Venn Diagram explanation: In music, the intersection of schmaltz and kitsch contains only holiday music played on the radio. In other words, there is no song that is both schmaltzy and kitschy that is not also holiday music. (Note: the reverse is not necessarily true, that holiday music must be schmaltzy or kitschy.)
Some definitions and examples for thought:
Kitsch: deliberate use of elements that may be thought of as cultural icons while making cheap mass-produced objects that are unoriginal. Types of art that are aesthetically deficient and make creative gestures which merely imitate the superficial appearances of art through repeated conventions and formulae.
The 1970s turn out to be a great era for kitsch. I wasn't able to embed this Bee Gees video but I highly recommend watching it as a prime example.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpqqjU7u5Yc
Schmaltz: excessively sentimental or florid music or art or maudlin sentimentality.
As much as I love Ol' Blue Eyes, he is quintessential schmaltz.
And, at the intersection. Oh, so many to choose from. How about this?
Bonus points for the random slideshow accompanying Andy Williams.
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1 comment:
So, so true. The number of really awful Christmas songs is astounding. Christmas song writing should have been banned after the 1950s--schmaltzy as it may have been then, 80's synth made it unendurable.
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