"Young Americans" (mis)use the flag

Sheila Pree Bright’s “Young Americans” is a photo essay which seeks to capture national identity among young Americans. The work, published in 2009 on CNN.com’s “Living” segment[1], portrays youngsters between the ages of 18 and 25 using the American flag to explore and express their identity. Bright’s art has aggravated Americans like army veteran Dave Jackson, of the online journal, Scoop. Reacting to the photo-shoot, Jackson insists[2] that some of the portrayals of “American”-ness in the photo essay are disgraceful, insulting and disrespectful. And some of the photographs are certainly uncommon and daring, bordering on the misuse of the flag. However, the photographs need to be placed in context of the testimonials of each of the individual subjects. It is only through understanding the intent behind each individual expression (i.e. each individual photograph) that the photo essay can be read as more than just vulgar and dishonorable handling of this symbol of national pride.


Ostensibly, as Dave Jackson points out, only some of the pictures (Jackson singles out Kirstin Alexis Kucks and Amy C. Ashton) seem to comply with the national flag code. In others, the flag is represented much more informally. One young lady drapes the flag as a blanket, another fashions it into ethnic / traditional garb, Madelyne Oliver goes so far as to wear it as a hijab. To Jackson, these photos are a sad indictment of the un-patriotic youth of America. This criticism however is perhaps too harsh. The fashioning of the flag into a traditional outfit seems to be a unifying, rather than a divisive sign – the synthesis and convergence of two identities rather than the privileging of one over the other.


This comfortable middle-ground however, falls through in the much bolder photograph of David Gutierrez, who seems to be ‘purging’ the flag from his system. It is almost impossible to remain unaffected by such a representation of American identity. However, the photo by itself only conveys half the story. Each photograph (atleast on the website) is accompanied by a short interview explaining what it means for the subject to be American. Gutierrez’s testimony expresses concern about multi-ethnicity, its place and reception in America. His interview contextualizes the (mis)use of the flag. And within this context, the flag is transformed from a symbol of national identity to a symbol of individual expression.


Each of these youngsters only seems to be using the flag to represent the issue / idea that was the most important to them. The flag itself then, becomes a ‘prop’ through which individual identity is represented. Thus understood, the intent rather than the manifestation is foregrounded. Without this context, the photographs may seem offensive and insensitive. However, it is only within this context – only when the viewer focuses on intent – that these specific representations of the flag can be understood as a reasonable exercise of the right to freedom of expression.


Aishwarya G.



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[1] See the photo essay: http://www.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/07/03/young.americans.bright/index.html
[2] See: http://blog.scoop0901.net/life/photographer-shows-young-americans-and-flag-at-cnn/