A. Ideas and Concepts
● Kitsch - Kitsch is a German term for mass culture. From the article, it means as the availability close at
hand of a fully matured cultural tradition, whose discoveries, acquisitions, and perfected selfconsciousness kitsch can take advantage of for its own ends. Basing our comprehension on the
definition of Greenberg, we see kitsch as an esthetic evaluation, which can’t be applied to the entire
contemporary art scene, but it is the impressive aesthetic formula of our time which defines the current
taste and the future choices. It is a product of the industrial revolution which urbanized the masses and
established what is called universal literacy. Furthermore, it is mechanical and operates by formulas.
Kitsch is vicarious experience and faked sensations and it changes according to style, but remains always
the same. Kitsch is the epitome of all that is spurious in the life of our times. It has passive consumers
which is stuck between buying or not buying it. It pretends to demand nothing of its customers except
their money, not even their time just for profit.
● Gresham's Law in Culture - Since there was not a clearly defined cultural elite, then the masses could
have their kitsch and the elite could have its High Culture, with everybody happy. But the boundary line
is blurred making the pattern of our cultural lives open to the point of being porous. This where
Greshams law in culture takes place. The "Bad stuff drives out the good, since it is more easily
understood and enjoyed". With the ability to gain access, kitsch is able to sell on a large scale while
simultaneously preventing it from obtaining quality. Kitsch's ease of production because of its
standardized nature, its prolific growth is easy to understand leading to threatening the Culture with its
overwhelming quantity.
● Homogenized Culture - Mass Culture is a dynamic, revolutionary force, breaking down the old barriers
of class, tradition, taste, and dissolving all cultural distinctions making it a homogenized culture. It is a
culture that mixes eveything together with the tendency toward uniformity of ideas and values with it's
contents as homogenized as its circulation.
● Academicism - In our own understanding, academicism was used as a defense of High Culture to the
domination of Mass Culture by attempting to compete through imitation. However, as time passed by,
its real nature is understood by everyone. Thus, its popularity quietly drop as it competes with Mass
Culture. One example as stated in the handout is Rosa Bonheur. She was a realist painter.
● Avantgardism - Avantgardism refers to the withdrawal from competition. It is the complete opposite
of academicism. Unlike academicism that imitates, avantgardism explores and go beyond the
boundaries of what is accepted by the masses. This attempt was successful that is why High Culture at
present is identical with Avantgardism. In contrast to compete by competition, avantgardism choose to
be distinct from those shared by everyone. It is evident how Pablo Picasso left an impact. He rose to
fame be exploring new things and revolutionized arts.
B. Opinions
1. Some scholars say that popular culture is a weapon of consumerism because it "forces people to buy
a particular product/avail of a certain service just because it is popular or trendy. People buy because
they want to become part of a group and be considered "in"
I agree with the statement above, because in this modern time, consumerism and popular culture have
become entangled. They seem now to go hand-in-hand. It may be a good thing to some, but not to all.
Consumerism drives economic growth and boosts innovation, but it also comes with a fair share of
problems ranging from environmental and moral degradation to higher debt levels and mental health
problems.
To give a clearer perspective, it is noticeable that once something catches the interest of majority of the
population, large quantities of it are produced and varieties of it starts to surface. Examples in terms of
food would be samgyupsal and milktea. If you observe, as these things grow in popularity, different
brands and branches also begin to operate, that it seems like you can easily have access to these snacks
because you can find it in almost every corner. In another angle, the prices of some products are also
influenced by who uses it. An example would be garments and accessories worn by celebrities. Since
many fans are fond of dressing like the famous icons they look up to, demands on the items they worn
tend to increase. Thus, the entities selling such see this as a business opportunity to raise their prices.
2. A homogenized culture as a result of popular culture is a danger to individualism. Popular culture has
a tendency to unite people together and create a shared set of values and beliefs; therefore, by doing
so, people lose their sense of individuality because they become like the others - they become
homogenized.
We agree with the statement above. One of the dangers of cultural homogenization is that it reduces
cultural diversity through the popularization and diffusion of a wide array of cultural symbols, customs,
ideas, and values. The expansion of the mass media sector, in particular, had a significant influence on
individuals and society all over the world. While this greater accessibility is useful in some ways, it has
the potential to harm a society's individuality. Because information is so widely disseminated, cultural
meanings, values, and tastes are at risk of becoming homogenized. As a result, the strength of people'
and communities' identities may begin to wane. Moreover, in our modern culture, there appears to be a
tremendous push and incentive for cultural homogeneity or similarity. This is unfortunate because it
reduces cultural uniqueness by attempting to eradicate distinctions between individuals and instead of
forcing them to retain a one-mind, one-voice, one-world narrow outlook based on hearsay. Even though
it appears to be an all-encompassing path to conjectural cultural homogeneity, it is a path that is
harmful, regressive, and fails to take individual evolutionary development into account.
One of the most prominent examples are the globalization of Hollywood films, which are viewed all over
the globe or of global companies wherein people all over the world seek to own. As a result, a lot of
people tend to get influenced by the Western lifestyle as well as their liberation. There are also
countries who create adaptations of films from other countries especially those from Hollywood,
contributing to the homogenization. Another example are brands that frequently symbolize not simply
items but also a way of life. Capitalist culture like McDonaldization and coca-colonization are a few of it.