Judge, 1925-12-19 · page 8 of 39
Judge — December 19, 1925 — page 8: 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. The joke hinges on the prize being "$50,000 in **Confederate money**"—worthless currency from the defeated Civil War South. This is the satire's central point: Judge is mocking both beauty pageants and the post-Civil War South simultaneously. The "Beauty and Brains Questionnaire" adds the mockery. The intelligence test includes absurdly simple questions (Who is the President? What is 2+2?) answered by named contestants from various U.S. cities. The implication is that these women are so unintelligent they struggle with elementary-school-level questions—satirizing both the "beauty pageant" industry and perhaps regional stereotypes. The page combines Judge's typical early-20th-century satire: irreverent commentary on American culture wrapped in farcical entertainment, with a pointed jab at Southern economic irrelevance post-Reconstruction.
📄 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 riseP—E . ; Edith Gwinny, 108d , Bikes NY. “= at,, New York City. How much is 2 2 2?—F ‘ If a boy had siz apples and he gave three to his sister, how many would he have? —T Natalie Ropp, Houston, Tex. Right— Margaret Sarle, New | York City. comicbooks.com