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Showing posts from January, 2016

The Exuberance of Kitsch

I enjoy getting emails from readers of the blog. It always leads to interesting discussions. Seriously, drop me a line anytime, that's why my email address is on the sidebar. One particular reader, (Cris T) and I had an interesting exchange recently. The observations resonated with me and I enjoyed our discussion so much I asked if I could post it here. It's edited for length and clarity, and has my own comments interjected throughout, but it should work. The theme is Kitsch , that universal anti-quality of parvenus and superficial people everywhere. We got to the topic in a roundabout manner, first starting at 'Romanian envy' ("Sa moara capra vecinului") and moving to consumerism along the way, but essentially, it came to this discussion... (Me) I find kitsch to be a central theme in Romania. I look at interior design, home decor, and the kind of stuff a lot of people put value on. It's strange how a consumerist society like Romania has still