• 30 Jul 2008 at 1:06 PM

A Modest Proposal

Merrilllynchlogo.jpgMerrill Lynch needs a new logo to more accurately reflect the trajectory it’s been taking of late, and its goals for the future. Though an image of CEO John Thain wearing a custom designed executioner’s mask with space cut out for a ball gag would be the logical successor to the bull, this is a family firm and that kind of smut, while fitting, won’t fly. Luckily, we have another good candidate for consideration.


gawkermonsterbig.JPG
It’s this monster beast that Gawker reported had washed up ashore in Montauk yesterday. No one really knows if its some sort of viral ad campaign or the product of a nearby government animal testing facility close by in Long Island, but that’s all immaterial. This thing is perfect. First of all, it sort of vaguely resembles a really fucked up looking bull and preserving a sense of history is important. Secondly, it looks like there’s something coming out of Monster Beast’s ass, not unlike the blood gushing from Merrill’s posterior. Thirdly, it’s clearly about to die and, if you look closely, is giving the middle finger, which is more or less the exact same thing Merrill’s doing, like, yeah, fuck you as I die, shareholders, Lehman, American banking system and so on and so forth. Finally, it’s absolutely terrifying, and I would posit–and I don’t think I’m alone here–the only hope for turning things around. You make a haunt-one’s-nightmares, unimaginably scary who-knows-what-it-is-or-what-it’s-capable-of monster your logo, people know not to fuck with you.

Comments (94)

  1. Posted by guest | July 30, 2008 at 1:09 PM

    Gasparino just gave DB some cred…

  2. Posted by guest | July 30, 2008 at 1:12 PM

    the new logo should be a jar of French’s Mustard

  3. Posted by HAM05 | July 30, 2008 at 1:12 PM

    thats the illigitimate aborted love child of sam israel and the ‘egret’

  4. Posted by guest | July 30, 2008 at 1:16 PM

    That’s one of Mama Godzilla’s abortions.

  5. Posted by Anal_yst | July 30, 2008 at 1:16 PM

    this is amongst your best work, bess, although I would have appreciated a disclaimer somewhere along the lines of “finish chewing/swallowing your lunch before clicking through”.
    That being said, wtf ever that thing is, it is horrible, but if it had wings would be pretty freakin sweet

  6. Posted by guest | July 30, 2008 at 1:22 PM

    I once saw a bull in Mexico eat its own poop.

  7. Posted by guest | July 30, 2008 at 1:25 PM

    You idiots … it’s a sea turtle without its shell. Dumbasses …

  8. Posted by guest | July 30, 2008 at 1:26 PM

    Citipoop. Funny.

  9. Posted by guest | July 30, 2008 at 1:31 PM

    Wow…now who’s gonna wipe my half-chewed burger meat and pickles off my monitor?
    ~LexSteelz

  10. Posted by guest | July 30, 2008 at 1:33 PM

    SEA TURTLE W/O SHELL

  11. Posted by guest | July 30, 2008 at 1:34 PM

    Why was there no mention of this in the most recent BeachComber?
    They must be saving up for a knock-down, drag-out Mayo vs. Mustard edition this friday.
    -BeckyBootFan

  12. Posted by guest | July 30, 2008 at 1:36 PM

    Really? Nothing on the db love from CGas on cnbc?

  13. Posted by guest | July 30, 2008 at 1:36 PM

    @11– because it just washed up yesterday.

  14. Posted by guest | July 30, 2008 at 1:36 PM

    That is NOT turtle.

  15. Posted by guest | July 30, 2008 at 1:36 PM

    Spew.
    Seriously…
    -DK

  16. Posted by guest | July 30, 2008 at 1:37 PM

    Now I see it — that is a turtle without a shell. That’s sad.

  17. Posted by guest | July 30, 2008 at 1:40 PM

    look at the face, that is not a freaking turtle.

  18. Posted by guest | July 30, 2008 at 1:41 PM

    Definitely not a sea turtle… the proof is in the legs… turtles ain’t got legs, and definitely not arms that are capable of ‘giving the middle finger’…
    RIP… you ugly ass freak by-product of the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant..!

