Judge, 1925-12-19 · page 10 of 39
Judge — December 19, 1925 — page 10: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Judge Magazine "Beauty and Brains Contest" This is a satirical advertisement for a fake beauty pageant. Judge magazine is mocking the emerging film industry's obsession with finding starlets through public contests, while also poking fun at women's intelligence. The humor operates on multiple levels: 1. **The "Confederate money" prize** is the key joke—by 1920s America, Confederate currency was worthless, making the $50,000 prize a cruel punchline about exploitation. 2. **The questionnaire** (asking basic questions like "Who is the President?" and "How much is 2x2?") satirizes how these contests prioritized appearance over actual intelligence, despite marketing themselves as seeking "brainy" girls. 3. The named contestants appear to be real contest entrants, presented for public mockery. The satire targets both the film industry's predatory practices toward women and the absurdity of marketing campaigns that claim to value women's brains while clearly valuing only their appearance.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
JUDGE'S GREAT BEAUTY AND BRAINS CONTEST! GO IN THE MOVIES! BECOME A STAR! Where Is the Most Beautiful Brainy Girl in the World! JUDGE WANTS TO FIND HER! She will be given a CASH PRIZE of $50,000 in Confederate money and a FORTY YEAR CONTRACT TO STAR IN THE MOVIES! Come .on girls, fill out the questionnaire and send it in with your photo. Here are some of the entries ‘up'to date. Beauty and Brains Questionnaire Who is the President of the Where does the sun rise?—E . Edith Gwinny, 103d bees in Hutton, a, New York City. How much is 2 x 2?—F. ’ If a boy had six apples and he gave three to his sister, how many would he have? —T Margaret \ Sarle, New \ York City. comicbooks.com