Betsy Ross Museum

**The Betsy Ross Museum** refers to a tweet made by dril on February 19, 2012. As of June 2017, it has been retweeted approximately 9,200 times and liked over 18,000 times.

## Background

**Elizabeth Griscom** "**Betsy**" **Ross** (January 1, 1752 – January 30, 1836), née **Griscom**, also known by her second and third married names, **Ashburn** and **Claypoole**, is widely credited with making the first American flag. According to family tradition, upon a visit from General George Washington, commander-in-chief of the Continental Army, in 1776, Ross convinced George Washington to change the shape of the stars he had sketched for the flag from six-pointed to five-pointed by demonstrating that it was easier and speedier to cut the latter. However, there is no archival evidence or other recorded verbal tradition to substantiate this story of the first American flag, and it appears that the story first surfaced in the writings of her grandson in the 1870s (a century after the fact), with no mention or documentation in earlier decades.

The official Betsy Ross House is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and is open to tourists.

## Raw Transcript

> another day volunteering at the betsy ross museum. everyone keeps asking me if they can fuck the flag. buddy, they wont even let me fuck it
>
>

## Interpretation/Analysis

This tweet represents a major shift in dril's content into absurdism. Multiple layers of irony and absurdism are represented within the context of this tweet. The first layer resides within the statement that dril volunteers at a local history museum. Based on tweets preceding and succeeding this one, dril has shown little to no interest in community service, and only a mild interest in history and/or politics. The tweet could have finished here and it would still be considered a well regarded tweet. It continues however as the next layer is that, in this scenario, multiple guests of the museum have approached dril requesting permission to have carnal relations with the flag. While no concrete demographic information exists about visitors to the Betsy Ross Museum, it is highly improbable that a majority would engage in such deviant behavior. Once again, the tweet could have finished here. Lastly, based on the wistful tone of the closing line "Buddy, they don't even let me fuck it", it appears as if dril also wishes to have intercourse with the flag, therefore sharing these feelings of objectophilia with the guests of the Betsy Ross House. Furthermore, it also suggests that dril had asked for permission from the site's directors to have intercourse with the flag, and his request was rejected. It is highly unlikely any employee, compensated or volunteer, would be allowed back after making such a request, although the Code of Conduct for the Betsy Ross Museum has yet to be made available for public inspection. The final layer is an implied hierarchy of volunteer over visitor, that were such objectophilia allowed then the volunteers would be more likely than visitors to be permitted to engage in it.

Another interpretation of this tweet may be as a symbol of feelings of nationalism in the United States. In the time following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, there was a renewed sense of patriotism and pride by citizens of the United States in their home country. The desire to "fuck the [American] flag" may serve as as a symbol of the love Americans have in their country, or possibly as a hyperbole taken to an absurdist level.

## Reception

The Betsy Ross Museum Tweet is one of the highest regarded tweets in dril's history. Many dril fans consider it to be his greatest tweet of all time, and it continues to receive multiple retweets and likes on a daily basis.

On February 2, 2017, a novelty Twitter account called Rogue Betsy Ross debuted. Its sole tweet so far is simply "Come fuck the flag!" a clear reference to dril's tweet. As of July 2017, it has obtained 666 followers, appropriately enough.

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Addie Guthrie Weaver, *"The Story of Our Flag..."*, 2nd Edition, A. G. Weaver, publ., 1898, p. 73
2. ↑ The Indiana Progress, 22 Jun 1876, Thu, Page 9. Obituary of Margaret Donaldson Boggs, descedant of Betsy Ross
3. ↑ Lloyd Canby Anderson, *The Evolution of the American Flag* (1917)
4. ↑ "5-Pointed Star in One Snip
5. ↑ Miller, 176
6. ↑ Gene Langley, "The legend and truth of Betsy Ross" *The Christian Science Monitor* 94.141 (6/14/2002): 22.Lucinda Snyder Whitehurst, "Review of *"The Life and Times of Betsy Ross"* and *"The Life and Times of Nathan Hale"*," *"School Library Journal"*, vol. 53.7 (July 2007).
7. ↑  Harrisburg Telegraph, "the First Flag," 25 Jun 1873, Wed, Page 1
8. ↑ Marc Leepson, "Five myths about the American flag", *"The Washington Post"*, June 12, 2011, p. B2.