Kitschy Kitschy Poo
The artist Dennis Hollingsworth posted a trailer to an animated film called Cat Shit One which is a war story about mercenary soldiers (cutesy animated animal characters) fighting an ultra graphic war to defend a community under seige.
Dennis added commentary by Roger Scruton and Robert Fulford discussing the nature of Kitsch and it’s effects on humanity—which is something that has always interested me. We live in an environment so saturated with kitsch that it seems impossible to imagine a time that was zero percent kitsch—it’s roots are in 19th century Germany (according to Wikipedia). I’m not sure if it’s possible to separate kitsch from American culture, or if it’s even worth trying. Kitsch is something that is always on the edge of perception—as soon as it becomes apparent it fades into the background noise of everyday life or is incorporated into high art. A cultural ouroboros?
I agree with the point that I think Dennis is Making—that you could blame kitsch (in part) for our culture’s obsession with torture (and worse) but the cruelty exhibited by human society is something that has always plagued us and deffinetly predates any recent cultural changes… the complicated nature of humanity warped by the amplification and distortion of our media soaked environment?
Some gnomes for reading this far (photo by Zellaby):
