Life — March 26, 1914 — page 9: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "Feminist Contest" - Life Magazine, 1914 This page announces a satirical writing contest about feminism, offering $300 for the best article (five hundred words or less) on the subject. The contest closes May 2, 1914. The top illustration shows classical cherubs or putti in a bacchanalian scene—likely mocking feminism through association with excess or disorder. Below, a cartoon equation reads: woman + money/home = woman climbing a ladder, captioned "ALWAYS THE SAME ANSWER." This satirizes the feminist movement by suggesting that when women gain financial independence and household authority, the inevitable result is their social climbing or abandonment of traditional roles—presented as absurd or undesirable. The satire reflects early 20th-century resistance to women's suffrage and economic independence, treating feminist aspirations as ridiculous rather than legitimate.