Bad taste

Visualization of narrower problems
Name(s): 
Kitsch
Tastelessness
Distasteful behaviour
Nature

Bad taste may refer to:

An idea that does not fall within normal social standards; see the section on Bad taste in sociology Kitsch art An unpleasant flavor Bad Taste, the 1987 New Zealand cult film by Peter Jackson Bad Taste (record label), an Icelandic record label Bad Taste Records, a Swedish record label Bad Taste (album), a 2000 album by the Killer Barbies

Source: Wikipedia

Claim 
The display of bad taste, whether on a car's bumper or on the pages of a novel, is that which the individual may readily recognize. Yet difficulty lies in producing guidelines for the detection of bad taste, as it is often based on subjective judgement and defined in terms of its cultural setting. Certain acts of bad taste may be known instinctively, as they lack proportion or appropriateness in a given environment. An example might be the appearance of a belly dancer at a presidential inauguration. Other forms of bad taste, also known as kitsch, are more sublime in their presentation, and may sometimes be mistaken for art. Kitsch distinguishes itself in such artistic pretensions, while attempting to instruct an audience how to respond and learn aesthetic pleasure. Such instruction includes the use of exaggeration and sentimentality in order to appeal to the mass consumer culture. That which is disguised as art becomes easily accessible to those who want to consume what appears to be good taste. Sometimes the line between good and bad taste is blurred by intentions of both the author and the audience.
Counter-claim 
Without kitsch, "high art" might not be available to the average consumer. Such an environment would further promote cultural elitism. In this way, kitsch is a form of mass communication, and as such, poses no threat to the art world. To the contrary, kitsch promotes and proliferates high art.
Type 
(F) Fuzzy exceptional problems