Wearing A Flag On Your Head - Television Tropes & Idioms

In America!

Bandit Keith: You're not American! You're not even wearing a flag on your head!

Yu Gi Oh The Abridged Series

Displaying a flag like a banner, such as the American flag, is the typical way to show a flag. In fact, we've Seen It A Million Times, in America.

Basically, it's become a cliche. Anyone can show off a flag like that... if they have a pole and a way to secure the flag to it. These days, there are plenty of better ways to show off flags, especially the American flag.

Perhaps you can paint the flag all over your car, preferably an American made car. Or you can get a tattoo. But unless it's a tattoo of the American flag, you may want to just paint it on for sporting events (and if it is of the American flag, you may want an easily hidden one for when you travel overseas). Or you can make clothing out of the flag. That way you know your clothes are made in America (along with the added satisfaction of breaking the law and maybe not getting punished for it if it's an actual flag)!... as long as it's the American flag.

Heck, why stick with the same old flag designs? Flags change all the time, like the American flag. Perhaps you can have some fun with the flag, and put your cool new design on a T-shirt. I'd say "an American made T-shirt", but we all know that now T-shirts are made in China!

Particularly amusing is the ubiquitous use of the American flag for all this, when the US flag code has such great lines as: 'The flag should not be used as "wearing apparel, bedding, or drapery" ', and 'The flag should not be used as part of a costume or athletic uniform'. Since the Flag Code does not have the force of law, and since the American Supreme Court has said things like flag burning are protected free speech, this does nothing to stop any of the more creative uses of the American flag.

You must make sure that your flag is displayed correctly, however, because flying an American flag upside-down is a way to call for help, and you don't want to look pathetic while wearing your flag, do you? In America!

Either way, have fun with your cool way to show off your flag, but it helps if your flag has a cool design in the first place, like the American flag does. Some flags that are not American just have a bunch of stripes. You can't do much with that. Also, you should first make sure this is actually legal in your country, like America!

Examples

Australia

Unfortunately, thanks to a few idiot politicians like Pauline Hanson, racist yobbos have taken to wearing the Australian flag as a cape while beating up minorities and generally being a menace to society and disgrace to said flag. Beating the daylights out of these yobbos and removing their flags is entirely encouraged. Perhaps they would be nicer if they wore American flags.

Brazil

Brazil banned bikinis with the national flag print a few years back. Does this mean it's okay to wear bikinis with the American flag on them?
- As noted by my also-American friend when watching the 2008 Olympics, this may be because the standard abbreviation for Brazil is "BRA".
José Carioca is very subtle about it◊, although not so subtle as to use the AMERICAN flag.

Canadian Flag

The old (late 80s/early 90s) Alpha Flight uniforms had a maple-leaf motif on them, making them look like the flag of Canada, which is right to the the north of The United States Of America!
Canadian travelers abroad used to sew the Maple Leaf on their backpacks so as not to be confused for Americans. Nowadays this seems to be more common among American travelers pretending to be Canadian while not in America.
- "Real" Canadian travelers can now be identified by comparing spill-proof travel mugs. If it's from Tim Hortons (a ubiquitous coffee chain found almost exclusively in Canada), you've got a genuine Canuck.
  - Or an American with a credit card.
  - This troper is pretty sure he once went to a Tim Horton's in America!
  - Many can be found in Australia as well.
  - Tim Hortons exists in the Norhtern part of the USA (including my home state of New York) So several people I know have the aforementioned travel mugs, making the point invalid.
In Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Abridged Series, Bandit Keith wears one after the credits of the episode where he admits he's actually Canadian... IN (North) America!
- The show actually takes place in in Japan. So he's a Canadian pretending to be an Eagleland American while living in Japan. So Yeah.
There are also various Canadian superheroes like Captain Canuck and the like and wear the Maple Leaf with pride to show that they're the toughest Canadian not called Wolverine there is in North America.
In Axis Powers Hetalia, Canada puts a sticker of his flag on his forehead to distinguish himself from America, since no one ever noticed him. (If they did, they mistaken him for America.) However, America sticks the American flag on his head saying it makes him more awesome.
Canadianman in Kinnikuman's entire costume is patterned after the flag of his home and native laaaaaaand. His special moves include the Canadian Backbreaker and swinging an axe like a lumberjack.
In Age Of Mythology, entering the code "O CANADA" will give you a bear that shoots lasers and wears a Canadian flag cape.

