Why is American patriotic imagery so unaesthetic?

[Meursault]

From the colors of the flag (insipid and busy) to the clothes often worn by dime-store nationalists (grotesque tees with the text of the Declaration of Independence printed on them, for instance), American conservative politics are loud and gaudy and dumb. Why is that?

[Simfan34]

Because all the cool hipster graphic design people aren't into that sort of thing.

Also the flag is quite nice. The color scheme is perfectly fine. That is a silly line of argument.

[Meursault]

The flag is uglier than dogsh**t.

Christ, I wish I lived in Europe.

[World politics is up Schmitt creek]

What colors do you prefer for flags?

[Meursault]

Black and white - scarlet - grey - violet - magenta - crimson.

[World politics is up Schmitt creek]

You lost me at 'magenta'. I agree that somewhat darker and more subdued shades of red are generally nicer to look at than what the American flag loses.

[Franzl]

As much as the constant, omnipresent patriotism in the US annoys me...the colors of the flag aren't to blame. I don't find it any worse than most other flags, it's just that you're forced to look at it at every second street corner.

[angus]

From the colors of the flag (insipid and busy) to the clothes often worn by dime-store nationalists (grotesque tees with the text of the Declaration of Independence printed on them, for instance), American conservative politics are loud and gaudy and dumb. Why is that?

I've wondered about that myself.  Well, that sort of thing.  Not so much the colors of the flag or the dime-store nationalists with the declaration, because I don't really have a problem with those, but the eagle with a tear and the tattoes of an eagle carrying a pig and the wife-beater shirts in black with a bald eagle in front of a waving flag and all that I find tacky.

I don't know the answer to why the sort of kitschy nationalistic print media sell so well, but my guess is that it might have something to do, at least indirectly, with Nixon's Southern Strategy.  By the mid-70s you pretty much have a built-in print/airbrush market.  All you have to do is replace Farah Fawcett Majors in a bikini with the flag and crying eagles.  All you have to do is sell the program.  Plus, it sells votes.  American flags reminds us of the Republic for which it stands, which reminds us to vote for Nixon, which reminds us to vote for Reagan, which reminds us to vote for Bush, etc.  The aesthetic doesn't matter any more.  (To be fair, it's not different that the "Keep Calm and jack off" or "BaZinGa.  Woot.  I watch nerds on TV" or whatever the kids are wearing nowadays...  Same idea.  Market an idea in a place already saturated by the concept of print on shirts and you have most of your work done for you.)  The special benefit of the nationalistic message in such markets is that it helps to get your guys elected, even while they're screwing the same mulleted, wife-beating, pot-smoking guys who wear the wife beaters.  Pretty clever, if you ask me.

[Starbucks Union Thug HokeyPuck]

From the colors of the flag (insipid and busy) to the clothes often worn by dime-store nationalists (grotesque tees with the text of the Declaration of Independence printed on them, for instance), American conservative politics are loud and gaudy and dumb. Why is that?

Because hard right conservatives are loud and gaudy and dumb...

[H. Ross Peron]

Probably largely because American patriotism is far more individualistic and capitalistic than the varying forms of European nationalism-hence gaudy rubbish such as American flag bikinis being considered a sign of showing one's devotion to the country. Note also the fact that the United States is one of the few countries where the national anthem is regularly sung by individuals rather than a choir.

[Hatman 🍁]

The US flag is a bit busy, but it is very iconic. The true problem are US state flags.

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

It didn't used to be. I find the aesthetic of the early republic to be very rich. 

Probably largely because American patriotism is far more individualistic and capitalistic than the varying forms of European nationalism-hence gaudy rubbish such as American flag bikinis being considered a sign of showing one's devotion to the country. Note also the fact that the United States is one of the few countries where the national anthem is regularly sung by individuals rather than a choir.

How does that gaudiness compare to what you might see at a European football match?   I think the difference is more that the patriotic aesthetic in America is more accessible and overly familiar. Nationalism is assumed in America, whereas in other contemporary mass market democracies maybe nationalism takes a bit of convincing, so people have to be more creative.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

Because anything that even vaguely evokes pride in one's country instinctively annoys you. Were you in any other country, you would have the same reaction.

[Meursault]

This is because "my country" is an utterly arbitrary machination anyway.

[Maxwell]

This is because "my country" is an utterly arbitrary machination anyway.

Basically.

[dead0man]

While I agree that people that are just a little too patriotic are annoying, aren't helping and are generally a joke I also think it's silly to make fun of the group for being "loud, gaudy and dumb".  Lots of groups of people are loud, gaudy and dumb and not all of them are hard right wing conservative.  Hell, some of them aren't even white!

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

No one who favors insipid bicolors and tricolors, whether they be vertical or horizontal, has any right to criticize the design of the US flag.  Only the UK, the Nordic countries, Albania, Macedonia, and Turkey have decent flags in Europe.  The Czech, Montenegrin, and Portuguese flags are better than the typical European flag, but not quite decent.  Bosnia and Kosovo try, but fail to improve upon a typical European flag while Cyprus has a flag as insipid as some of the US state flags that are blue with a state seal on them.

[Simfan34]

While I agree that people that are just a little too patriotic are annoying, aren't helping and are generally a joke I also think it's silly to make fun of the group for being "loud, gaudy and dumb".  Lots of groups of people are loud, gaudy and dumb and not all of them are hard right wing conservative.  Hell, some of them aren't even white!

Indeed, most people where I live who fit that description are not white, but that's almost certainly a function of where I live.

[Marnetmar]

The flag is uglier than dogsh**t.

Christ, I wish I lived in Europe.

Good riddance to you too. If you want to move out of the U.S because you don't like the flag's colors or due to a minor faction of nationalistic tea party nuts, you really need to re-evaluate your life. Meanwhile, I'll be over here enjoying one of the most beautiful, ethnically diverse countries in the world and I'll actually be trying to do something about the issues that it has.

[Meursault]

Does my absence of patriotic sentiment huwt your feewings, my wilting violet friend?

[World politics is up Schmitt creek]

Does my absence of patriotic sentiment huwt your feewings, my wilting violet friend?

In fairness to him you are making yourself out in this thread to be a lot shallower about this than I think you probably actually are.

[Phony Moderate]

Because anything that even vaguely evokes pride in one's country instinctively annoys you. Were you in any other country, you would have the same reaction.

Probably the case for myself, but I have observed that some of those who claim patriotism day in and day out are some of the least 'patriotic' people around.

[dead0man]

Does my absence of patriotic sentiment huwt your feewings, my wilting violet friend?

In fairness to him you are making yourself out in this thread to be a lot shallower about this than I think you probably actually are.

You've met this poster before right?

[The Simpsons Cinematic Universe]

By no means is the color scheme unique. Red/white/blue is a very common color scheme for flags. Some countries, like the Netherlands, at least have another "patriotic" color though.

[Indy Texas]

By no means is the color scheme unique. Red/white/blue is a very common color scheme for flags. Some countries, like the Netherlands, at least have another "patriotic" color though.

I've never understood why the Netherlands replaced orange with red on their flag. Orange is such an underrepresented color in national flags and would be so much more distinctive. I have a hard time distinguishing their current flag from Luxembourg's.