NationStates Jolt Archive

little known fact: u.s. states and territories have some of the most god-awful flags ever known to man.

just take a look yourself (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flags_of_the_U.S._states)

but which do you think is the worst? and why?

I like South Carolina's flag. It's very Islamic. :D

Otherwise, Alabama's is pretty boring and Ohio looks like it's trying to be different.

I think they made a mistake with the Mississippi flag. Isn't there supposed to be a swastika and a middle finger in it as well?

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9d/Flag_of_Arkansas.svg/120px-Flag_of_Arkansas.svg.png
Nuff Said.

I've got to admit that NJ's state flag is one of the worst. It looks like our state seal lying in a rectangular puddle of urine.

Hard to decide, but I say Colorado. It looks like it is drawn by a bankrupt beer manufacturer. Arizona, Indiana, Kansas, Ohio and New Mexico come pretty close... Gimmie any monocolour-and-coat-of-arms one over these tacky fantasies any day.

Damn, those are terrible. Does the Hawaiian flag still have the Union Jack on it? And Mississippi still has the Confed flag?

I'd say Maryland (for sheer tastelessness) and Wyoming (for being crap).

Oh, and South Carolina reminds me of an Islamic flag.

I think they made a mistake with the Mississippi flag. Isn't there supposed to be a swastika and a middle finger in it as well?

LOL!

I like South Carolina's flag. It's very Islamic.

Heh, beat me to it. :)

They're all damn ugly! :sniper:

I think they made a mistake with the Mississippi flag. Isn't there supposed to be a swastika and a middle finger in it as well?
Not quite... that's not the Mississippi flag that has that, but the US national flag.

Any of the flags with the state's name on it in huge letters. Arkansas, California, Iowa, Kansas, Montana, Oklahoma, Oregon, and Wisconsin. So tacky.

They're all damn ugly! :sniper:


Not quite... that's not the Mississippi flag that has that, but the US national flag.
No, the US flag needs a big crucifix and Yosemite Sam on it.

http://i2.tinypic.com/qnojo2.gif

They're all damn ugly! :sniper:


Not quite... that's not the Mississippi flag that has that, but the US national flag.

The irony.

i hold a special place in my heart for the washington flag. not only do they want you to know that it represents the state of washington (it says so right on it), but they also are making damned sure that you understand they are named after george washington and not some other washington.

Howland Island. Very unoriginal :p

I'd have to say Alabama, it's just... nothing.

Any of the flags with the state's name on it in huge letters. Arkansas, California, Iowa, Kansas, Montana, Oklahoma, Oregon, and Wisconsin. So tacky.

i think the virgin islands actually do it worse, by just using their initials but in a larger font

Did anyone check out Navassa Island's? That is just... it's just...

I like South Carolina's flag. It's very Islamic. :D

that one ranks as one of my favorites. i'm tempted to try to get them to change their name to fit their flag actually.

Oklahoma's is pretty damn ugly. Next comes Hawaii. It's got a little Union flag on it. I can hate two designs at once. w00t.

Did anyone check out Navassa Island's? That is just... it's just...

one would hope that if they ever decide to make it official, someone will express doubts about representing your island with an actual picture of your island. it just takes away some of the mystery.

Oklahoma's is pretty damn ugly. Next comes Hawaii. It's got a little Union flag on it. I can hate two designs at once. w00t.
I actually thought the map in the background on the Oklahoma one was a pig first. Then again, I'm not wearing my glasses.

Edit: Wait, you're a swede?

I actually thought the map in the background on the Oklahoma one was a pig first.
It's neither. I think it's an Indian shield.

Oklahoma's is pretty damn ugly.

it wouldn't be so bad if they got rid of the name and chose a background that didn't clash so badly. at least their random assortment of stuff in the middle is sort of cohesive. it doesn't have a couple deer boxing over a shield with a dude waving and holding a gun as the sun sets with an eagle acting as the ref while surrounded by various latin phrases.