Confederate Flag

The General Lee's paint job, although it reminds me of a shameful chapter in American history. Why did cars in the 1970s have to be so ugly?
Gorgeousman from Kinnikuman Nisei wears the Confederate flag as his costume.
There's also a Captain Confederacy comic book. Knowing the independent comic landscape in the 80s, which is when it seemed to have been published, it's not unlikely that it came out only in America.
The [[G.I. Joe]] Cross-Country wears a confederate flag belt buckle. A later toy featured him in a Civil War Confederate jacket with the flag printed on the back, and the aforementionned belt buckle.
This trope is quite common in Real Life....in southeastern AMERICA! (and oddly enough, even other regions...in America!)
- This is due to the romanticism attached to the Confederate battle flag. Display of the Confederate civil flag is much more respectful and acknoledges both the good and bad aspects of the Confederacy...in theory. In practice, a few people who do it tend not to acknowledge the 'bad' parts.

Estonia

At one famous anti-Soviet rally in Estonia, because flying their traditional blue, black, and white flag was forbidden by law, they instead flew three flags: a blue flag, a black flag, and a white flag. Good thing we don't have to do this in America. But we could if we wanted to. Because it's America!

European Union

It is not a country, but this does not mean that no embarrassing nationalism exists, such as in the form of Captain Euro, who is in no way related to the infinitely manlier Captain America.
- If you walk around with a Dutch flag in the Netherlands (or much, much, worse: an American flag) though, you will very likely be called a nationalist.
  - If you walk around with a Spanish flag in Spain, you will be called a fascist.
In Nextwave, Elissa Bloodstone famously wore an EU t-shirt on one of the team's excursions, eventually causing her to say "Victim? Do you think this letter on my chest stands for America?!"
- Ooh, Ultimate Cap isn't going to like that...

Finland

In Finland it is illegal to burn flags. That is, not just the Finnish national flag, but also any national flag, like the American flag. It's not enforced, but it's in the law. Also, there are the laws about when you can fly it. The only time you can fly it all night is the Midsummers Eve, which is also the national day dedicated to the flag, and above the arctic circle, the day when the sun doesn't set for the night.

Germany

Schwarz Bruder from G Gundam wears a mask with the color arrangement of the flag of Germany. Perhaps if he wore an American flag pattern instead, he wouldn't have died.

Japanese Flag

Soldiers often wore their nation's flag as headbands. Of course they never looked as good as American flags.
Samurai Goroh from F-Zero wears a Japanese flag on his head, as does his son Daigoro. Good to see he's taking fashion tips from me, in America.
Saber Rider: The leader of the group has a headband with a red dot, like the Japanese flag. In the American version, it became a fireball, and a westerner became the supposed leader, because that's what we want to see in our American cartoons.
A headband with the rising sun seems to be a standard motif. Why can't we wear headbands with the American flag on them?
The launch version of the Honda Fit's trunk badge had the "I" dotted with a rising sun. When Honda launched the Fit in America (after four years of dawdling!) it was changed to a blue dot for whatever reason.
- Obviously it was done for this troper, the owner of a 2008 Fit whose favorite color is blue. Even the Japanese must acknowledge the power...of America.
Pom Pom, when showing of his mastery of martial arts, suddenly acquires a Japanese flag headband... IN AMERICA.
Quick Kick, GI Joe's Japanese-Korean-American martial arts expert, often wore a Japanese flag headband.

