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#TBT: The Maker’s Mark Billboard That Poked Fun at Andersen’s Demise

Posted on by Caleb Newquist

This billboard is a work of genius. Yes, Maker's Mark is a mass-produced bourbon, but in a pinch, it does go down easy.

The story behind this billboard is a little muddy but apparently, back in 2002 when this billboard appears, the AICPA was NOT amused by it and convinced Maker's Mark to pull it. Here's an old AccountingWEB post explaining what happened:

The Electronic Accountant [link redirects to Accounting Today] is reporting that the Kentucky distillery Maker's Mark, has agreed to remove billboards depicting the troubles currently facing the accounting profession. The billboards, showing a bourbon bottle turned over on its side, read, "Disappears faster than a Big Five accounting firm."
 
The billboards appear in Colorado and several other states, and all of them will be removed, according to a spokesman from Maker's Mark. "It was an error," stated the spokesman, who claimed the decision to use the billboards was made while he was on vacation.

Geoff Pickard of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants told the editor of Electronic Accountant that the billboards will be removed. "We talked with Maker's Mark through an emissary, and the company said it didn’t want to offend the [accounting] profession and was happy to take them all down."

Accountants? Thin-skinned? Knock me over with a feather.

I managed to find this post that says one billboard, "briefly hung over 85-South, […] Within days the text was backed out – no doubt by Anderson [sic] apologists."  

I wrote an email to the AICPA to see what they know about this version of events and any other background but in the meantime, let's just appreciate this.

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Who Will Replace Bob Herz as FASB Chairman?

Yesterday we learned that FASB Chair Bob Herz would be ending his spectacular 8 year run as the head of our favorite accounting standards setting agency.

What we have not learned is who will be replacing him permanently when he escapes next month. In the interest of helping FASB come up with a qualified replacement, we have a few suggestions. Do we need to submit these in comment letter form or can someone just email over for us?


Patrick Byrne Listen, we know there’s something just not right about the guy and it’s entirely possible that he lacks the actual paper qualifications required of the FASB chair. But to his credit, he can do wonders with financial reporting, especially when it comes to using magical fantasy models very similar to FASB’s own mark-to-Disneyland initiatives. He’d be great for coming up with all sorts of helpful guidance (except when it comes to internal control, he might have to contract out to the IASB on that one) and if the IASB decides to get too lippy, Byrne can simply send Judd Bagley after Tweedie’s ass to “straighten him out,” ifyoufeelme.

Willie Nelson Okay, so we’re pretty sure you have to take a drug test before you’re allowed to run the FASB but assuming Willie can get his hands on some goldenseal, we think we have a winner here. He’s laid back enough to handle hard ribbings by Barney Frank in the event of another bank accounting debacle and who knows, we could put off convergence another 15 years if we can send Nelson over to the IASB with some goodies. They’ll be too busy watching Chapelle’s Show and hunting down Doritos to start messing with the sanctity of GAAP. Win.

The hot chick who got fired from PwC Let’s be real about it, the FASB chairman job used to be an esteemed position but now that we’re trudging ever-forward towards convergence (or, rather, total IASB domination), we don’t actually need anyone with more than half a brain in that position. So why not offer hot chick a job? Qualifications include: standing there looking pretty, keeping your trap shut and ignoring Tweedie’s midnight sexting.

If you have a suggestion, why not let us know? We’ll be sure to include it as an aside in our next comment letter. Whoever they get, can we please PLEASE make sure they slightly more photogenic than our buddy Bob? Seriously, we’re going to miss you, Herz, but man did you make us all look bad.