Alex Ross cites a character in a 1902 Thomas Mann story as an illustration
of the developing split between artists and the masses.  (page 36) The
character berates a store owner for displaying "kitsch." So far, so good.
It's the descriptor Ross appends that surprised me; he calls it "art
that is merely 'beautiful' and therefore worthless."

Now, I can understand that as an accurate term of derision that might
be used.  But I have never heard or seen the word "kitsch" used that
way.  I think Wikipedia captures better adjectives: "an inferior, tasteless
copy of an existing style.  The term is also used more loosely in referring
to any art that is pretentious to the point of being in poor taste and
also commercially produced items that are considered trite or crass."
Also, the sense of "sentimentality."

Ross' use seems wrong to me.  He seems to be describing something
valid--but not kitsch.

Zeke

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