[lit-ideas] How Kitsch You Can Get
- From: Jlsperanza@xxxxxxx
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Mon, 17 May 2004 10:37:35 EDT
In a message dated 5/16/2004 7:51:34 PM Eastern Standard Time,
Henninge@xxxxxxxxxxx writes:
> "Am Baume des Schweigens hängt seine Frucht der Friede." "There hangs üpon
the tree of hushing its fruit--peace."
> Wittgenstein: 7. Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darüber mu� man schweigen.
> "You should hush about that of which you cannot speak."
>
Seeing that R. Henninge and others know German perhaps they can help me with
this. I was reading C. Monsivais, "Aires de familia" (2000, Anagrama Essay
Prize), and he says that 'kitch' -- as per Manuel Puig's novels -- is a "Latin
American idiom". I turn to the OED, and says 'kitch' '[G[erman]]' which is not
highly illuminating. I thought the word was Yddish? Anyway, it looks as hardly
Latin American. I append below the entry from the OED -- Comments welcome, and
I do love the novels by Puig, though -- but maybe he learned 'kitch' from the
English, while he was living in (swing) London?
I too would like to know more about the _German_ etymology of 'kitch'. Has
the word any cognate in English, or Latin?
Cheers,
JL
----
From the OED
'kitch'
[G.]
Art or objets d'art characterized by worthless pretentiousness; the qualities
associated with such art or artifacts. Also attrib., Comb., and transf.
1926 B. HOWARD Let. in M. J. Lancaster Brian Howard (1968) ix. 166 A healthy
week..riding, chasing dogs and listening to â??Kitschâ?? on his wireless. 1939
Partisan Rev. VI. 40 Kitsch is mechanical and operates by formulas. Kitsch is
vicarious experience and faked sensations. Kitsch changes according to style,
but remains always the same. Kitsch is the epitome of all that is spurious in
the life of our times. 1941 AUDEN New Year Let. III. 59 Reason's depravity that
takes The useful concepts that she makes As universals, as the kitsch. 1949
KOESTLER Insight & Outlook 410 The more romantic a work of art, or a landscape,
the quicker its repetitions are perceived as kitsch or â??slushâ??. 1955 20th
Cent. June 541 In a time of crassness and stridency perhaps unique in history,
a
time when an alternative civilization of kitsch is not only available to all
but clamantly thrust upon them, it is imperative to strive for agreement,
order, and coherence in the ranks of the cultivated. 1958 Observer 23 Feb. 14/1
What is so extraordinary about some of these kitsch masterpieces is the way
they
can be enjoyed on two planes, both as themselves and as their own parodies.
1958 Times 4 July 13/4 Few attempts are made in England to mount productions of
plays of the commedia dell' arte tradition; and such attempts are in danger of
being dismissed as â??art theatre kitschâ??. 1961 Times 11 May 10/4 There are
the same highbrows as in England, who consider that the quality of the pure
entertainment as such is generally kitsch or trash. 1962 Times 6 Apr. 17/3
Their
attitude to this kitsch-culture is highly equivocal. 1965 Spectator 22 Jan.
108/1 If leaders of the state choose their job..they must choose to be the
victims of the kitsch and whitewash and balderdash. 1967 Ibid. 29 Dec. 812/2, I
have
never seen such kitsch, not even in French provincial towns or Irish church
bazaars. 1972 Listener 24 Aug. 236/1 A galloping fancy for Victoriana, a
sophisticated and uncritical taste for Kitsch and the cute. 1972 New Yorker 30
Sept.
24/3 This is one of the liveliest and most popular of their kitschfests.
So kitsch v. trans. (rare), to render worthless, to affect with
sentimentality and vulgarity; kitschy a., possessing the characteristics of
kitsch.
1951 W. SANSOM Face of Innocence ii. 16 Situations that have for many become
unendurably hackneyed, spoiled by bad artists or kitsched by politics. 1967
Time 17 Feb. 104 The kitschy existential slogan: â??Things just happen. No
reason,
no reason, just a happening.â?? 1969 R. PETRIE Despatch of Dove i. 19 Her
family owned a furniture factory. â??We make..mostly kitschy bits fit to
furnish
Grimm's fairy tales.â?? 1973 Times 27 Aug. 5/6 Costumed in a distressingly
â??kitschyâ??
manner.
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