Next comes Hawaii. It's got a little Union flag on it. I can hate two designs at once. w00t.

hawaii is one of the eye-bleeders. two bad designs that look worse together.

Ohio's flag looks like a decoration at a used car lot.

it wouldn't be so bad if they got rid of the name and chose a background that didn't clash so badly. at least their random assortment of stuff in the middle is sort of cohesive. it doesn't have a couple deer boxing over a shield with a dude waving and holding a gun as the sun sets with an eagle acting as the ref while surrounded by various latin phrases.

Hey now, one is an elk, and one is a moose :p

But yeah, our flag is pretty crap.

I think South Carolina's flag is great, although it is missing some swords and isn't green... :D

I say Alabama. Don't they have any inmagination?

I don't know what I'm talking about but the state of Virginia's flag reeks of homoeroticism... is that a giant dildo he's holding?

Mississippi's flag is stunningly southern and american, texas and puerto rico have ugly flags, and every one with the name of the state on it looks ridiculous.

Also washington's flag, with the picture of george washington...

I always thought that Arizona's flag looked pretty stupid when I lived there. Oklahoma's flag isn't so bad, it's got a peace pipe on it. ;) I kinda like the weird blue it is, it makes it more interesting I think.........

Mississippi's flag is the worst for reasons other than its appearance. The ugliest has got to be Maryland...wtf is that anyway?

I'd say Maryland (for sheer tastelessness) and Wyoming (for being crap).
At least it's original! :p

But yeah, I'm surprised a desktop publisher hasn't had a field day ripping that flag (figuratively), It's one of the busiest designs I've seen on any kind of flag.

I think they made a mistake with the Mississippi flag. Isn't there supposed to be a swastika and a middle finger in it as well?
I like the Mississippi flag. It's kitsch.

Did anyone check out Navassa Island's? That is just... it's just...

No kidding, it looks like a 10 year old made it in MS paint.

i like the maryland flag (and midway atolls good too) but all the ones with crests on are rubbish especially montana and navassa island is terrible

I don't know what I'm talking about but the state of Virginia's flag reeks of homoeroticism... is that a giant dildo he's holding?
All national/state symbols reek of homoeroticism: Phallic symbolism is just a fact of nationalism/statism.
And he is holding the "Thid", an ancient relic invented by John Smith, it is said that whoever holds the "Thid" will get stared at alot when he walks down the street, and somehow this will give him the power to topple nations. It is really a moot point, though, as the This was destroyed when desperate Virginians jury-rigged it as a SAM in order to take out a giant radiocative pigeon.

That said, Florida is easily the worst flag. They just took Alabama's crappy flag and added a seal that looks like something you'd find printed on your grandmother's tea pots.

I don't like the flags with the state seal over blue (Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, etc). They're borrrring, and they all look the same. They should get a nice normal flag.

Almost all of them are quite hideous.

Almost all of them are quite hideous.

true. but you must choose one as the worst of the lot.

Maryland. If they'd just chosen one of those ugly designs, it might not be so bad, but not only are both designs ugly, but they clash with each other. At least Hawaii's designs sort of go together.

What the hell is that yellow thing on the left side of the Wake Island flag?

true. but you must choose one as the worst of the lot.

Maryland, probably. It's just...*shudder*

What the hell is that yellow thing on the left side of the Wake Island flag?

almost certainly a picture of the island (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:WakeIsland.png). but saying it's a penis is funnier. so i vote penis.

Wisconsin couldn't make up its mind as to what to put at the bottom...

FORWARD (state motto) or 1848 (year it became a state)

i don't even know which it is now... i think it's 1848, but i need to check. lol


I like Tennessee's flag... classic Red flag with the blue circle in the middle, and three white stars inside the blue circle.

I've got to admit that NJ's state flag is one of the worst. It looks like our state seal lying in a rectangular puddle of urine.
It's an accurate depiction of NJ.

