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Thinking Allowed: Kitsch - Cute

Kitsch - Cute

BBC Radio 4 - Thinking Allowed, Kitsch - Cute

Cute and kitsch: their nature and changing meaning.

Cute and kitsch - Laurie Taylor asks why objects and phenomenon which come under these headings have such a hold and a fascination.

Cute and kitsch - Simon May, visiting professor of philosophy at King’s College London, explores  cuteness and its immense hold on us, from emojis and fluffy puppies to its more uncanny, subversive expressions. Also, the changing significance of kitsch, from garden gnomes to Eurotrash. Ruth Holliday, Professor of Gender and Culture at the University of Leeds, suggests that judgements of taste have shifted ground rather than relaxed. They’re joined by the cultural critic, Peter York.

This programme was first broadcast in March 2019

Producer: Jayne Egerton

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