The things we should... esprit d'escalier!

Thursday, August 04, 2005

Vexillology

OK. This is a new initiative here at Staircase. I will post an image of one of the 50 states' flags, and you's will respond with commentary. We will start with Kansas, my new state. GO!



-m

posted by m at 2:17 PM

4 Comments:

  • OK. Minus several points immediately, because it's one of those lame, unimaginitive midwestern state flags with a smallish, circular crest centered on a navy blue background. It's like midwesterners are too humble and modest to make a big deal of their crest - "Oh..don't pay much attention to that...just a little thing.."

    A few extra fractions of a point because they got kinda bold and put some kind of strange sunflower related symbol atop the crest.

    Also, as I'm sure G-Had will point out, it loses some points because it has the state name spelled out in giant letters across the flag itself. Lame. Isn't a flag supposed to just be an easily identifiable symbol for something? Can you imagine if our nation's flag had the words "The United States of America" written across it in block, yellow text?

    Finally, the crest itself...it loses points, because it has more text in the crest itself...but gains a few of those back because the text is latin: "Ad astra per aspera," but loses them right back because that means "To the stars through difficulties." Come on - what did they do, translate it to Chinese first, and then to Latin?!?

    So then we see some pretty predictable images - a dude plowing, green hills, and the stars to which we shall travel through difficulties, some indistinguishable black shapes, and a steamboat. OK, I guess you can use steamboats, but that's really more Missouri or Mississippi type of symbology, if you ask me.

    Overall, pretty lame. I give it a 3.27 out of 10, with 10 being a really kickass flag, such as Nepal.

    -m

    By Blogger m, at 2:42 PM  

  • Okay, this flag violates several of *my* rules (http://blacklinefish.blogspot.com/2005/08/flags-that-suck.html#flagrules). It has words, which really brings it down (like Montana, Oregon, and Wisconsin). Also, a 10-year-old would have difficulty creating an accurate flag because the seal is so complicated.

    I do give it some bonus points for all of those stars. I am going to guess that there are 34 of them to represent Kansas entry into the Union. I like symbolism in flags (my rule #7).

    Are those mountains I see in the seal? Maybe this was some type of early false advertising to get people from Kentucky to move further west.

    I agree with m that the sunflower is nice at the top. I think the flag could be redesigned with that as a motif (but no where near as busy).

    So, on a scale of 1 (Libya) to 10 (Macedonia), I give this flag a 2.4

    --gh

    By Blogger BlackLineFish, at 2:30 AM  

  • As a former Kansan, I've got to agree with a lot of the critiques already put forth. Spelling out the state name is redundant if you've designed a cool flag. Also, as several others have commented, I've always hated the crappy state seal on a blue background approach. Couldn't they come up with something new for the flag? Too lazy to think up a new idea? Flags should be visually distinguishable from a distance. I guess it wins a few points back for the big letters for that, but not very many. Bonus points for not being ashamed to point out the fact that they're a farm state, and not trying to "balance" the portrait with some lame skyline of, um... Topeka or something. I agree, the "mountains" are a little exaggerated, but E. Kansas anyway has some nice rolling hills, so I can't fault them for wanting to point that out to everyone who thinks Kansas looks like a tabletop.

    By Blogger DrSchnell, at 12:45 PM  

  • It was suggested to me that maybe the mountains in the distance were Colorado's, symbolizing that it's so flat, you can see alllll the way there. Tricky advertising ploy...

    By Blogger girl, at 2:07 PM  

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