It's an accurate depiction of NJ.

I'm tempted to beat you with a brick.

Not South Jersey's fault we're attached to the asshole of the world.

All national/state symbols reek of homoeroticism: Phallic symbolism is just a fact of nationalism/statism.
And he is holding the "Thid", an ancient relic invented by John Smith, it is said that whoever holds the "Thid" will get stared at alot when he walks down the street, and somehow this will give him the power to topple nations. It is really a moot point, though, as the This was destroyed when desperate Virginians jury-rigged it as a SAM in order to take out a giant radiocative pigeon.

That said, Florida is easily the worst flag. They just took Alabama's crappy flag and added a seal that looks like something you'd find printed on your grandmother's tea pots.
You know, sometimes I think that you just make these things up! But you wouldn't lie, right?

now with poll!

now with poll!

Huzzah!

Wait, you're a swede?

That depends. When was the last time you saw a vegetable type on a keyboard?

No, don't say Paris Hilton. No.

*shakes head*

Does the Hawaiian flag still have the Union Jack on it?
Hawaii has the union jack from when it was an independent monarchy based on the British form...stripes for the 8 major islands

that said, I have always hated marylands.

That depends. When was the last time you saw a vegetable type on a keyboard?

No, don't say Paris Hilton. No.

*shakes head*
I hate swedes! Y'know.. when they're roast and you think they're chips so you bite into 'em, right? Expecting to find potatoey goodness but no! It's some wierd, wierd thing! Gah! Hate it!

You know, sometimes I think that you just make these things up! But you wouldn't lie, right?
My words are always filled with truthinessof that you can be sure.

I hate swedes! Y'know.. when they're roast and you think they're chips so you bite into 'em, right? Expecting to find potatoey goodness but no! It's some wierd, wierd thing! Gah! Hate it!

Hey, I do not eat my friends. I'm a vegetarian.

What about Louisiana? I mean seriously, how intimidating is a mommy brown pelican with her cute little feathered chicks squawking up at her for a worm? Talk about embarrassing!!!:confused:

Any of the flags that are blue with the state seal. Talk about identikit.

Any of the flags that are blue with the state seal. Talk about identikit.

but some of them are clearly worse than others.

I've never been a fan of California's flag, or Wyoming's. I just hate flags that put animals prominently on them. Come on people.

But Arkansas takes the cake. It scares me a little that a bunch of people thought that was a good design.

but some of them are clearly worse than others.
You're right, at least (say) Nevada and Connecticut are distinctive.

If I had to pick one it would be Kansas. A banal scene that could be practically anywhere in the temperate zones. So they have to stick the name across because it is so anonymous.

Mississippi's flag is the worst for reasons other than its appearance. The ugliest has got to be Maryland...wtf is that anyway?
A banner of arms. Quartering happened in English heraldry when an heiress got married, her coat of arms was quartered with her husband's for their kids.

bump for the holy islamic republic of south carolina

http://img233.imageshack.us/img233/9995/islamiccarolina1ms.png

bump for the holy islamic republic of south carolina

http://img233.imageshack.us/img233/9995/islamiccarolina1ms.png

lmao :p

Maryland's flag is like the flags of German states, which makes it alot more awesome and original than the rest.

Maryland's flag is like the flags of German states, which makes it alot more awesome and original than the rest.

that's sort of my feeling on it too. sure, it makes my eyes hurt, but at least it doesn't just say "maryland" in big letters or have a picture of queen henrietta maria on it.

You're right, at least (say) Nevada and Connecticut are distinctive.
That's not Nevada's seal though.

And actually, for the longest time, that wasn't even the legal flag even though everyone from the govenor to the legislature flew it (Nevada's weird like that).

I personally vote for Alabama. I mean, couldn't they have thought of SOMETHING to put on their flag?