  19. Posted by guest | July 30, 2008 at 1:42 PM

    face kinda looks like Tokka from Ninja Turtles (the turtle mutant thing)

  20. Posted by guest | July 30, 2008 at 1:43 PM

    The Ugliest Catch
    Sig Hansen – Capt. – Northwestern

  21. Posted by guest | July 30, 2008 at 1:48 PM

    Turtles are attached to their shells. Doy.

  22. Posted by guest | July 30, 2008 at 1:50 PM

    Gasp is dating Bess and bromancing JC. I saw the three of them squat-racking it @ Golds in Long Branch.
    -retail

  23. Posted by guest | July 30, 2008 at 1:50 PM

    Turtles also don’t have teeth. Looks like an athymic nude rat.

  24. Posted by guest | July 30, 2008 at 1:50 PM

    its not a turtle – despite what mario taught you, a turtle can’t take off its shell, its part of its skeleton.
    dumbasses

  25. Posted by guest | July 30, 2008 at 1:51 PM

    cartoon network viral campaign

  26. Posted by guest | July 30, 2008 at 1:52 PM

    its not a turtle – despite what mario taught you, a turtle can’t take off its shell, its part of its skeleton.
    dumbasses

  27. Posted by guest | July 30, 2008 at 1:53 PM

    I once saw that thing eat its own poop. It was awesome.

  28. Posted by HAM05 | July 30, 2008 at 1:53 PM

    its not a fucking turtle dumbass, turtles have scaly skin. Haven’t you ever seen a lubriderm commercial?
    also: http://www.stupidquestionsanswered.com/answered/turtle.htm

  29. Posted by guest | July 30, 2008 at 1:56 PM

    hammy, while you are right about it not being a turtle, the lube commercials feature alligator, not turtles.

  30. Posted by guest | July 30, 2008 at 1:56 PM

    Waiting on confirmation that it’s a pic of tgfd’s dog.

  31. Posted by guest | July 30, 2008 at 1:57 PM

    fuck the turtle, not turtle debate (and it’s not a turtle)– should or should this not be merrill’s new logo?
    a. it should.

  32. Posted by guest | July 30, 2008 at 1:57 PM

    A chupacabra?
    -BeckyBootFan

  33. Posted by guest | July 30, 2008 at 2:01 PM

    Hey Becky, I once saw a chupacabra in Mexico eat its own poop

  34. Posted by guest | July 30, 2008 at 2:01 PM

    Is that one of the CDO’s they pretend sold to Lone Star?

  35. Posted by guest | July 30, 2008 at 2:02 PM

    #25 & #27 -
    Thank you. My favorite comment of the day.
    p.s. I loved Tokka. He was the only Ninja turtle character I had.

  36. Posted by guest | July 30, 2008 at 2:03 PM

    Anyone else just notice that the bull’s wang in the ML logo looks like a lightning bolt?

  37. Posted by BSD | July 30, 2008 at 2:07 PM

    It’s pretty clear this is a Griffin baby, its wings have not yet grown. How sad.

  38. Posted by guest | July 30, 2008 at 2:09 PM

    Its that thing from Ghostbusters!

  39. Posted by guest | July 30, 2008 at 2:10 PM

    Chupacabra !!!
    ~Bad Leg Quezada

  40. Posted by guest | July 30, 2008 at 2:12 PM

    I once saw John Thain eat his own poop at the Bronx Zoo.

  41. Posted by guest | July 30, 2008 at 2:13 PM

    Confirmed: tgfd’s inter-species erotica’s lover.

  42. Posted by guest | July 30, 2008 at 2:13 PM

    you guys – that’s no creature from the abyss, that’s jimmy cayne on crack…duh!!!

  43. Posted by guest | July 30, 2008 at 2:15 PM

    @37. Great observation. I’ve never noticed that before. For that matter it looks like his front left leg is stroking that bolt.

  44. Posted by guest | July 30, 2008 at 2:17 PM

    This is a situation for yellow mustard.

