Paper Mache Pig - Joseph Cassano
Which is the real Joe Cassano? The first one, obviously!
About Joe
Created the Financial Products Division of AIG (American International Group). This division lost $500 billion (yes, that’s right, billion) under his leadership. Those losses crippled AIG and brought it to the brink of bankruptcy. Because this company is so big, our government decided that its failure could have disastrous effects on the American economy. We taxpayers ended up dumping $170 billion into the company to keep it afloat. Actually it was our children and grandchildren who put up the money since this went directly onto the national debt.
So how much do you think a man like this should earn for such magnificent work? A hundred thousand a year you say? No, he’s important. He had to wear a suit to work. How about two hundred thousand a year then? No…he earned $315 million! Let me say that again, he earned $315,000,000! Now you’d think that the Board of AIG would seek to realign what he earned in light of this disaster. Maybe try to take back some of it. They didn’t. You’d think Joseph himself would offer up some of what he made as a way to make amends. Wrong again. Not only did he keep every cent, but he accepted a “retirement” package of, hang on to your pants, $1 million a MONTH. What do you think? Pig? Or no pig? All I can say is, OINK, OINK, OINK! If you want to see him spin and hear him speak, watch the video below.
Categories: uncategorized
Tags: papier mache paper mache politics greedy economy recession sculpture AIG
Oh my god, Dan, this is fabulous! Your Joe is much better looking than the real Joe, who is way worse than any swine. You have captured him perfectly. You managed to make your point of outrage while maintaining your signature sense of humor. Very well done!
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Thank you so much Willow! I'm glad you like this. I think it will be fun.
Dan
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I agree. Whilst i neither know the man nor the comapany (beng British) I am sure a LOT of what will come here may effect (or have done so)many aspects of life here in the UK never mind the world. With that in mind I salute you my friend. A bold adventure one you carried out in true Reeder style. Love it!.
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Thank you Jonty! It's nice to try something different with the art. Thank you for stopping by!
Dan
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Oink, oink, oink... OINK!!!
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Oink, oink, oink, oink.... (thank you)
Dan
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BRAVO!!!! Fantastic way to make a statement.
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Thank you Tamara! I'm glad you like it. Should have number two done soon.
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This is just hilarious and what a likeness! Great job! lol
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Hi Lisa,
Thank you so much for the nice comment. I think you are the third person to visit the site. Most people don't know it's there. So I really appreciate you taking the time to write. I'm working on number two tonight. A woman this time.
Take care
Dan
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Dan this is awesome haha
My what a lot of Bacon he brought home, makes you realise how corrupt the world can be... haha excellent Blog! Excellent
Would LOVE to see more of this
Jamie
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Hey Jamie,
Nice to hear from you! Yes, I'm working on number 2 right now. I'm going to do one a month. There are plenty of these people around, sucking the life blood of our economy. I should have the next one done within the week. I know that it's not really a legitimate blog until a get a few pigs on here.
Stay tuned. Thanks for your nice comment!
Dan
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Surely George Bush - giving us the finger - see http://photobucket.com/images/bush%20middle%20finger/ is the pig of all pigs - many orders of magnitude more vile than any other
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Hi Max,
Nice to hear from you. I'd hoped to have my second pig up before you checked. In fact, it is finished. I'm just making the little movie to go with it.
Thanks for reminding me about George. My day was going so well.
Hope all is well in sunny California. Take care.
Dan
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Lovely role model, isn't she? Wouldn't we all feel so much better if Angela (PMPig #2) landed in court and was sentenced to switch places with a motel maid? At whatever paltry wage the maid earns, of course. She's gotta eat and WalMart ain't free.
To be scrupulously fair, the motel maid, who is guilty of the crime of being poor, should be required to serve out the same term in Angela's gated community.
Oh, wait - since Angela will now earn the maid's income, it seems fair that the maid be compensated at Angela's level.
I'd pay for enhanced cable to watch that reality show on TV. Until that glorious day, we'll have to be content with your clever portraits.
Future Papier Mache idol nominations: Any of the four hedge fund porkers "painted" by Peter Max in the July issue of Vanity Fair. The article's a squeal.
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Hi Terith,
Thank you for the comment. I couldn't agree more. But I think you may underestimate how much "work" a person like Braly does every day....sign a few papers, make a few calls, and think. And every so often there are those really long days, extra papers, extra phone calls, extra thinking. And the pressure!!!...making big decisions about whose cancer coverage to deny because the client forgot to add "hernia operation" when the application clearly stated, "list all medical procedures." Of course, after a stressful day at the office, it helps to have a mansion to go home to, with the sifter of brandy waiting...maybe even someone to pour it for you.
