News

AOL And Yahoo Will Now Be Known As "Oath"

by Seth Millstein
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images News/Getty Images

The fact that AOL and Yahoo! are merging has been public knowledge for quite some time now, but the moniker that the new company will go under has always been a mystery. That is, until Monday, when AOL CEO Tim Armstrong finally revealed the name of the highly-anticipated merger. And that name is Oath. As you might have guessed, the decidedly interesting rebrand was immediately commented on by just about the entire Internet with scores of quality memes about Oath, Yahoo, and AOL.

"Billion+ Consumers, 20+ Brands, Unstoppable Team," Armstrong declared on Twitter. "#TakeTheOath. Summer 2017."

It's unclear what exactly "taking the oath" entails. It's equally unclear why AOL and Yahoo! opted for the name. Quite a few people compared it to Tronc, the equally-strange name that Tribune Publishing adopted in 2016. But at least "Tronc" meant something — it stood for Tribune Online Content, supposedly — and sounded kind of like a fun video game or toy or something. "Oath," meanwhile, is decidedly not fun. It's deadly serious, not terribly inviting, and doesn't seem to have anything to do with technology.

As such, Twitter had a field day. Here are some of the best Oath memes out there, courtesy of the good folks of Twitter.

1. April Fool's?

It's true. Unfortunately, it was no joke.

2. Someone Had To

Oath yes they did!

3. Not Appealing To The Youngsters

"Oath" certainly doesn't have a young, hip feel to it.

4. Oath Mail

"Oath Mail" sounds a bit too much like "oatmeal" to take seriously.

5. Shoulda Snagged That Twitter Handle

This is what happens when you name your company after a common word that's already been registered as a Twitter name.

6. The Academy Award-Winning Film

Yes. Yes it does.

7. Outdoing The Chicago Tribune

Tronc was a bad name, sure. But Tronc ain't got nothing on Oath.

8. Privacy Concerns

Zing!

9. Is "Oath" A Death Metal Band?

Because it sounds like a death metal band.

10. Or Maybe It's Something You Spray

Cologne. Definitely a cologne.

11. Let's Show Some Respect

Ouch.

12. #TakeTheOath

"Be careful, Oath is watching!"

13. What Do You Call Someone Who Works At Oath?

Someone who continues working there, meanwhile, is now an Oath Keeper.

14. When Bad Meets Worse

So get those Troth jokes ready, everybody.

15. Imagine What That Looks Like On A Billboard

Because you'll probably see it on one.

16. Alternative Proposals

Not gonna lie — I'd be stoked to have an @oops.com email address.

17. Opting Out

It's true. Nothing will ever beat Tronc jokes.

Still, maybe it's too soon to judge the merger. After all, Oath is only a name, but that doesn't mean the jokes won't keep flowing in.