Kitsch in Sync: A Consumer's Guide to Bad Taste [Paperback]

Peter Ward (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 19, 1996

Ever since the arbiters of taste first took their mothers' flying ducks off the walls of their suburban semis and displayed them proudly alongside their Bauhaus furniture, or chuckled knowingly at the musical toilet rolls in each other's bathroom, kitsch has become part of the style-setter's anti-style.

Peter Ward explores the global culture of kitsch and charts a course through the shallowest waters of trivial bad taste that encompasses all aspects of life - from fashion to furnishings, art to artefacts, through movies, TV, pop and personalities.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

While it commences with a somewhat weak prehistory of kitsch in the 19th century, the light style and deceptively glib analysis of this slender volume are a perfect complement to 20th-century trash culture. In what is essentially a history of mass-produced tackiness, Peter Ward provides insightful commentary on how good taste becomes officially bad when its audience changes. He also catches the sense of humor of Jeff Koons, who appears just a few pages past the Bay City Rollers, a juxtaposition I'm sure Koons would enjoy. Kitsch in Sync is worthwhile for its novel take on '80s new romantic music and for the illustrations of the postwar culture of disposable and ugly home furnishings.

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Plexus Publishing (March 19, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0859651525
• ISBN-13: 978-0859651523
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,712,577 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hilarious, and beautifully written., September 12, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Kitsch in Sync: A Consumer's Guide to Bad Taste (Paperback)

I recommend this book to all people with a sense of humor. It isn't a dry sociological document. The author takes great pleasure in writing about the subject and manages to be tongue in cheek without sounding elitist. A little good kitsch is good for you!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Quick Read, Humorous, February 22, 2010

By 

Shatzi Crabtree (KS) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Kitsch in Sync: A Consumer's Guide to Bad Taste (Paperback)

Although the book is British, it takes on many American themes, like Jayne Mansfield and Mae West. I found some of the book funny but there were mistakes. Weird Al Yankovic's name was mispelled repeatedly, unless they spell it different in England! Also, for the last time, Mansfield was NOT decapitated, it was her wig on the windshield of her wrecked car. Mansfield's daughter has to explain this in every interview. Some American readers won't be too familiar with Cliff Richard or Freddie Garrity but music fans will be. The author seems to have some contempt for Benny Hill. If you're going to write about something it should be on items you like. I couldn't tell whether the author really likes and collects these items or was merely making fun of them. There was a lot in this book about people more than just items.