common sense. A business cant murder some1. At some point a human being will have to make a physical move that causes the death. In those cases everyone involved should be tried and punished for murder, or conspiracy to murder. Im not supporting all the evil things that corporations do. There are always people accountable for the crimes & everyone involved should be punished. If there is some legal crap that protects them then lets kill that!

[IngeniousEpithet]

@Dreammotive

I agree that we should kill hypocritical corporate protections (and welfare). I'm not exactly sure though, what kinds of regulation you're specifically against. Could you provide me a list? hah

My main point about Capitalism is that in a hierarchal civilization such as ours, the system thrives on inequity and an essentially slaving underclass. De-regulation/free markets will not solve that problem.

[Dreammotive]

@IngeniousEpithet Im for protecting individual rights rights as described in the original constitution. After that virtually no other regulation is needed. It's very simple and all we need is accountability and common sense.

Inequity is a law of nature and can never be thwarted. People should be given equal rights, but not equal lifestyles or wealth. Anything that mandates the transference of wealth from one to another arbitrarily is an affront to the constitution and morality.

[IngeniousEpithet]

@Dreammotive

Ok but a business isnt an individual, therefore it should NOT have equal rights to an individual. It is a non-human entity, and depending on its size/function/footprint, it has a lot more power to harm than the average person and must be regulated accordingly. You couldn't just let ExxonMobil do whatever it wanted and just hope for the best, we've seen what happens with rampant capitalism and it's not pretty or acceptable. Acct.ability/commonsense are good but this isnt a vacuum.

[Dreammotive]

@IngeniousEpithet A business should not have equal rights to an individual, but a business owner should. They should be allowed to conduct business anyway they want so long as it does not directly cause an infringement on another humans personal rights. All of your objections thus far are dealing with unchecked capitalism. I agree that they should be limited and unable to affront human rights. Again thats all the regulation we need if it is truly enforced

[IngeniousEpithet]

@Dreammotive

Ok, so what specific regulation are you against in our country?

[Dreammotive]

@IngeniousEpithet Ok, ill give an example but it does not mean it is the most important or oppressive. There are so many it is hard to consider them all. But for 1: affirmative action Businesses should be able to hire the best workers with the freedom to keep a blind eye to all race or sex considerations. But they are forced to meet quotas. This is horrible for society and business on many levels.

[Dreammotive]

@IngeniousEpithet Ok, ill give an example but it does not mean it is the most important or oppressive. There are so many it is hard to consider them all. But for 1: affirmative action Businesses should be able to hire the best workers with the freedom to keep a blind eye to all race or sex considerations. But they are forced to meet quotas. This is horrible for society and business on many levels.

[kimintransit]

@Dreammotive sorry to jump in/interrupt.. but could you explain what exactly you think/define as affirmative action? just curious

[Dreammotive]

@kimintransit sure. it is when the government imposes fines or other punishments upon a business, corp., or individual for failing to hire a specific number or ratio of a predetermined group based on race,sex,religion,sexual preference, etc. The most common being based on race.

[Dreammotive]

@IngeniousEpithet must reply in private because youtube will not let me post what i wanted to say

[IngeniousEpithet]

@Dreammotive

As for inequity being a law of nature... I'm not sure where you're getting that. There is no law that says nature is always inequitable, sure it is not always fair, but nature does not recognize human creations/systems. Nature is not hierarchical, it just is. Ecosystems are in an even balance, there are no rulers or classes. Also, the vast majority of human history shows that humans work better in egalitarian society than hierarchal/top-down master/slave systems.

[IngeniousEpithet]

@Dreammotive

Also, it depends what you mean by arbitrarily, if I just go up to somebody and steal their money it when they need/want it, then that would be an affront. However, society is a very complex thing where it's NOT a level playing field, ESPECIALLY within capitalism. Capitalism tends to promote a rich upper-class and a poor underclass, this is fundamentally unconstitutional and immoral. The real enemy though, is hierarchy whose elimination renders communism/capitalism obsolete.

[jonspooner]

right on!

[zzoot]

Patagonia FTW!!!

[TIMECEAPER]

whats the song does anyone know

[gilleschouinard]

Saw his company on The Travel Channel's Extreme work places, I think it was called. Go to work and take a surf board to the beach before "work" FTW!

[whereiputstuff]

Also founded/co-founded Black Diamond Equipment. Now i'm gonna go climb some rock.

[patagoniavideo]

@zelemont, check out Yvon's book "Let My People Go Surfing"

[MrFreshsince91]

WOW! What a cool cool video, real nice.  Love to watch this over and over again with chouinard...good point and a good way to get the message across

[sosickshou]

inspiring video indeed

[zelemont]

Excellent commercial. It's nice to see amongst all of the stupidity. I have to learn more about Yvon.

[sfuentealba]

Patagonia sin Represas - Patagonia Apparel in Patagonia Land!!!!

[theoldladyvta]

Nice job !

[hob300]

I hope American Express will not disappoint Yvon.

[SurfStrongerTV]

Inspiring stuff to be sure!

[scouting4trout]

We need more people who think like Yvon Chouinard.