What bothers me the most is the real, extra work Wellpoint customers will do to pay for their increase in premiums, and how many of those increases are needed to pay for Braly's raise. A little math will illustrate. Assume a Wellpoint customer pays $1200 per month for insurance. Assume this person is lucky enough to pay the low end premium increase, 30%, or $360 a month. It will take 12,222 of those extra monthly payments to cover Braly's $4.4 million raise! In fact, it will take 700 Wellpoint customers paying $1650 per month premiums just to pay Braly's salary for one year. Now Braly testified in the Congressional hearing that premiums must go up because the cost of health care has gone up. Duh! You can't ignore the numbers. The price tag of everything goes up when pigs all the way up the chain have their greedy noses stuck in the trough.
It boils my blood. I'll check out the pigs you mentioned. Thank you for that. Check back next month.
Take care
Dan
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While your sentiments are understandable, your work borders on being outrageously defamatory to pigs in general. I, for one, would be extremely grateful if you would refrain from using innocent porkers as the absolute pejorative and turn your undeniable talents to representing humans as the beasts they are...and some more dragons would be nice too please; we can never have enough of those...
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Hello LB,
Yes, pigs are cool animals. I try to make up for this slight of their character by not eating them. It's just that "paper mache pigs" sounded so much better than "paper mache people."
But point well taken. And I'm still pumping out dragons. Can't help that.
Thanks for the comment.
Dan
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this is amazingly cool.
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Thank you so much.
Dan
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Maybe the levitating, money devouring pig is the company's mascot. That would make about as much sense as his yearly income.
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The pig would be perfect for the stationary. Thank you for the comment. Next pig is on the way. Stay tuned.
Dan
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This is just hilarious and what a likeness! Great job! lol
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Hello there.
Thank you so much for the nice comment. I have the next offenders almost finished. This time it will be a pair. I really appreciate that someone out there appreciates the protest.
Take care
Dan
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Why didn’t I find this post earlier? Keep up the good work!
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Hey there,
I'm sorry about that. For some reason this comment got marked as spam. It won't happen again. I appreciate the nice comment. Take care
Dan
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i love your work great job greetings from israel
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Don't know much about the American economy, but piggs are all over the world, even in my small country Israel, so oink oink with you Dan love your brain and finger work Magda
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Hello Magda,
Nice to meet you. Thank you for the nice words about my art work. Yes, I think this little protest applies to every country. I suppose there will always be people who manipulate the system for indecent financial gain.
Take care.
Dan
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Very timely, Dan, we need more of this. I really feel for the next generation.
Beishline told me about your site.
Keep it up.
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Hi Chuck!
Nice to hear from you. Thank you for the nice comment. I'm flattered that Dick liked the site well enough to send a friend. This will get better as it grows. One a month is my goal. There are enough pigs around to last me a life time.
If you are bored, check out my regular paper mache. Just click the link to Gourmet Paper Mache.
Hope all is well with you and Jan. Say Hi to her for me.
Take care
Dan
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The paper mache pig looks so similar to Joe! How do you get such good facial definition with your paper mache? I would think that would be very difficult to do. You're obviously very meticulous and extremely talented.
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Thank you so much for your compliment! I really appreciate it. Caricature is a very difficult art form. If a face is too exaggerated, then no one recognizes the person. But if the face looks too close to the original then it's not interesting. A balance is needed and it's not easy to get. I think I did all right, although it's not perfect. Again, thank you for your kind words. Makes my day.
Dan
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Dan, what a great site. I have often thought of you over the years. You are spot on. How can Goldman Sachs pay a $500 million fine and nobody goes to jail. I appreciate your artistic talent and the fact that you get it. The PIGS of the world run the world. I will follow your site and send it on to some like minded friends. I like a person who uses their talent to expose the money hungry fools that have ruined the lives of so many. Unfortunately the worst is yet to come. Just seeing someone take action is heart warming. I stumbled across your site when I google Chuck Zuber to get his correct phone number. I'll give some people a call or just see him at Friday night volleyball. It appears that all is well with you.
Cheers, Doug Lapchis
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Hi Doug! So nice to hear from you! I'm very happy you get the site. Like I said in the blog, what else can us little people do? I hope all is well with you. Surely you've retired by now. I'm doing my post-retirement gig at Lakeside. It's a great place to work. Nice people. Easy kids.
