KITSCH CULTURE

 Kitsch Heaven

There is no doubt that Canadians love collecting. There are yard sales, auctions, antique stores, thrift shops and roadside sellers from one end of the country to the other. Canada is a veritable treasure trove for seasoned and novice collectors.

Inevitably, among all of this treasure, there is usually an example or two, or three, of kitsch. In fact, some people think that kitsch is the treasure and all those dusty antiques are blocking the view of the good stuff. 

Kitsch refers to mass-produced items that are meant to appeal to a mass audience; like tourists.  Most souvenirs fall into this category. They are often brightly coloured, made of cheap materials, and are extremely tacky. 

For the ultimate kitsch collector, the tackier the better. Some collectors love kitsch for kitsch sake and others love it in a more ironic way.

I fall into the latter category although, I do draw the line at certain objects. 

For instance, I do not own and hope to never own, a black velvet painting of a tiger in full pounce mode, or a print of one of C.M. Coolidge's paintings of dogs playing poker.

However, I will confess to owning a Blue Mountain pottery flamingo statue. The flamingo is the poster child for souvenir Florida kitsch and Blue Mountain pottery is its Canadian clay equivalent. I doubled my kitsch value in one object. To add a third and final ironic punch to this combo, the statue is imitation Blue Mountain pottery. I scored a kitsch hatrick! 

Kitsch hatrick

But what does all this kitsch collecting say about our culture as a whole? Why does our species feel the need to collect (and at times fling) crap? Do we really think to buy a mini plaster replica of the Leaning Tower of Pisa will bring us closer to solving the mystery of why it hasn't toppled? 

Perhaps we think this replica will actually become valuable one day, say when the Tower does topple. An assumption that is inherently flawed since the 1 billion other replicas sitting on people's shelves around the world would also have to simultaneously topple in order to ascribe an increased value to the mass produced object. 

Or, could we actually think to own a replica of the famous drunk Tower somehow brings us a little closer to the genius who designed it?

Kitsch usually rests closer to the heart.  We are a nostalgic and somewhat cheap culture.

These objects are readily available,  easily affordable, and they represent a time in our lives we may not see again, for better or for worse. 

And it seems that no one is completely immune to kitsch.

Case in point; the Queen's hats. Some of these hats actually have engorged purple grapes hanging from them, that dangle nonchalantly right beside the Queen's delicate royal ears.

After all, nothing says kitsch quite like a hat full of hemorrhoids.

I think whether you love or hate kitsch, it does make a statement about our culture. 

Maybe stop and think about why you are buying that multicoloured Phentex toilet paper holder at the next yard sale you're at. Chances are you're trying to hang onto a childhood memory.

And wouldn't it be ironic if that multi-coloured Phentex toilet paper holder washed up on a beach in a post apocalyptic world and was the only evidence that remained of the human race, only to be found by Alanis Morrisette, the last survivor, who dropped to her knees and shouted, "Damn you, you kitsch loving maniacs! Damn you all to hell!" 

Ya. That would be ironic in a purely kitsch way.

Recommended Viewing - Planet of the Apes (original version)

Recommend Listening - Ironic by Alanis Morrisette

Recommend Reading - Crap at My Parent's House by Joel Dovev