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Problematic US City Flags

Here we have some examples of US City Flags that are just... bad. Whether due to over-complication, too much text (or text that's just too much? Looking at you Baton Rouge), or creating "SoB" (Seal on Bedsheet) flags, these cities deserve better.
Yes, I know that most of them have the city name in the picture. This is intentional public shaming.
Quiz by plattitude
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Last updated: March 8, 2021
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First submittedMarch 8, 2021
Times taken81
Average score83.3%
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+4
Level 52
Mar 8, 2021
If Roswell got a little work, it could become good. San Fran and the Seal-in-the-Middle flags could use some work, too.

Milwaukee just plain-out sucks.

+3
Level 92
Mar 8, 2021
I think my favorite part of the Milwaukee flag is that in the southwest quadrant of the gear, it contains... the previous flag of Milwaukee. I'm a huge fan of this proposed new flag .
+2
Level 52
Mar 8, 2021
That would be so much better, and would definitely rocket it to the top city flags in the nation!
+3
Level 92
Mar 8, 2021
Also, Baton Rouge is close to good. Just move the escutcheon either to center or top left, and remove that train wreck text. To quote vexillologist Ted Kaye : "If you need to write the name of what you're representing on your flag, your symbolism has failed."
+1
Level 28
Jul 4, 2021
I’ve never been more surprised that Detroit isn’t on here!
+1
Level 92
Jul 4, 2021
I don't hate Detroit's flag. The center seal could be cleaned up or removed, but the remaining complexity is balanced by clear symbolism. I am a fan of the"Detroit Rise" flag as well, though.
+1
Level 65
Oct 8, 2021
Roswell isn't bad!
+1
Level 92
Oct 8, 2021
Roswell's is... close. I think the main thing is the choice of colors just outside the main color palette. The end result is a bit lurid.
+2
Level 43
Oct 8, 2021
Wow, I like Milwaukee's flag ;-; lol
+1
Level 71
Oct 10, 2021
Uggh, most of these flags really make me cringe. Totally agree with you on most of them, but I actually rather like Roswell's flag. The only thing that really bothers me about it is how the mountain blends into the background, but I think they made a good use of the New Mexico motif (which I'm rather fond of).

I don't know if you've seen this TED Talk, but if you haven't, you definitely should!

+2
Level 92
Oct 10, 2021
Roswell's flag definitely has its good parts, and I love that it incorporates its State symbology so well. It's really just the color choice that makes it problematic.

Other flags on here have similar high notes--Tampa choosing a non-rectangular shape, San Fran's phoenix icon, St Paul's simplicity--but in the end, they could use a little help. A friend showed me that TED talk right after I published these quizzes for the first time. I learned the Ted Kaye quote I referenced above after hearing Roman Mars quote it in this talk.

+1
Level 89
Mar 28, 2022
One of the only Ted Talks I ever sat all the way through was about flag designs. The guy almost cried talking about them. The absolute bottom of the barrel was Pocatello, Idaho. It was so bad, it was changed because of his publicity.

https://www.ted.com/talks/roman_mars_why_city_flags_may_be_the_worst_designed_thing_you_ve_never_noticed?language=en

Here's the old one: https://www.byui.edu/radio/pocatello-has-the-worst-flag-in-america

+1
Level 50
Jun 13, 2022
Baton Rouge's emblem thing looks cool. They should just eliminate the rest of the flag.
+1
Level 92
Jun 13, 2022
A. Men.

The escutcheon is fascinating, with a fleur de lis of France, the Castile of Spain, and the Victorian era (pre-northern-Ireland-red-diagonals) flag of Great Britain.