Mississippi Sorry For Listing Mosquito Flag As Finalist

The Jackson Clarion-Ledger reports:

A viral design being proposed as the new state flag for Mississippi originated as a joke and was only included in a list of finalists due to a typo, according to officials.

The Mississippi Department of Archives and History (MDAH) is currently narrowing down options to replace its current flag after lawmakers voted to remove the Confederate battle flag from its current version. The MDAH recently revealed its finalists after accepting over 1,000 submissions for possible flag redesigns.

In an internet-age situation reminiscent of the Boaty McBoatFace naming, one of the finalists that quickly drew viral attention and support was a joke flag that features a giant mosquito at the center.

Although short-lived, Thomas Rosete said it was nice to see people rally around the flag: ‘I’m a sucker for underdog stories and the Mosquito Flag was definitely the underdog going into the competition’ https://t.co/IuZYsuCunA

— WLBT 3 On Your Side (@WLBT) August 14, 2020

Mississippi man who created mosquito-themed state flag says design was a joke https://t.co/Euc3ej5xqc

— CBS News (@CBSNews) August 14, 2020