If I see Erin Burnett on the Today Show one more time...

Witness the miracle of "Big Maria I (Plane Too Many)"



I'm still trying to figure out how this computer works, so it may not blow up the the size that you, dear reader, may be accustomed to. But the point is this: After months of fucking around with this painting, I have whited (blacked) out much of the area under the arch, plus her veil, in preparation for a significantly revised image. These modifications are not shown above, but be patient and I'll throw them up soon enough.

But the point is this: I originally painted Maria Bartiromo as the Virgin Mary as a protest of CNBC's handling of the Bartoromo/Thompson uproar. In the end, for any journalist, much less someone of Bartiromo's profile, the appearance of conflict of interest should be avoided as diligently as the actual conflict. Thus Big Maria.

But in the end, in addition to hating her veil, I decided that the "Todd, your boss is on the phone..." was a bit too meanspirited--even for me.

Also, from a marketing perspective, that uproar is so totally over that most people have forgotten about it. Thus, new thinking:

And that would, of course, be replacing the "Todd..." verbiage with the following line:

If I see Erin Burnett on The Today Show one more time, I'm going to freak out!"

Or something to that effect. Another option goes something like:

Hmmm. If I'm the Virgin Mary, does that make that ho' Erin Burnett Mary Magdalene?

This one I'm less thrilled with than the first. Nonetheless, the mind reels.