Creative Contests a Farce?

Yes, I think so. More often than not.
Contests are designed as marketing tools to either sell lots of the product that is supposed to be used in the entries, to "celebrate" a grand opening or other event which will spread the buzz about a new site (providing free advertising and getting their site stats up.), product line or other, or to increase funds via the entry fees required. Maybe they just don't want to pay a designer and they need free booth samples for a convention, online gallery or show.

Some photography and art shows that are juried require enormous entry fees, some because they are non-profit and need to curb the expenses of prize moneys and paying a judge, etc. There may be other objectives, but those come to mind most quickly. DO YOUR HOMEWORK.

A sure sign of a farce is when entrants that didn't follow the rules are not disqualified. Maybe they have a large following either through blogging or celebrity and the site wants the buzzzzz for themselves. They may even win because they have the most friends/contacts to vote for them regardless of the quality of their entry or the creativity of the other entries. Of course, if the most popular person wins, then the site wins too because who isn't happy about winning something and the blogging will go on and on and on causing more hype.

Even those contests that are judged by judges ("blindly" ha ha) and not by public popularity can be a farce. Not all, but most and it seems to be rampant in the paper crafting industry. They might be looking for someone who will work for cheap, or already has a following to add to their company groupies.

Here's a "for instance": Paper crafting product line new release contest, you need to have the kit first and you are supposed to only use those products, yet I see so many entries, especially in the beading section that use actual beads and metal findings that the company does not produce. Yet they are there for you to vote!

http://cobecreative.wordpress.com/category/beading/