Beauty, Ugliness and Other Aesthetic Issues
World Trade Week Queen
...World Trade Week, which begins May 18 and winds up on Harbor Day, following Sunday. Princess Los Angeles will be Miss World Trade Week, the queen. Other girls her honor court. Chosen by Junior Chamber of Commerce of various cities. Left to right: Eloise Koch, World Trade Week Queen, of Los Angeles; Princes Bianca Detert, standing, San Pedro; Jane Stevenson, Princess Wilmington, and Joyce Niederberger, Princess Long Beach.
"The Princess of Los Angeles" or "The Princess of Long Beach" would make great movie titles.
Original photo here.
Posted By: Paul - Thu Jun 14, 2018 -
Comments (0)
Category: Beauty, Ugliness and Other Aesthetic Issues, Business, Contests, Races and Other Competitions, Regionalism, 1950s
The Pirate Queen of the Orange County Fair
Yet another in our oddball beauty contest category.
Velda Boyd, 18, Miss Santa Ana, chosen as Pirate Queen of Orange County Fair. Princesses to reign with her are: Karen Foster, 18, Miss Newport Harbor, and Garland L. Grimsley, 18, Miss La Habra.
Original foto here.
Posted By: Paul - Fri Jun 01, 2018 -
Comments (3)
Category: Beauty, Ugliness and Other Aesthetic Issues, Contests, Races and Other Competitions, Pirates, Regionalism, 1960s
Artwork Khrushchev Probably Would Not Have Liked 13
A three-fer this time!The artist, Lottie van der Gaag.
Posted By: Paul - Wed May 23, 2018 -
Comments (3)
Category: Art, Avant Garde, Beauty, Ugliness and Other Aesthetic Issues, Russia
Astounding Beauty Clay
Go here for expandable version where text can be read.
Posted By: Paul - Mon Apr 16, 2018 -
Comments (3)
Category: Beauty, Ugliness and Other Aesthetic Issues, Advertising, 1920s
1958 Rocket Queen
"Karen Barger, 14-year-old queen of Van Nuys-Sherman Oaks Water Carnival of 1958, steps down from simulated rocket ship to open show."
Original photo here.
Posted By: Paul - Tue Apr 03, 2018 -
Comments (2)
Category: Beauty, Ugliness and Other Aesthetic Issues, Contests, Races and Other Competitions, Spaceflight, Astronautics, and Astronomy, 1950s
Miss Smog
Another addition to our ongoing exploration of unusual beauty contest titles. I've found two smog-related titles.In 1951, Helene Stanley won the title of Miss Smog Fighter. And in 1970, Debra Wolf of Philadelphia was named Miss Smog America.
Los Angeles Times - May 23, 1951
Tampa Times - Aug 7, 1970
Posted By: Alex - Fri Mar 23, 2018 -
Comments (6)
Category: Beauty, Ugliness and Other Aesthetic Issues, Contests, Races and Other Competitions
George Barris’s Bob Hope Golf Cart
Posted By: Paul - Fri Mar 23, 2018 -
Comments (3)
Category: Beauty, Ugliness and Other Aesthetic Issues, Motor Vehicles, Sports, Outsider Art, Surrealism, 1960s, Head
Johnson Smith Catalog Item #23
2018 NOTE: More masks.
If these horrifying masks are "lifelike" in the world you come from, I don't want to visit!
From the 1950 catalog.
Posted By: Paul - Thu Mar 15, 2018 -
Comments (2)
Category: Beauty, Ugliness and Other Aesthetic Issues, Disguises, Impersonations, Mimics and Forgeries, Johnson Smith Catalog, 1950s
Cheerleader Effect
image source: dwilliss/flickr
Pro-tip for non-photogenic people: You'll look better in a group photo than on your own. This is known as the Cheerleader Effect, and it's been scientifically verified. From medicalxpress.com:
Participants rated the attractiveness of faces presented in a group and individually. Regardless of gender, attractiveness ratings were higher when people were presented in a group compared to presented individually.
However, this does not mean the bigger the group—the more attractive you are. The authors found that group size, whether 4, 9, or 16 individuals, had no effect on attractiveness ratings. Basically, a handful of friends is all you need to take advantage of this effect.
Importantly, studies have shown the cheerleader effect to be reliable. Additional studies published in 2015 and one just this month continue to find a groups' attractiveness is significantly higher than the attractiveness of an individual group member.
Posted By: Alex - Sun Mar 04, 2018 -
Comments (2)
Category: Beauty, Ugliness and Other Aesthetic Issues, Psychology
A Community of Respectful Pals
Dear WU-vies:
Alex and I have just taken a step which I do not believe we have ever needed to take before in the long history of WEIRD UNIVERSE. We deleted someone's comment because it was nasty, rude, hostile and generally boorish. (And may I also say that the suffering longtime member of the community, the commenter to whom the insults were addressed, reacted with restraint, dignity, calm and a noble nature.)
Let me take this unfortunate occasion to remind everyone that WU has always been a landmark of collegiality and friendliness and acceptance, albeit happily flavored with irony, black humor and appreciation for the world's incredible stupidity. Especially in comparison to much of the internet, WU remains a happy place. Let's try to keep it that way.
Thanks, as always, for your attention, support and understanding.
Posted By: Paul - Thu Feb 22, 2018 -
Comments (7)
Category: Beauty, Ugliness and Other Aesthetic Issues, Etiquette and Formal Behavior, Weird Universe, Comments
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| Alex Boese Alex is the creator and curator of the Museum of Hoaxes. He's also the author of various weird, non-fiction books such as Elephants on Acid. Paul Di Filippo Paul has been paid to put weird ideas into fictional form for over thirty years, in his career as a noted science fiction writer. He has recently begun blogging on many curious topics with three fellow writers at The Inferior 4+1. Our banner was drawn by the legendary underground cartoonist Rick Altergott. Contact Us |