Blob on a bedsheet comes to mind.

i hold a special place in my heart for the washington flag. not only do they want you to know that it represents the state of washington (it says so right on it), but they also are making sure that you understand they are named after george washington and not some other washington.
Amen.

Blob on a bedsheet comes to mind.

[insert tacky joke about "Waiting 'til you're married" here]


I cannot pick one, but I think Washington's easily one of the worst since it looks like it was a three o'clock in the morning job. Though Maryland's flag looks like it was put together by a committee of stoners who couldn't decide on a single design.

I hope noboday voted Ohio...we're shaped like a "W"...how cool is that!?

Maryland's flag is like the flags of German states, which makes it alot more awesome and original than the rest.
if it's like the German state flags, how exactly is it original?

Oh, and technically, the CT flag is our Armorial Bearings, not our seal, which is an oval

http://www.ct.gov/ctportal/cwp/view.asp?a=885&q=246586

I hope noboday voted Ohio...we're shaped like a "W"...how cool is that!?
Somebody has nominated it for the used car lot sale. Personally, I agree with that person: not only is it not cool, it screams "Kid Rock had me for a male g-string".

The California flag looks communist to me.

Oh, and technically, the CT flag is our Armorial Bearings, not our seal, which is an oval

yeah, that makes it much better

Colorodo's flag looks a lot like the Cub's symbol.

yeah, that makes it much better
clearly;)

well, prettier at the very least.

i like the maryland flag (and midway atolls good too) but all the ones with crests on are rubbish especially montana and navassa island is terrible

maryland's flag looks like it should be used to start nascar races or be the print for someones boxer shorts

Mississippi. Hands down.

bump for the holy islamic republic of south carolina

http://img233.imageshack.us/img233/9995/islamiccarolina1ms.png

and again

they all suck beyond beleif. except maryland.

Funny, the ones I hate are all from southeastern states.

LET THE CIVIL WAR SHIT GO!!

The constant rebel references have really got to stop. Get over it, especially you, Mississippi!

The only one that's any good is Hawaii - no flag is complete without the Union Flag being in one corner (or, even better, being the whole flag).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Flag_of_Hawaii.svg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_Hawaii

The only one that's any good is Hawaii - no flag is complete without the Union Flag being in one corner (or, even better, being the whole flag).

at least they resisted any temptation to put a picture of kamehameha, queen emma, or duke on the flag. which is more than you can say for their roads.

bump for the holy islamic republic of south carolina

http://img233.imageshack.us/img233/9995/islamiccarolina1ms.png

once more, with feeling

I thought NY was bad till I saw all the others.

Has to be the red X I think. Maybe they wanted themselves deleted?

Has to be the red X I think. Maybe they wanted themselves deleted?

nah, that's ingenious actually. even if they exceed the bandwidth for their image hosting server, their state flag will remain on their webpages.

little known fact: u.s. states and territories have some of the most god-awful flags ever known to man.

just take a look yourself (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flags_of_the_U.S._states)

but which do you think is the worst? and why?

I'm planning on retiring in Alabama in about 3 years, but I have to vote for them having the worst flag. It is just...well...so plain.

Most of them are pretty boring.

But Maryland gets my vote for being an eye-bleeder.

A good flag is really easy to draw and uses the standard colors. Also it is easy to recognize and has no text.


Following those rules the following are bad:
(Arizona pushes the limit with the dark yellow star but is okay)
Arkansas
California
Connecticut
Delaware
Florida (stop ripping off Alabama you jerks
Georgia
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina (just make the tree stylized; to many little lines)
South Dakota
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming

A good flag is really easy to draw and uses the standard colors. Also it is easy to recognize and has no text.

that may be true. but which one of those 40 has the worst violation then?

that may be true. but which one of those 40 has the worst violation then?
Uhh...

I don't know.

The Washington State flag is boring. The state seal (a picture of George Washington) on a green background.

