Kitschy

"Kitschy". A word I've heard a few times, it seems with greater frequency, but that I can never seem to remeber when I want to use it. Also, I had NO IDEA how to spell it. I just saw it online and thought I'd record it here to help me remember... or at least so I can look it up later.

Let's see what Meriam Webster has to say about it...

Main Entry: kitsch
Pronunciation: \ˈkich\
Function: noun
Etymology: German
Date: 1925
1 : something that appeals to popular or lowbrow taste and is often of poor quality
2 : a tacky or lowbrow quality or condition

Hmm... that's not quite what I thought it meant. I thought it was something to do with the Retro / 1950's / 1960's movement. Let's see what Dictionary.com says...

kitsch /kɪtʃ/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[kich] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation –noun
something of tawdry design, appearance, or content created to appeal to popular or undiscriminating taste.

I guess that's a little closer to what I had in mind.

Hmmm... I just peeked at Wikipedia and found this quote...

kitsch is most closely associated with art that is sentimental; however, it can be used to refer to any type of art that is deficient for similar reasons—whether it tries to appear sentimental, glamorous, theatrical, or creative, kitsch is said to be a gesture imitative of the superficial appearances of art. It is often said that kitsch relies on merely repeating convention and formula, lacking the sense of creativity and originality displayed in genuine art.

...which perhaps best describes the 50's/60's flavor I was thinking of, but still, not fully. Am I thinking of the right word here? The first time I heard "kitschy" it was in reference to the movie "Down With Love".

Enough, for now; I'm tired and three of the four kiddos are sleeping, plus, my hubby's home, so, napping IS AN OPTION! YEAH FOR NAPS!!!

Suzy :D