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Uncle Sam

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Voting for Uncle Sam has been suspended for the week due to inclusion in Last Week's Top 25 Most or Least Annoying.

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The Resume

    Allegedly inspired by Sam Wilson
    Personification of the United States
    First appeared in a New York Lantern cartoon (March 13, 1852)
    Famous for the 'I Want You for the US Army' poster (painted by J. M. Flagg)

Why Uncle Sam might be annoying:

    His origins are disputed.
    He is the poster boy for the military draft.
    His name has become shorthand for political propaganda.
    He ruined the billy goat beard look for future generations.
    He is usually depicted angrily pointing his index finger at the viewer.
    His best known image only depicts him in an American Flag top hat but virtually all other designs and costumes consist of his wearing an American flag (flag desecration?)
    His 'I Want You' poster is actually a copy of a British poster that depicted a British Officer urging Britons to join the war effort (and it was for World War I, and not World War II, contrary to popular belief).

Why Uncle Sam might not be annoying:

    His initials are U. S.
    Thomas Nast made him a household name.
    He is over 150 years old and is still a tough old bastard you don't want to mess with.
    J. M. Flagg modeled the poster design features on his own face (other models included silent star W. S. Hart and veteran Walter Botts).
    Lil' Jon wore an Uncle Sam costume for a task on Celebrity Apprentice (they lost).
    The Senate and House passed a joint resolution designating September 13 - Sam Wilson's birthday - as 'Uncle Sam Day' (1989).
    He fell out of favor once the US Army switched their outreach to television (that along with just stationing their Recruiting offices near the local mall's food court).

Credit: BoyWiththeGreenHair


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    For 2024, as of last weekly ranking, Out of 234 Votes: 88.89% Annoying
    In 2023, Out of 146 Votes: 61.64% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 17 Votes: 5.88% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 162 Votes: 48.77% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 60 Votes: 51.67% Annoying