  45. Posted by bank_teller | July 30, 2008 at 2:24 PM
  46. Posted by guest | July 30, 2008 at 2:25 PM

    This is a decomposed dog. Probably a breed similar to a bulldog.

  47. Posted by guest | July 30, 2008 at 2:33 PM

    @ #47 at 2:25
    Dogs don’t have beaks.

  48. Posted by Madmoney | July 30, 2008 at 2:33 PM

    No. 47 wins.

  49. Posted by guest | July 30, 2008 at 2:35 PM

    now that BER is gonne, ML could change to Bull for a Bear

  50. Posted by guest | July 30, 2008 at 2:35 PM

    a turtle without it’s shell is dead. this thing washed up on the beach dead. therefore, dead turtle should not be ruled out.

  51. Posted by guest | July 30, 2008 at 2:35 PM

    Bess, read gawker much?

  52. Posted by guest | July 30, 2008 at 2:38 PM

    Dogs don’t have beaks and turtles don’t have hind legs.
    Can we please put to rest the notion that it’s anything other than a photoshop job.

  53. Posted by guest | July 30, 2008 at 2:38 PM

    Chickens don’t have lips.

  54. Posted by guest | July 30, 2008 at 2:41 PM

    #50 doesn’t have a GED.

  55. Posted by Bess Levin | July 30, 2008 at 2:41 PM

    Mensa @ 2:35 (3)– you cut me real bad with that one. and clearly the answer is no, I just link to them. any other brain busters?

  56. Posted by guest | July 30, 2008 at 2:41 PM
  57. Posted by FUNdamental | July 30, 2008 at 2:43 PM

    That is the first course for the opening ceremonies in beijing.

  58. Posted by guest | July 30, 2008 at 2:43 PM

    @ 50
    You’re an idiot.

  59. Posted by guest | July 30, 2008 at 2:48 PM

    No. 49 loses with a call that borders on Crameresque levels on inaccuracy. Worse than No. 47 for the making the assertion in the first place.

  60. Posted by guest | July 30, 2008 at 2:48 PM

    That’s a Great White. I saw one before.

  61. Posted by guest | July 30, 2008 at 2:49 PM

    That’s a Great White. I saw one before.

  62. Posted by guest | July 30, 2008 at 2:51 PM

    @55
    I was thinking the same. Total asshat.

  63. Posted by Johnny | July 30, 2008 at 2:51 PM

    Bess & JC,
    Please, for the love of all that is holy, can you please ban the 3rd grader from the site (ie, eating poop and mayo comments). Funny for a bit, but getting annoying. Everybody else, please don’t yell at me for encouraging the juvenile (or recent fin’l layoff). It’s clear he/she/it isn’t stopping.
    Kind Regards,
    Johnny

  64. Posted by guest | July 30, 2008 at 2:53 PM

    I can’t believe #50 exists.

  65. Posted by guest | July 30, 2008 at 2:56 PM

    @66:too short, didn’t read

  66. Posted by guest | July 30, 2008 at 3:03 PM

    ever noticed that you can actually see the bulls balls in the MER logo.

  67. Posted by guest | July 30, 2008 at 3:18 PM

    If talking about mayo is wrong, I don’t want to be right.

  68. Posted by guest | July 30, 2008 at 3:21 PM

    Wow. This whole f’king bunch above is who CFO.com is paying banner ad dollars to DB for huh. Don’t know who the sales person at DB is, but well f’king done…

  69. Posted by guest | July 30, 2008 at 3:23 PM

    Jurassic Pig Roast. Which considering ML’s condition these days; may be necessary as a fundraiser…

  70. Posted by guest | July 30, 2008 at 3:24 PM

    it’s a skinned raccoon

  71. Posted by guest | July 30, 2008 at 3:26 PM

    I love lamp.

  72. Posted by guest | July 30, 2008 at 3:27 PM

    It’s a turtle; you know it.

  73. Posted by guest | July 30, 2008 at 3:43 PM

    #62 is exactly right. It is a great white that mutant-ed from ingesting saran wraps that we throw into the ocean. Then it got beached and got sun-burnt.
    I saw one in person.

