weekly contests

Reason Weekly Contest: Invent a Trigger Warning for a Children's Book!

Win a free subscription to the magazine

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Welcome to the brand new, weekly contest here at Reason.

Each week I'll be asking a question based on something in the news or zeitgeist. (Maybe I'll even ask you for a word to replace "zeitgeist" already. Something even more pretentious.)

A new question will appear each Friday morning, along with the results of last week's contest. Entries are due Sunday at 11 p.m., Eastern Time.

The winner gets a free one-year digital subscription to Reason magazine, plus all the glory that comes from being crowned the wisest of the wiseasses for a week.

As for me, you may know me as "The Free-Range Lady" (a.k.a., "America's Worst Mom" and even "World's Worst Mom"). But I'm also a contest fanatic and have created and run contests for years in The New York Daily News, Advertising Age, and The Week. (And one disastrous month at NPR.) More bona fides? I've written for Mad. And for Cracked, too.

Not crack. Cracked.

So without further ado, this week's question is:

"Trigger warnings" warn readers that they're about to encounter an idea or scenario that may traumatize them. Please come up with a trigger warning for a classic children's tale, like "The Cat in the Hat" or  "The Three Little Pigs."

How to enter: Submissions should be e-mailed to contest@reason.com. Please include your name, address, and daytime telephone number for verification. This week, please type "TRIGGER" in the subject line. Entries are due by 11 p.m. Eastern Time, Sunday, May 17. Winners will appear Friday, May 22, right here at Reason.com.

In the case of identical or similar entries, the first one received gets credit. First prize is a one-year digital subscription to Reason magazine, plus bragging rights. While we appreciate kibbitzing in the comments below, you must email your answer to enter the contest. Feel free to enter more than once, and good luck!