In The Stand on CBS All Access, Randall Flagg wears a yellow smiley face button pinned to his denim jacket. Interestingly, this odd detail says a lot about his character, and the fact that the button is different from both Stephen King's novel and the 1994 miniseries adaptation is telling.
Stephen King's novel, The Stand, was originally published in 1978. It features a plague, known as the Superflu or wake of the pandemic's destruction, one of King's most enduring villains is introduced, a man by the name of Randall Flagg, first seen walking south on highway US 51. In the description that follows, he is portrayed as an average-looking man in cowboy boots wearing a denim jacket, and on this jacket he wears a button on each breast.
In CBS's The Stand, Randall Flagg (Alexander Skarsgard), only wears a single button, a yellow smiley face. However, at certain moments, the smiley face appears to reflect the thoughts of Flagg, offering a sinister grin or a wink of cruel understanding. Showrunner Benjamin Cavell stated in an interview with TV Insider that he wanted to use the smiley face pin to "comment on either how he [Flagg] was feeling or to play against it or to elucidate something going on in the scene." It's an interesting choice and definitely one of those details that fans look for, but in King's novel and the 1994 miniseries, Flagg wears more than one button, often with messages that seem to contradict each other. Why does he wear them and what do they mean?
Randall Flagg's Buttons Are Different In Each Version Of The Stand
In Stephen King's novel, Randall Flagg has two buttons pinned to his denim jacket, one on each side. On the right, he has a yellow smiley face. On the left, a pin with the image of a cartoon pig wearing a police officer's hat and the words, "How's your pork?" in red letters dripping like blood. While the meaning of these buttons is never explicitly stated, he's also described as carrying pamphlets with information on many different conspiracy theories, some of which contradict each other. The general idea seems to be that Flagg loves to spread misinformation and is amused by conflicting messages and chaos.
Interestingly, Randall Flagg wears different buttons in the miniseries version of The Stand from 1994. While he still wears the yellow smiley face, he also sports a red button and a peace sign button. These also change in different scenes, although it's impossible to read what most of them say. Nevertheless, it's safe to say that the miniseries continues the theme of conflicting ideas, particularly with the peace sign he wears while planning to wage war with Mother Abigail and the Boulder Free Zone.
Lastly, Flagg wears only a single button in the CBS miniseries. It's the yellow smiley face, and this time it's animated. Unlike previous iterations of Randall Flagg—including Jamey Sheridan's portrayal in the 1994 miniseries and Matthew McConaughey's version for the movie adaptation of The Dark Tower (2017)—Skarsgard's Flagg is the pretty-boy version of the character. Skarsgard plays up the charismatic qualities of the character, which really shows how he is able to attract followers and gain their loyalty.
What Randall Flagg's Buttons Mean
The meaning of Flagg's buttons is somewhat open to interpretation, but they are generally connected to his sense of humor. The peace sign, for instance, is an ironic joke, given the fact that he intends to train his followers to fly fighter jets and use weapons. What's more, he wants to get his hands on nuclear weaponry as well. While none of this sounds particularly peaceful, on the other hand, Flagg is seeking a kind of peace. Once he has killed everyone who refuses to follow him, his goal is to bring peace to his followers, in exchange for their unquestioning loyalty, of course.
As for the pig button from King's novel, it appears to bear a similar irony. The message, "How's your pork?" is a derogatory reference to law enforcement. Negative views of the police is a message that can certainly stir up dissent and chaos, but one of the things Flagg is most interested in is law and order. He is the ultimate despot, offering his loyal followers rank and creature comforts, while punishing anyone who disobeys his laws in the harshest ways possible, such as public crucifixion. In this way, the pig button - much like the peace button - reveals the irony of Flagg's intent, as well as showcasing his cruel sense of humor.
As for the yellow smiley face button, there's no denying Flagg likes to smile. Flagg is described as a "hatefully happy man" in the novel. He carries about him a "dark hilarity" that aligns with the absurdity of a sorcerer of the Outer Dark wearing a yellow smiley face button. Again, Flagg is expressing his sense of humor. However, CBS's The Stand takes things a bit further by making the button appear to have a life of its own. In the show, when Flagg is happy because he's getting what he wants, the button grins maniacally.
Why The Buttons Were Changed For CBS's The Stand
While the buttons on Flagg's denim jacket have always been one of those small but interesting details, by animating the button, CBS's The Stand has made the yellow smiley face a more important part of the character. Not only does it showcase Flagg's supernatural powers, but it can also show how he really feels about things. For example, when the button proffers that sinister grin, viewers know that things are going according to plan. The choice to leave out the other buttons for 2020's The Stand adaptation was likely done to keep Skarsgard's Flagg from becoming too hokey for modern audiences. The inclusion of the single yellow smiley face button makes the button itself into a sort of character. That said, it's a fun detail and one that fans should certainly watch for.