How about a picture of Mt. Ranier on a clear day? That would be a good flag. I mean, which is cooler, George Washington, or a volcano?

I've never been a fan of California's flag, or Wyoming's. I just hate flags that put animals prominently on them. Come on people.
-snip-
The bear is there because the Californios where afraid of the Grizzly bears so after the successful revolt (where the opposing general welcomed them and invited them in for tea) they raised the hastly made flag (that originally had the bear on its hindlegs.)


The California flag looks communist to me.
The star is there to show solidarity with Texas, for the brief period between the Bear Flag Revolt and becoming a territory there was a notion that California should be its own country. We should have ran with it. The red stripe is because the revolters where Americans (who where told by Fremont that they'd be kicked out of California by the Californios come summer, thus prompting the revolt). Writing the name on the bottom was to accent the Republic part.

And thus ends my pointless local pride induced defence of the California flag-because we never became our own country, we don't get along with Texas, the other states don't like us (just our money and vacation spots) and the Grizzly bear is extinct in California...

-snip-

How about a picture of Mt. Ranier on a clear day? That would be a good flag. I mean, which is cooler, George Washington, or a volcano?
George Washington gripping an eagle with his teeth while clenching a volcano closed with his butt cheecks.

Maryland, and New mexico are rather Horrific

George Washington gripping an eagle with his teeth while clenching a volcano closed with his butt cheecks.

the eagle needs to be holding a banner. it'll read "oh god, george washington's wooden teeth are giving me splinters". but in latin.

oh, and it needs a sunset.

i hold a special place in my heart for the washington flag. not only do they want you to know that it represents the state of washington (it says so right on it), but they also are making damned sure that you understand they are named after george washington and not some other washington.

Here, here; Washington has my vote, too.

Oh, and has anyone here yet mentioned that Texas rocks? Because it does.

Can't find who asked it, but Maryland's is the Calvert Family's coat-of-arms. I think what makes Maryland's flag so awful is the fact that it has to blend in with 40 flags that are just shades of blue with a tiny picture in the middle. Growing up in MD i've seen it in plenty of other settings and actually like it a lot (or else jsut got used to the "eye-bleeding" colors). It would also get originality points with me anyway because of said condition with every other state's flag.

You're missing two categories.

#1: Has the state coat-of-arms, state seal, or state symbol (only if fussy, complex, or multipart) splatted down on it.

#2: Looks like a corporate logo.

I would gleefully have voted for both those categories. BTW, among vexillologists (people who study flags: their design, history, etc.), category #1 above are referred to as "Blue B***hes*" or "Blue B*****ds" --- even if, as happens not infrequently, they are not upon a blue background (vide Massachusetts, New Jersey, Washington, et al.). They are also called "BBs," a more polite term

The need for category #2 was raised by the Minor Outlying Islands, which, other than those using the USA flag, all look like they were made for some bland, PR-obsessed multinational. Blech!

If we cut out, disallow, all BBs, all logos, all flags with writing on them, that leaves very few.

BTW, a flag is supposed to be simple! It is supposed to be recognizable, distinguishable at a distance, whether hanging limply from a flagpole, or twisting, fluttering in the wind. One of the worst things to be said about a flag is that it is "fussy"; that is, too complex, too full or bits & pieces, too much "stuff."

My breakdown, my ratings and opinions, of the state flags. Before anyone gets upset, gets ticked off, please remember; these are my opinions, not Holy Writ.

Good ones:
Alabama --- Good simple design.
Arizona --- Beautiful! Perhaps the best state flag of them all.
Colorado --- Interesting and pretty. The "C" looks like a broken circle, so the prohibition on text can be glossed over in this instance.
Hawaii --- Borderline good; looks odd because of 3 colors distributed over 8 stripes; 2 colors or 4 would work so much better.
New Mexico --- Beautiful, interestingly different. Second only to Arizona.
South Carolina --- Simple, effective design.
Texas --- Another simple, effective design.
District of Columbia --- Nice simple design.
Puerto Rico --- Simple, effective design.


