Lance Bass backs changing Mississippi flag — and works in a dig at Justin Timberlake
*NSYNC star Lance Bass didn’t pass up the opportunity to poke fun at former band mate Justin Timberlake in a recent post supporting changes to the Mississippi state flag.
Bass, a native of Laurel, Mississippi, shared a meme to his Facebook page Tuesday, taking a dig at Timberlake’s infamous matching denim ensemble.
In 2001, the “Cry Me a River” crooner arrived to the American Music Awards with then-girlfriend Britney Spears sporting head-to-toe denim. That year was also the last time Mississippians voted on the state flag — which remains the only in the nation to feature the Confederate battle emblem.
Voters elected to keep the flag, but recent protests against police violence and racial injustice after the death of George Floyd have renewed calls to rid the flag of the controversial design.
“Decisions made in 2001 shouldn’t define us today,” the meme shared by Bass says.
His post also highlights the Stennis flag, an alternative to the stars and bars emblem created by the granddaughter of late Sen. John C. Stennis. The logo, which features 19 stars in a circle representing the states that existed when Mississippi became the 20th U.S. state in 1817, has gained support among residents who want to see it adopted as the official state flag, McClatchy News reported.
Bass’ meme prompted plenty of reactions online, mostly about the denim “debacle.”
“I low key loved these outfits!” one Facebook user commented. “If they’d wear them again (separately) I’d lose it.”
“I will always stand by this decision as one of the best they have made,” another said of Spears and Timberlake’s matching sets.
Fans also voiced appreciation for Bass’ lighthearted approach to call for change.
One fan wrote: “This is gold!! Thanks for using your voice to amplify this message. We need as many Mississippians in favor of this change as possible, and having someone as awesome as yourself share this will no doubt encourage your fans to do the same!”
On Monday, a group of bipartisan Mississippi lawmakers began drafting a resolution to adopt a new state flag, according to McClatchy News. Speaker of the House Philip Gunn is also in support of the effort, which would replace the flag featuring the Confederate battle emblem with the Stennis flag.
Gov. Tate Reeves, who supports the current state flag, said his position on the issue is unchanged and argued that the decision should be left to the voters — not state lawmakers.
“What I believe is there is going to come a time at some point I’m sure, when the people of Mississippi are going to want to change the flag,” Reeves said at news conference Monday, McClatchy News reported.
“My position is, when they want to do that, it should be the people that make that decision, not some backroom deal by a bunch of politicians in Jackson,” he added.
This story was originally published June 10, 2020 at 3:04 PM.