Posted by Staff on 07/04/2012 at 10:03 AM Photos, Videos

The Popdust Files: adam levine, american flag, christina aguilera, july 4th, justin bieber, katy perry, lil wayne

Though the American flag may be best employed as a display of patriotism and civic pride, that doesn’t mean it can’t also be used for less noble purposes. Most of the pop artists here probably had good intentions with their wardrobe and staging choices when using the stars and stripes here, but ended up making or national emblem look more than a little bit ridiculous. Which is OK by us—for when you get down to it, what does the American flag represent if not our country’s right to make questionable fashion and staging choices? U-S-A! U-S-A!

Busta Rhymes shows off his kinda freaky gunz with this American flag tanktop at last weekend’s BET Awards.

Hey, Ke$ha, you got some flag on your face.

Well, at least it wasn’t just a strategically placed sock that Red Hot Chili Pepper Anthony Kiedis used to show his pride in the Red, White and Blue.

Does the flag have anything to do with “Born to Die”? Probably not. Did it get Lana Del Rey another couple hundred think pieces written about her? Did Abraham Lincoln hunt vampires?

Nothing says America like cutting a car in half and ghost-riding with some models and Aziz Ansari. Actually, Jay and Kanye might have a point there.

Geez, if Jessica Simpson giving a faux-hippie pose in an American flag bikini is just one of the reasons, we can’t wait to read the other 75.

Christina Aguilera cradles her little one Max in the American flag, looking like she’s preparing to set him amongst the reeds, Moses-style.

Amazingly, these might actually be the least ridiculous pants Lil Wayne has worn on stage in the last year-plus.

Girls in bikinis sitting on top of piles of hay in front of an American flag. Later, they mud wrestle. Yeah, like Kid Rock would have his country any other way.

We don’t even know what’s going on in this Geto Boys album cover.

Axl Rose rocks his trademark American flag shorty-shorts on stage with Guns n Roses. (Just be glad he doesn’t try to get away with doing so anymore, now that he’s fat and insane.)

Adam and Anne play Axl and Stephanie for Halloween. We can only imagine what kind of stores Adam had to peruse to find the right patriotic booty shorts.

Beyoncé Honey Bee and Gaga rock the Stars and Stripes in two of the 25 most notable outfits from the “Telephone” video. Ah, memories.

Easy with the over-representing, there, Backstreet. Draw the line at the belt buckles.

Justin Bieber, always prepared for a Rocky sequel.

Katy Perry prepares to wrap a U.S. Marine in patriotism with her flag dress/robe/cape thing. At least Katy’ll be costume-ready when she decides to transition into the “superhero” stage of her celebrity career.

Again, happy 4th of July, everyone. Break out those American flag tube tops and muscle shirts. We ain’t even mad.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWS-FoXbjVI