Thank you so much for popping by and giving me encouragement. Take care;
Dan
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Hi Dan, I just stumbled onto this site via Jonty's PM site. Wow I didn't know you were so into politics, but you certainly know your stuff. I just love the way you have used your pigs to represent and disclose the greed of some people.(I don't know that the pigs deserve them though) I wouldn't have any idea what the scene is like here in Australia, but probably much the same. You have to feel a bit sorry for people who only care about money though, they miss out on so much in life, they work, make millions, step on others and die poor in spirit, they must be young souls with no idea of the true value of life. Anyway it certainly doesn't hurt to expose their blatant greed and lack of caring for others, hopefully they will read about themselves and a light may turn on.(And pigs might fly, lol). Anyway, keep it up. Kindest regards, Lesley from Australia. (PS still working on one of the monsters from your book, slow and steady I say. lol)
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Hello Lesley,
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I understand what you mean about "feeds you the wrong way". When I first read your disclosures I was instantly angry at the audacity of these people, and the injustice that does allow them to get away with it. It is all about money, but if I dwell on it for too long, I find I just go down hill mentally and my day is ruined every time I think about them, they win again. So like most people I just read about them and think "karma" will prevail, and put my faith in a higher power. However, without someone like you disclosing these greedy piggies, people like me have no idea of the problem. Thanks for your strength of character that enables you to do this without becoming depressed, and disappointed in the rest of the world. Kindest regards, Lesley
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Wow...you're a great characturist! None of my things ever look like people. Even the ones that are supposed to look like people! You've got a great talent!
(also, fill them with dimes and hang 'em up as pinatas. Sure, you'd lose the art, but wouldn't the Youtube video be epic?
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Hi Barb,
I'm glad you like the caricatures. I think that it one of the most challenging thing for artists. You have to make them close enough to be recognizable, but not so much that it is boring. I'm way behind on my pig blog. I'll have to get on this.
Thanks for stopping by!
Dan
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Fantastic art. It really is embarrassing to share the same DNA with scum like this. The scary thing is they go home, love their kids, buy an isalnd, probably worship some higher power and never think for a second they are doing anything wrong. Hmmmm?
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Thank you Mark. I agree with everything you said. It is true, they probably have neighbors (rich ones) who enjoy their company and like hanging out with them. I'm sure they can rationalize everything they do, or at least their lawyers can.
Thank you for stopping by. I'm working on a new pig, although I've missed my deadlines for sure.
Take care
Dan
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Omg these are hilarious !!! I saw your dragons on you tube and happened upon these they are too funny !!
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Hi Lindsey,
I'm glad you like these. I am way behind in making them. I thought I could pump out one a month, but alas, no time, even though the number of "pigs" in the world keep multiplying.
Thank you for popping by.
Dan
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Dan, the websites and art just keeps coming. My daughter and I think it is a fabulous idea to keep buying every domain name you can think of. I found your "For Sale" pieces and we both think you should charge more than you do. Your artwork is masterful. Enjoy reading your commentaries. Candy & AJ
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Hi Candy (and AJ),
I started this blog to relieve some of the cynic energy in me. I was going to make a pig per month but it's gotten away with me. I have a new one underway, but too many things going on. I'll get back to this soon. As usual, thanks for the support. You are too sweet.
Dan
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These are truely hilarious!!!hahahaaha!!!
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Thank you Chris.
I'm so behind on these. Thank you for the kick in the pants.
Dan
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Whelp I gotto say it, I'm offended. What did pigs ever do to you? Honestly, humans are the scourge of the earth bar none. We're what nightmares are made of, not the other way around. Making "monsters" that aren't really monsters but are...A dizzzying(not a word) art concept and no fun. Anyway, keep up the good work. I love it.
ps; Your paint job on the dragon is remarkable, can I ask what brand/s of paints you use? They are so vibrant! Does the glue from the cloth mache cause any problems when you paint? Sorry, I've been inspired now I'm ranting. Thanks for the smiles! Take care
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Hello Wendy,
Thank you for the nice comment. I've fallen way behind on this site. Too many human pigs in the world. Thanks for the compliment on the dragon too. I use virtually any water based paints. Any "all purpose" paint, or house paint is a combination of latex (rubber) and acrylic (plastic). I use both. The glue in the cloth doesn't cause any problems at all. The cloth remains somewhat porous after the glue dries. So the paint adheres nicely.
Take care
Dan
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Where do you get the eyes or do you make them before hand?
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Hi Laura,
These are mannequin eyes. You can get them on the web. There are several companies. Just goggle "glass eyes, or "mannequin doll eyes" and you'll find them.
Take care
Dan
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Great pieces of art, made me think about if someone made a model of me as a pig.
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Thank you Mark. I could make you into a pig so long as you fit the criteria. You must plunder the public treasury or enrich yourself at taxpayer expense.
Take care
Dan
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your artwork is a revelation. i have an MFA in painting/printmaking. i haven't done much with art in years. your work inspires and excites me. so many possibilities. thank you so very much.
as for politics...things are much worse than most imagine. we (the people) lost the ship many years ago. there is a tacit agreement between between people who display power (elected officials) and those who actually have it. the last actual leaders who violated that agreement, that would be true leaders, well, you and i are the same age (62)...they were taken from us, and with them went a great deal more.
in any case, i love your work and i am i just finished a paper mache stegasaurus with my 8 yr. old son. it was a 2nd grade project and i think we will get a decent grade.
Very best wishes.
Robert Jackson
jaxoons.com
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