Mexico

There was a case in which Paulina Rubio, a pop singer, caused controversy because of a picture taken from her only covered with the flag. In the American continent, this is considered disrespectful to it and illegal.
- A similar instance occurred with the Burger King restaurants in Spain. The publicity in question was about a cowboy and some other guy dressed in a sarape with the Mexican flag on it, promoting the "Texican Burger".
Juan Escutia, one of the Niños Héroes, is often shown throwing himself from the Chapultepec Castle, wrapped in a Mexican flag to prevent the American troops from taking it.
DC Comics once introduced a bunch of international heroes in their Annuals one year, including three new Mexican heroes. Most of the heroes had their national flag as the background of their book's cover. Since it's illegal for anyone to use the Mexican flag in anything but an official capacity, DC had to change the cover of the book when it was released in Mexico. The cover ran unaltered... in America.
- Also of note is the Janissary, a Turkish heroine whose costume resembled her country's flag by literally utter coincidence; it's a relic from the age of Camelot.

Norway

Even though Norway is not America, they have rules about how to treat their flag. I'm not sure if these are laws or merely guidelines, like in America.
- Not up before 8.00, always down before 21.00
- Always down in rain, snow, hail etc. or when it becomes dark.
  - Exception to the above, in the northern-most counties, it can be flagged 10.00-15.00, even in the dark, but it cannot be flagged earlier or later.
- Folded so that only the red part of the flag shows (This also applies to Sweden, and presumably Denmark)
  - Which is tricky, because Sweden's flag doesn't even have a red part. Though America's does.
- Must never touch the ground. If it does, honourably destroy it.
  - A dishonoured flag is cut along the seams and burnt.
In Pushing Daisies, the Norwegian detectives have a SUV-based lab painted with the Norwegian flag, and always dress in jackets that make them look like they're members of the Norwegian Olympic Team. Disappointingly, the American detectives do not follow suit.

Quebec

In SSX Blur, Felix Levesque wears a hat with a strong Quebecois flag motif, implying that he is a separatist or nationalist from that region of Canada, a nation in North America.

Soviet

"Cold War" is one of the unlockable camouflage suits in Metal Gear Solid 3. It's a combat suit with the entire front end painted in a Soviet flag while the back is covered with an American flag. The joke is that since the enemy soldiers are Russian, they will hesitate to shoot you when you're facing them with their flag showing, but will be more than happy to shoot as soon as you turn around and reveal the American flag.
- There are also unlockable face paints of the flags of various countries, including the United States, Great Britain and the Soviet Union... In Soviet Russia!
- In Soviet Russia, flag wears you.

