Fourth of July Google Doodle Sparks Confusion, Anger: 'Cop Out'

Google celebrated Fourth of July in typical fashion—by amending its homepage with a Google Doodle image depicting stars floating in water, with the stripes of an American flag displayed below.

Google often celebrates holidays and other important dates with a twist to its homepage, featuring a Google Doodle for the day in lieu of its usual logo. When a user clicks the Fourth of July image that was displayed on Tuesday, the search engine directs the user to a webpage about Independence Day. The top of the page shows hints of an American flag's stars and stripes.

Some social media users were frustrated with the Google Doodle, saying that the image wasn't patriotic enough for the celebration.

"Today's Google Doodle. While I was surprised to see a few red & white stripes, I was perplexed by what's going on at the top. Apparently, those are stars taking a float in the river cause it's a hot day. I'm sorry. This is a cop out. This is not what the 4th is," one user tweeted with an image of the Google Doodle.

One user even accused Google of using the Doodle as an excuse to celebrate LGBTQ+ Pride.

"#Google simply could not resist turning July 4 into a celebration of "pride," even eschewing a simple representation of the flag in favor of whatever this pride-oriented piece of artistic crap might represent," the user tweeted.

Newsweek has reached out to Google via email for comment.

Most Twitter users weren't bothered by the image and tweeted the Doodle with a simple Fourth of July message. One person tweeted that the Doodle was "so cute," but another criticized Google for not solely using red, white and blue colors.

It is not the first time people have been disgruntled over Google's choice of image to honor a holiday. Most recently, on Memorial Day, social media users were infuriated at Google's gray emblem with a small American flag. When a user clicked the emblem, they were directed to a page about Memorial Day that was adorned with red poppies, a symbol often used for the holiday.

Many of the complaints stemmed from conservatives, and one user on Tuesday even made a reference their past grievances.

"Any right wingers having a meltdown over the google doodle today? I know many did not survive memorial day," one Twitter user said, while adding an image of the Fourth of July Doodle.

Google Doodle archives show that last year's Fourth of July Doodle included dancing letters that spelled out "Google." The double-o letters were wearing American-themed top hats and the L resembled an American flag on a flagpole. In 2021, eagles spelled out "Google," with each eagle either carrying an instrument or a U.S. flag. The 2020 Doodle didn't exhibit an American flag, but rather sparklers that spelled out "Google."