ABSTRACT
One recently observed display of irony, bravado, and humor served as an important impetus for this project: the popularity of shirts, hats, and other items boldly emblazoned with an American flag and the words “back to back world war champions.” As if this were not enough, many of the shirts in particular also come with a caution on the back: “don’t make us three-peat.” These items are at best a trivialization of the horror of two world wars and at worst largely inappropriate. Yet the popularity of these items is an intriguing reminder of the socially understood expectation of what happens when the United States goes to war.