Fair ones:
Alaska --- Nice idea, but in use hard to tell from the BBs.
California --- Get rid of the text and it would be Good. BTW, the star and stripe come from contemporary Czarist Russian military flags, where they (or somethign replacing the star) are common design elements. Don't forget, Russia colonized the north Calif coast for many years.
Georgia --- The wassname in the upper left reduces it from borderline good, to fair. Too many stars to be really good.
Indiana --- Almost a BB. However, removning the stars and the state name would fix it; that's so easy a fix I rate it "fair".
Maryland --- Good heraldry makes for a good flag--except when it's this fussy. Just too much stuff; one quarter or the other would improve it no end.
Missisisppi --- A bit too busy, otherwise OK. NOTE! I'm only talking about designs here; history and social impact are another matter.
North Carolina --- Nearly ranked "poor." So easy to fix, though; remove the banners and the letters.
Ohio --- Interesting idea, but doesn't quite work. Remove the stars and it would be rated "good."
Tennessee --- Get rid of the little vertical stripes at the end, put the stars in less peculiar angles, and it'd rate "good" without question.
American Samoa --- Ditch the red edging, put the eagle in the "displayed" position (as in the USA seal), and it would rate "good."



Poor ones:
Arkansas --- Text, fussy, odd layout. One of the worst.
Connecticut --- Just a BB.
Deleware --- A BB, even with the diamond-shape. Text, too.
Florida --- A BB despite the background.
Idaho --- Another BB.
Illinois --- Although that's not the state seal, this is usually considered a BB. Sort of a dis-honorary BB.
Iowa --- Another dis-honorary BB.
Kansas --- Another BB.
Kentucky --- Another BB.
Louisiana --- Another BB.
Maine --- Another BB.
Massachusetts --- A BB, even if it's on a white background.
Michigan --- Another BB.
Minnesota --- Another BB.
Missouri --- A BB, despite the background.
Montana --- Another BB.
Nebraska --- Another BB.
Nevada --- Another dis-honorary BB.
New Hampshire --- Another BB.
New Jersey --- A BB, even though it's on a yellowish background.
New York --- Another BB.
North Dakota --- Another dis-honorary BB.
Oklahoma --- Another dis-honorary BB. The text makes it worse.
Oregon --- Another BB. BTW, the reverse, the other side, of this flag has a different design! OY!
Pennsylvania --- Another BB.
Rhode Island --- A catalog of "Almosts." The anchor is a nice symbol, but yellow on white makes it invisible in use. Stars are a nice symbol, but not so many of them nor so small, nor yellow on white. The ribbon & text are just bad.
South Dakota --- Another BB.
Utah --- Another BB, or dis-honorary BB; I don't know if that's the state arms/seal, or not.
Vermont --- Another BB.
Virginia --- Another BB.
Washington --- A BB, even if it is on green not blue.
West Virginia --- A BB despite the background.
Wisconsin --- Another BB; big text makes it worse.
Wyoming --- Perhaps the worst state flag of all. The state seal *in outline* on the silhouette of a bison, on blue, with a two-color border. Where's the kitchen sink?
Guam --- Another BB.
Virgin Islands --- Poor color combos (pale blue and yellow on white) that will "disappear" in use, big letters, and the horrible drawing (is that an eagle or a cartoon chicken?). Perhaps worse than Wyoming.
Northen Mariana Islands --- What are those things? I recognize only the star in the middle.
Johnston Atoll --- Looks like a company logo.
Midway Atoll --- Looks like a company logo.
Palmyra Atoll --- Looks like a company logo.
Wake Island --- Looks like a company logo.

All the flags that predominately feature a blue field, excepting North Dakota and Alaska. It gets kinda old after the first fifteen....

Maryland. It looks like it was put together by three-year-old with Down Syndrome. It just clashes.