Judge, 1925-12-19 · page 12 of 39
Judge — December 19, 1925 — page 12: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Judge Magazine's "Bravery Contest" Satire This is a mock advertisement for Judge's satirical "$50,000 Bravery Contest." The humor lies in deliberately absurd definitions of "bravery" that actually describe mundane or ridiculous acts: - Disbelieving in Santa Claus - Telling one's wife you dislike her new hat - Refereeing between the **Ku Klux Klan and Knights of Columbus** (a real Catholic organization)—this is the darkest joke, treating a genuinely dangerous scenario as comic relief - A five-year-old admitting plagiarism - Never hearing of H.L. Mencken (a prominent social critic) The satire mocks both American sensationalism and the triviality of what passes for courage in everyday life. The ridiculous requirements (Sanskrit essays, thirteen notaries) emphasize the absurdity. The Klan reference suggests Judge's audience would find interracial/interfaith conflict darkly amusing rather than genuinely dangerous—reflecting the magazine's era and limitations.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
THE PRIZE WINNERS OF JUDGE'S GREAT $50,000 BRAVERY CONTEST), Each Week JUDGE Gives Away Five Prizes of $10,000 Each for Acts of Bravery! Yes, IT DOES! What is the bravest thing you ever did? Send in your photograph with the details and a fifty thousand word essay written in Sanscrit on what you think of Jupcn. Each bravery experience must be signed by thirteen notaries public. HERE ARE THIS WEEK Morris Hoton of Grand Rapids, Mich., captured the first of Jupce’s $10,000 Bravery Awards by saying he didn’t believe in Santy Claus in Dayton, Tenn. C. C. Mansfield of New York City, is the proud possessor of one of JupGE’s $10,000 Bravery Checks because he told his wife he didn’t like her new hat. Isadore Goldstein (left) of Far Rockaway, N. Y., received one of Jupce’s $10,000 Bravery Awards for refereeing a ball game between the Ku Klux Klan and the Knights of Columbus. Gladys Applesauce (right), five year old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. A, P. Applesauce of Brooklyn, N. Y., admitted her mother wrote all her poems. She got the $10,000! 8 Edward Stanton of Gloversville, N. Y., romped away with the third $10,000 Bravery Check because he said he had never heard of H. L. Mencken. comicbooks.com