Stars And Stripes

Wearing a flag on my head is what makes me such a memorable character, in America.
As seen in the page picture, Lord TNK made a comic showing off his cool flag designs, and they're all American flags.
The two heroines of the film Dick make flag bikinis for themselves at the end, in America.
Captain America's shield: great shield or the greatest shield?
- Being a spoof of Captain America, an American spoof, Major Glory from Dexters Laboratory has a costume with a flag motif.
  - The latter gets taken to it's logical conclusion upon being beatened by a Tournament Big Bad in Dial M for Monkey, the man waves Major Glory's unconscious body so he does look like a flag. An American flag!
- Not to mention the dozens of other heroes with a flag motif to their costume, from Marvel's own Superpatriot, Defender, Jack Flagg, Free Spirit, Patriots I and II, the Spirit of '76, etc, to DC's Shield, Commander and Citizen Steel (not to mention the original Steel), Agent Liberty, Major Victory, and Uncle Sam himself.
- In Earth X, Cap wears an actual flag in place of his uniform shirt (he still seems to have the old pants). He's probably not in violation of the Flag Code anyway—President Osborne (yes, that Osborne) has introduced a new, kinda ugly, flag.
In City Of Heroes, Statesman apparently used to wear a US flag as his cape, but removed it after the First Rikti War, and later shifted to another design with similar colors but not the same design. What a disgrace for an American!
- The full story is, he removed his cape to replace the American flag atop Paragon City Hall, and in respect to Hero 1 (mentioned below). This is used as the in-game justification for why characters cannot wear a cape until they reach level 20 and do a specific mission to earn one.
In the Midori No Hibi manga, foreign exchange student Lucy wears American flag underwear. Wow, so do I... um, no I don't. You didn't hear me say that, in America.
- This troper has actually seen these on sale in Japan. I shit you not◊. There's even a matching bra, an American one.
  - Back in 1997, this troper bought an American flag bathing suit...in America.
We can't forget Apollo Creed's shorts in Rocky, one of the greatest American movies ever.
- There is also his TNA Expy Consequences Creed
Contrary to popular belief, Hulk Hogan did not normally wear the American flag. But Lex Luger and Kurt Angle have, which means that this does still get used in Professional Wrestling in America. On the other hand, WWE had a stable called the Un-Americans, who wore an upside-down American flag as their logo to show how very not American they were.
Nuke, a drug-fueled super-tough Super Soldier hired by the Kingpin to take out Daredevil, had the American flag tattooed on his face. He also took pills, red ones to rile him up, blue ones to bring him down, and white ones to sedate him completely. At one point, while flying in an airplane, he violently insisted on knowing whether the beer he was about to drink was brewed... in America.
Wonder Woman pretty much walks around in a star spangled bathing suit, even though she's technically not an American.
- But she chose to come to America, and now lives in America. Because even a tropical paradise full of hot women was not as good... As America.
- This is explained in the comics that Steve Trevor's mother crashlanded on the Amazon's island in the 1940s, died helping the inhabitants and thus was a honored hero whose American Flag patch was considered in her personal crest. Furthermore, the God Ares had Steve Trevor manipulated to try to bomb the Amazons in part because he couldn't resist the irony of their great hero's son killing them. When Diana stopped the military pilot's attempt (which he tried to break off, but was attacked by his evil copilot) and saw his US Flag patch, she decided she had to go to the USA.
When you're as America as Stephen Colbert, an American flag is the only◊ clothing you need.
Abby Hoffman wore American flag print shirts, something that got him beat up by policeman because "people died for that flag".
Leonard Apollo in Eyeshield 21 wore an American flag tie during the NASA Aliens' game ith the Deimon Devil Bats in Japan. He's such a dick that he probably only did it to rub it into the Japanese peoples' faces, especially considering how racist he was. It's sort of hard to believe that such a huge racist could have gotten so far in America.
Guile from Street Fighter has a tattoo of the American flag on both of his arms.
Tiffany from Rival Schools wears very revealing cheerleading outfits patterned after the American flag. Now that's the kind of girl I'd cheer for... in America!
Amanda Tapping caused a small controversy by posing for a magazine wearing nothing but an American flag.
- Which is funny, considering that she's an English-born Canadian...in America! However, the Rule Of Sexy applies: Amanda Tapping is HOT.
Candi Suxx from Grand Theft Auto Vice City also wears nothing more than a American flag themed bikini.
A member of the American team in the Yakitate Japan-manga was wearing an American flag themed bikini while on the deserted island.
As noted above, this is a common occurrence in Kinnikuman, but this happens most often with American characters like The Rigany or Mr. American.