  74. Posted by guest | July 30, 2008 at 3:45 PM

    it’s not a turtle, fucking idiots.

  75. Posted by DrederickTatum | July 30, 2008 at 3:53 PM

    Great post…
    Almost as good as this classic:
    http://dealbreaker.com/2007/11/deutsche_bank_alex_brown_is_th.php

  76. Posted by Anal_yst | July 30, 2008 at 4:09 PM

    @ Drederick
    That sh!t was awesome, thanks for reminding me of those jokers…
    …also whatever this thing is, I promise you that Sam Israel brought it back from the future in his time machine

  77. Posted by guest | July 30, 2008 at 4:27 PM

    Turtle without it’s shell? You people work in Finance? How?

  78. Posted by Debter | July 30, 2008 at 4:35 PM

    Not a turtle, the dog post is correct. Look at it this way, the dogs nose is made of cartilage (most of it) which has decayed. What you see, that looks like a beak, is really the bone for the nostrils. Turtle DO NOT have teeth (see bottom).

  79. Posted by guest | July 30, 2008 at 4:41 PM

    Its a dog that has merged with a turtle in a (futile) attempt to survive. A durgle….that was so easy.

  80. Posted by guest | July 30, 2008 at 4:43 PM

    @ mr.81,
    Total props to you dude, that was hilarious… tying it all in together quite nicely!!

  81. Posted by guest | July 30, 2008 at 4:44 PM

    @ mr.81,
    Total props to you dude, that was hilarious… tying it all in together quite nicely!!

  82. Posted by DrederickTatum | July 30, 2008 at 4:47 PM

    @77 – Bess,
    When DB switched over to the new format, the infamous Alex Brown photo got lopped in half. Anyway to correct it?

  83. Posted by guest | July 30, 2008 at 5:22 PM

    It’s not a god-damned dog. Does the proportion of that thing’s skull to its body look canine?
    Why would the cartilage from its snout decay quicker than the flesh off its back/legs?
    Do dogs have incisors (beaks) at the front of their mouths?
    http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.skullsunlimited.com/graphics/sm-130-lg.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.skullsunlimited.com/domestic_dog_skull.html&h=657&w=900&sz=160&tbnid=q00WC_lMdVcJ::&tbnh=107&tbnw=146&prev=/images%3Fq%3Ddog%2Bskull%2Bphoto&sa=X&oi=image_result&resnum=4&ct=image&cd=1

  84. Posted by guest | July 30, 2008 at 5:22 PM

    I had a turtle before…just punished the toilet and feel great.
    ~LexSteelz

  85. Posted by Finnegan | July 30, 2008 at 5:26 PM

    God!! It’s a rabbit… f”ing idiots.

  86. Posted by guest | July 30, 2008 at 5:28 PM

    It’s the new political animal for fiscal policy.

  87. Posted by guest | July 30, 2008 at 5:34 PM

    It’s clearly manbearpig.

  88. Posted by guest | July 30, 2008 at 6:06 PM

    Just like Merrill it is a Dog however this one has no fleas

  89. Posted by guest | July 30, 2008 at 8:00 PM

    Looks like John Thain to me.

  90. Posted by guest | July 30, 2008 at 8:54 PM
  91. Posted by guest | July 31, 2008 at 10:01 AM

    It’s a baby ox.

  92. Posted by guest | July 31, 2008 at 11:26 AM
  93. Posted by guest | August 1, 2008 at 10:31 AM

    last night i was having some cocktails with friends and we were discussing the montauk-monster thing. It has been concluded that it is a dog, which after dying and spending enough time in the ocean was bloated, hairless, and pickled by the salt-water. Explains the odd shape, hairlessness, color of the skin, etc.

  94. Posted by guest | August 1, 2008 at 11:39 AM

    NOT a turtle.
    A turtle’s shell is attached to its spine. Without its shell, its body would not be intact like this because the spine would be ripped out.
    A shell doesn’t just pop off like this. Stop watching so many fucking cartoons.

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