This is topic Finally! Someone in the world takes the responsibility to grade our flags. in forum Books, Films, Food and Culture at Hatrack River Forum.
The US gets a C+.
Posted by Ron Lambert (Member # 2872) on :
Why does Canada's flag get an "A"? I've heard Canadians refer to their flag as "a nosebleed."
Cartoonish simplicity seems to be one of the criteria used to judge. Flags like that of the U.S. do not get credit for sophistication, where everything on the flag means something specific.
Posted by Laurenz0 (Member # 5336) on :
... At this point i'd love to stick up for the Canadian flag, unfortunately I can't. But I mean really, what flag in the world is any good? And if any American says the American flag...
Posted by Rappin' Ronnie Reagan (Member # 5626) on :
He REALLY doesn't like images on flags, does he? And I would find the site funny if I didn't think he was actually completely serious about it.
Posted by gnixing (Member # 768) on :
he was absolutely right on failing the flags that got an F, but many of the flags that got As didn't deserve them and the American flag is deserving of a higher score. the american flag is a lot less busy than South Africa that got an A and he is inconsistent with his grading of flags with stars, his only 2 complaints about the american flag.
Posted by Hobbes (Member # 433) on :
I completely agree with his "worst flag" choice, but I do think he went a little hard on the VI.
Overall, this site was hilarious!
Hobbes Posted by Taberah (Member # 4014) on :
Some of this site is funny, but the sense of aesthetics is deeply flawed. I won't comment on the grade for the U.S. flag (since I'm very deeply biased), but he upgrades some pathetic flags and downgrades some very attractive flags. I love the Australian flag, for example. I also find most of the Scandinavian flags very attractive as well.
There's just no accounting for taste, I suppose.
Posted by Icarus (Member # 3162) on :
w00t!
Cuba gets an A!
[ June 19, 2004, 01:22 PM: Message edited by: Icarus ]
Posted by Icarus (Member # 3162) on :
quote:Zimbabwe D 40 / 100 Features a hawk sitting on a toilet.
Posted by Megan (Member # 5290) on :
I think the person writing the site is British, but that's only going on the spelling of "colour," the continued mentioning of tea towels, and the complete lack of comment on the flag of the United Kingdom.
Posted by gnixing (Member # 768) on :
i read on his site that he is from new zealand.
Posted by Rappin' Ronnie Reagan (Member # 5626) on :
Huh. He's from Wellington. Hey Kylie, go thwack him for me.
Posted by Eruve Nandiriel (Member # 5677) on :
Jamaica has an awesome flag. I would've given it an A. I think Australia's is pretty cool, too. It should've gotten better than a C. UK has a cool flag, too. No matter what he says about images, Wales has an awesome flag. Scotland too, for that matter. Northern Mariana Islands completely deserved that F. Just. Plain. Hideous.
Posted by loveandpeace (Member # 6625) on :
heh, i think the british flag is the coolest. but anyways, hes pretty harsh on some stupid stuff. how does a big red flag w/ a yellow star get an a?!?!?!? its something people in preschool do.
Posted by Wetchik (Member # 3609) on :
quote: Huh. He's from Wellington. Hey Kylie, go thwack him for me.
Yeah, I'm with Sarah on that one. Thwack him Kylie. Posted by Carrie (Member # 394) on :
Not to sound unpatriotic or anything, but I completely agree with what he said about the US flag. It's extremely busy. 50 stars AND 13 stripes? Sure, they've got historical significance, but that's a lot of stuff to have on one rectangle. I remember commenting on this to a friend in Greece: We were at the Olympic Torch Ceremony (what was that, April?) and the flags of the countries that had previously hosted the Olympics were on display in front of the stadium. Greece, US, France, UK were the four on the right-hand side. When you compare those four flags, the US one looks garish. Really. I wish I'd had this site when we were over there.
As far as individual grading goes, I did think Tunisia's flag should have gotten a higher score.
Posted by Taberah (Member # 4014) on :
quote:Greece, US, France, UK were the four on the right-hand side. When you compare those four flags, the US one looks garish.
Carrie, I'm afraid we just won't see eye-to-eye on this. How can the US flag look garish in contrast to those? It can't be the color choices, since the UK and Franch have the same colors. It can't be the striped pattern--Greece has a very similar pattern, albeit in different colors. It can't be the "busyness" of the flag, since Britain's flag is also busy with three crosses stacked on each other.
Eh, I'm just plain enamored with the American flag. But then, our flag's beauty was ingrained in me long before I had any concept of aesthetics.
Posted by St. Yogi (Member # 5974) on :
Yeah, pledging your allegiance to it every morning can do that.
Posted by Ron Lambert (Member # 2872) on :
How many other flags are as symbolic as the American flag? 13 stripes for the original 13 colonies, and stars on a field of blue for each state. It's a history lesson at a glance, and shows how out of many we became one. Colors all have significance too, such as red for patriot's sacrifice, and blue for loyalty, white for purity of ideals. But then colors can have significance on other flags, as well.
Posted by Icarus (Member # 3162) on :
I bet most flags are symbolic in that way, and we as outsiders simply aren't as aware of it.
For instance, the Trinidadian flag is clearly symbolic of SCUBA diving, and we all know that they have a lot of ocean--and therefore, watersports--around Trinidad. Yet the diagonal bar is black, rather than white, symbolizing the predominant skin tone there. See?!
[ June 19, 2004, 07:52 PM: Message edited by: Icarus ]
Posted by gnixing (Member # 768) on :
yes, the trinidadian flag is clearly symbolic of SCUBA...
[ June 19, 2004, 08:01 PM: Message edited by: Icarus ]
Posted by Raia (Member # 4700) on :
HA! Israel got an A! Posted by Carrie (Member # 394) on :
quote:How many other flags are as symbolic as the American flag? ... But then colors can have significance on other flags, as well.
How very generous of you.
Anyhow, I'm just going to run with the Greek flag for a while, since that's the one I actually know something about. The nine stripes (alternating in blue and white) represent the number of syllables in the national motto: "Eleftheria i Thanatos" (in loosely transliterated Greek), meaning "Freedom or Death." The cross in the corner stands for the importance of Christianity in the foundation of the modern Greek nation and the role it played in Greece under Ottoman rule. The blue and white of the flag represent the sea and its crashing waves; the sea being a huge chunk of Greece's economy (the last numbers I heard sounded something like this: Greece accounts for 2% of the EU's wealth but handles 50% of its shipping).
Yeah, that's vaguely symbolic. But Greece managed to show all this in two colours with 11 items. The US managed 64 things. I just think it's a bit much. Easily identifiable, though Posted by gnixing (Member # 768) on :
icarus, you'd have to know something about SCUBA to pick up on that. i appreciate the link. good observation.
Posted by Sugar+Spice (Member # 5874) on :
Does anyone else find the South African flag reminiscent of men’s Y-front knickers turned sideways? Or is that just me?
[ June 19, 2004, 08:50 PM: Message edited by: Sugar+Spice ]
Posted by Bob_Scopatz (Member # 1227) on :
Libya's flag is inspired.
Posted by gnixing (Member # 768) on :
it's amazing, libya... solid green. no nothing. and it gets a B??? he even comments: "Did you even try?"
Liberia, which is obvious plagiarism of the US flag gets a B because they turned the 50 stars into 1??? and that's an improvement??
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