Contests, Races and Other Competitions
Dog Oscars
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Posted By: Paul - Sun Mar 04, 2018 -
Comments (6)
Category: Contests, Races and Other Competitions, Movies, Dogs, 1940s
Cavalcade of Jazz Beauty Pageant
There is very little historical information about the annual "Cavalcade of Jazz" festival held in Los Angeles at Wrigley Field. Surprising, in light of lots of appearances by big-name artists.But one thing is certain: they also held a beauty contest.
Posted By: Paul - Fri Jan 05, 2018 -
Comments (1)
Category: Beauty, Ugliness and Other Aesthetic Issues, Contests, Races and Other Competitions, Music, 1940s, 1950s
Prettiest Waitress and Most Handsome Bellboy Contest
This item in our "Odd Beauty Contest Files" appears to represent a one-time-only competition, held as part of the famed 1939 World's Fair.
Posted By: Paul - Mon Sep 25, 2017 -
Comments (4)
Category: Beauty, Ugliness and Other Aesthetic Issues, Contests, Races and Other Competitions, 1930s
National Potato Chip Queen
The first Potato Chip Queen apparently was nominated in 1946.
The next gal I can find won in 1949. The caption also introduces the irreplaceable term "spud wafers," which I intend to use from now on.
Source.
Here is a pic from their 1948 convention.
I find evidence the NPCI existed as late as 1957.
But as for Potato Chip Queens after 1949, no luck. I think the NPCI is also defunct.
Posted By: Paul - Tue Aug 22, 2017 -
Comments (3)
Category: Contests, Races and Other Competitions, Conventions, Junk Food, 1940s, 1950s
Art Arfons and the Green Monster
Love that rocketship design!
Posted By: Paul - Fri Aug 18, 2017 -
Comments (1)
Category: Contests, Races and Other Competitions, 1960s, Cars
The William Stillman Award
Dr. William O. Stillman (1856-1924) was an early advocate of humane treatment to animals. He created "Be Kind to Animals" week in 1915.
Find an obituary and tributes here.
His name is also connected to an award which, oddly, can go to either animals or humans.
Here, the award is given to a brave dog who helped humans.
Source of article.
And again.
A pig won in 1984.
A cat won the award in 1997, the latest date I can find for the presentation.
Finally we see the award given to a brave human who helped an animal!
I like that any species of creature is eligible for the award.
However, the point might be moot, since I can find no evidence that the award is still given nowadays.
Posted By: Paul - Tue Aug 15, 2017 -
Comments (2)
Category: Animals, Contests, Races and Other Competitions, Twentieth Century
Miss Beverly Hills 1960
In our continuing annals of oddball beauty contests, this 1948 event must qualify as exceptional.
Posted By: Paul - Sat Aug 12, 2017 -
Comments (1)
Category: Beauty, Ugliness and Other Aesthetic Issues, Contests, Races and Other Competitions, Children, 1940s
Mr. and Miss Boll Weevil
This post is for KDP, who in response to Paul's post yesterday about the Maid of Cotton pageant, noted the apparent lack of a counterpart, Miss Boll Weevil.There is indeed a Miss Boll Weevil, as well as a Mr. Boll Weevil. These titles have periodically been conferred on students at Alabama's Enterprise State Community College, whose mascot is a boll weevil.
For instance, in 1972 Pat Hatcher and Bobby Bright were the students named Mr. and Miss Boll Weevil. Bright went on to serve as the U.S. Representative for Alabama's 2nd congressional district from 2009 to 2011. Bright was the first Democrat to represent the district since 1962, but he didn't win a second term.
The Montgomery Advertiser - Nov 15, 2000
The Montgomery Advertiser - Jan 23, 1972
Posted By: Alex - Sat Jul 22, 2017 -
Comments (4)
Category: Awards, Prizes, Competitions and Contests, Contests, Races and Other Competitions
The Maid of Cotton Pageant
Continuing our intermittent look at oddball beauty pageants.The Maid of Cotton pageant began in 1939. The annual pageant was sponsored by the National Cotton Council (NCC), Memphis Cotton Carnival, and the Cotton Exchanges of Memphis, New York, and New Orleans. The pageant was held in Memphis, Tennessee, in conjunction with the Carnival until the 1980s.
In mid-December every year the NCC released a list of contestants. Contestants were required to have been born in one of the cotton-producing states: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, New Mexico, North and South Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas or Virginia. They might have also been born in the cotton-producing counties of Alexander, Jefferson, Massac, Pulaski, Williamson or Madison, Illinois or in Clark or Nye counties of Nevada. There were usually twenty contestants each year.
Contestants were judged on personality, good manners, intelligence, and family background as well as beauty and an ability to model. A Top Ten were chosen and then a Top Five, and finally second and first runners up and a winner. Winners served as goodwill and fashion ambassadors of the cotton industry in a five-month, all-expense tour of American cities. In the mid-1950s the tour expanded globally. In the late 1950s a Little Miss Cotton pageant was begun but lasted only until 1963 before being discontinued. In the mid-1980s Dallas,Texas took over the pageant, in conjunction with the NCC and its overseas division, Cotton Council International. In 1986, to bolster interest and participation, the NCC eliminated the rule requiring contestants to be born in a cotton-producing state. The pageant was discontinued in 1993, one of the reasons being that Cotton Inc. stopped contributing scholarship money as well as waning public interest and changing marketing strategies.
More details here.
And also here.
The 1952 winner.
Posted By: Paul - Fri Jul 21, 2017 -
Comments (3)
Category: Beauty, Ugliness and Other Aesthetic Issues, Contests, Races and Other Competitions, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s
Outboard Motorboat Steeple Chase
The stuff with the girls in the first video is charming. But the insane part is the motorboat steeple chase race.
Apparently, a version of this is still practiced in--where else?--Australia. Although they seem to have eliminated the airborne part of the race.
Posted By: Paul - Sun Jul 09, 2017 -
Comments (3)
Category: Contests, Races and Other Competitions, Death, Oceans and Maritime Pursuits, 1950s, Australia, North America
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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, science-themed books such as Elephants on Acid and Psychedelic Apes. 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. Contact Us |