Union Jack

In City Of Heroes, the legendary Hero One wore this flag as a cape... in America.
- He still does, only it's a bit tattered after his... adventures... in the Rikti home dimension.
One thing that's technically illegal in the UK is writing on the flag - the horizontal arm of the cross seems perfect for it. Local government authorities occasionally bring civil actions, for example against traders showing a flag with "Buy British" written on it - but mostly don't because of the adverse headlines that would be generated. Likewise, a blind eye is generally turned to the quantities of Union Jacks at football games with the name of a club written across. Looks like they can't be consistent in enforcing their own laws, just like America.
Rose's Union Jack T-shirt in Doctor Who episodes "The Empty Child" and "The Doctor Dances", which were aired in America, so I was able to watch them. Rose ends up hanging from a barrage balloon in the middle of a German air raid and notes that it perhaps wasn't such a good idea.
This flag design◊ originated from a poll to design a version of the flag with a dragon on it to represent Wales; clearly the Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann fan-base (some of whom are American) got hold of it.
Doug Swallow was said to wear a shirt with this design in Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney: Trials and Tribulations, a game that's available in America. Phoenix testified that he was wearing the shirt, but when Doug was killed he was wearing a jacket that covered the shirt. It became a bit of a problem for the case.
And once more, Professional Wrestling provides an example, as "The British Bulldog" Davey Boy Smith usually wore the Union Jack on his tights, even when wrestling in America.
Danielbeast from lonelygirl15 wears Union Jack boxers, but only when he has no alternative, like American flag boxers.
Amanda Holden wore a gorgeous dress mimicking the Union Jack to the finale of the 2008 Britains Got Talent, which did not air in America.
- Geri Halliwell◊ did it first.
Captain Britain. Sure his outfit hasn't always been a perfect Union Jack design, but it's meant to invoke the image. Maybe he's not as memorable as Captain America.
- In the new Captain Britain and MI:13 series, after dying the good Captain is resurrected by Merlin - who pulls his body together out of British flags, in order that he be one symbol representing many, like the flag itself.
- Union Jack, as the name suggests, even more so. Union Jack was in The Invaders, with Captain America.
Tim Brook-Taylor of The Goodies often wore the flag◊ not only as a vest but flag boxers too.
Austin Powers' car, in a movie that was technically made in America.
Steve Fox from the Tekken games, as an Englishman, has one costume featuring Union Flag trunks. Umm... in America.
The Union Jack became somewhat of a symbol of the band Def Leppard thanks to some iconic clothing worn in their early music videos back when MTV actually showed videos. Funny how at that time the band wasn't very popular in their home country of Britain, but they topped the charts...in America.
There is a Finnish James Bond parody where Bond (played by Heikki Kahila who is better known as a newscaster and unknown in America) is wearing Union Jack underpants.
In the Goon Show (China Story), Neddie Seagoon comments: "As I walked the streets, people seemed to know I was British. Was it my manner? My bearing? Or was it the six-foot floodlit Union Jack draped around my head?"
In SSX 3, Brit Moby Jones' default costume has him wearing a shirt with a dicolored Union Jack on it... and one of his helmets displays the Jolly Roger. But no American flags.
- One of his later costume options has him shirtless, revealing a giant Union Flag pattern tattooed on his entire upper body. That's one patriotic guy. And a tough one, too; it takes a real man to brave the tundra of Alaska, which is in America, without a shirt on just to show your national pride.
Bear Grylls of Man Vs Wild, a show popular in America, wears Union Jack undies.
Jenny Sparx of The Authority wears a Union Flag T-shirt. In America.
Billy Kane of the King Of Fighters series often wore overalls with a Union Flag on them in the original Fatal Fury games; Naturally, the question of why he lives in America if he likes the UK so much goes unaddressed.
- As of Real Bout Fatal Fury he ditches the overalls in favor of a punk-rocker look, and instead of having a nondescript bandanna on his head, it's now a Union Jack flag.
The Hero in Fable wears Union Flag underpants. Because American ones just wouldn't make sense, in Albion!
During the Tribute to Freddy Mercury concert in 1991 Axl Rose from Guns N' Roses wore a Union Jacket. His Guilty Gear British counterpart Axl Low wears a Union Jack shirt.
Once again in Kinnikuman we have The Jack, a minor, minor, minor choujin who failed to graduate from the Hercules Factory and literally wears the Union Flag over his entire head.
Mad Mod.

...in AMERICA!!

We Will Not Have Pockets In The Future

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