--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: One of the characteristics of kitsch is…" description: "\"One of the characteristics of kitsch is precisely the neutralization of 'extreme situations', particularly death, by turning them into some sentimental..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ce/saul-friedlander-72995_characteristics_one-of-the-characteristics-of-kitsch-is_2012099.jpg" --- # One of the characteristics of kitsch is precisely the… ![“One of the characteristics of kitsch is precisely the neutralization of 'extreme situations', particularly death, by turning them into some sentimental idyll.” quote by Saul Friedlander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ce/saul-friedlander-72995_characteristics_one-of-the-characteristics-of-kitsch-is_2012099.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ce/saul-friedlander-72995_characteristics_one-of-the-characteristics-of-kitsch-is_2012099.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ce/saul-friedlander-72995_characteristics_one-of-the-characteristics-of-kitsch-is_2012099.jpg) > “One of the characteristics of kitsch is precisely the neutralization of 'extreme situations', particularly death, by turning them into some sentimental idyll.” Saul Friedlander ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Kitsch neutralizes extreme experiences like death by turning them into sentimental, harmless scenes, diluting their impact. **In simple terms:** Kitsch softens harsh realities into sentimental images. Key Takeaway Recognize when sentiment masks seriousness. Themes kitsch sentimentality extreme death culture Mood critical analytical Type philosophical critical When to use this quote - advertising - film - visual arts - popular culture Key Concepts art criticism media analysis cultural studies Questions to Reflect On - When does sentiment become avoidance? - How does kitsch affect our perception of tragedy? A Different Perspective May oversimplify complex emotions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Extremes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/extremes/) [Kitsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kitsch/) [Sentimental](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sentimental/) ## Related quotes > [Facing the kitsch aesthetic is the unfathomable world of myths.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-friedlander/facing-the-kitsch-aesthetic-is-the-unfathomable-world-of-myths/) Saul Friedlander > [There is a kitsch of death. For example, death transformed into sweet sleep: The 'good night, sweet prince' of the last scene of Hamlet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-friedlander/there-is-a-kitsch-of-death-for-example-death-transformed-into-sweet/) Saul Friedlander > [A real Rembrandt hung in a millionaire's home elevator would undoubtedly make for kitsch.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matei-calinescu/a-real-rembrandt-hung-in-a-millionaire-s-home-elevator-would/) [Matei Calinescu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matei-calinescu/) > [A kitsch novel describes the world not as it really is, but as it is hoped and feared to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-broch/a-kitsch-novel-describes-the-world-not-as-it-really-is-but-as-it-is/) [Hermann Broch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-broch/) > [Kitsch is very important to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oneohtrix-point-never/kitsch-is-very-important-to-me/) [Oneohtrix Point Never](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oneohtrix-point-never/) > [Modern art was born from a desire to destroy kitsch.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-scruton/modern-art-was-born-from-a-desire-to-destroy-kitsch/) [Roger Scruton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-scruton/) > [I did my homework and didn't go out much, and had a very highly developed kitsch fantasy life where I dreamed of being a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-mortimer/i-did-my-homework-and-didn-t-go-out-much-and-had-a-very-highly/) [Emily Mortimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-mortimer/) > [The peasant finds no "natural" urgency within himself that will drive him toward Picasso in spite of all difficulties. In the end the peasant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clement-greenberg/the-peasant-finds-no-natural-urgency-within-himself-that-will-drive/) [Clement Greenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clement-greenberg/) > [If you speak of beauty, you are at once suspected of...kitsch.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/balthus/if-you-speak-of-beauty-you-are-at-once-suspected-of-kitsch/) [Balthus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/balthus/) > [Those who were still able to write beautiful melodies were kitsch composers like Tchaikovsky. Tchaikovsky approaches true art not in his numerous beautiful melodies,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/slavoj-i-ek/those-who-were-still-able-to-write-beautiful-melodies-were-kitsch/) [Slavoj Žižek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/slavoj-i-ek/) > [Her kitsch was the image of home, all peace, quiet, and harmony, and ruled by a loving mother and a wise father. It was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/her-kitsch-was-the-image-of-home-all-peace-quiet-and-harmony-and/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [Architectural kitsch is most common in the commercial pop vernacular - typified by the Big Duck of 1931 in Flanders, New York, a Long…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-filler/architectural-kitsch-is-most-common-in-the-commercial-pop-vernacular/) [Martin Filler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-filler/) > [If you can't take the kitsch, get out of the kitchen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-jencks/if-you-can-t-take-the-kitsch-get-out-of-the-kitchen/) [Charles Jencks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-jencks/) > [Salvador Dali has been called kitsch, but, although some of this work may be grotesque, its brazenly self-conscious bad taste saves it from being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-dutton/salvador-dali-has-been-called-kitsch-but-although-some-of-this-work/) [Denis Dutton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-dutton/) > [Kitsch of course only comes into existence when we recognize how and why it works.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bayley/kitsch-of-course-only-comes-into-existence-when-we-recognize-how-and/) John Bayley ## More by Saul Friedlander > [Susannah Heschel's The Aryan Jesus is a brilliant and erudite investigation of the convergence between major trends in German Protestantism and Nazi racial anti-Semitism.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-friedlander/susannah-heschel-s-the-aryan-jesus-is-a-brilliant-and-erudite/) Saul Friedlander > [There is a kitsch of death. For example, death transformed into sweet sleep: The 'good night, sweet prince' of the last scene of Hamlet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-friedlander/there-is-a-kitsch-of-death-for-example-death-transformed-into-sweet/) Saul Friedlander > [Facing the kitsch aesthetic is the unfathomable world of myths.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-friedlander/facing-the-kitsch-aesthetic-is-the-unfathomable-world-of-myths/) Saul Friedlander Explore all 4 Saul Friedlander quotes ## More Characteristics quotes > [One of the key characteristics of the comic book medium is that it is not brought to life by just one voice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-lee/one-of-the-key-characteristics-of-the-comic-book-medium-is-that-it-is/) [Jim Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-lee/) > [“What makes a good leader? I ask myself this every day, and then as I begin to list off characteristics I realize I’m describing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/what-makes-a-good-leader-i-ask-myself-this-every-day-and-then-as-i/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [Those who know New York City primarily through tourism or mass culture may think of us natives as possessing certain shared characteristics, not all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-dee/those-who-know-new-york-city-primarily-through-tourism-or-mass/) [Jonathan Dee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-dee/) > [Sometimes, Ms. Lane," he said, "one must break with one's past to embrace one's future. It is never an easy thing to do. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-marie-moning/sometimes-ms-lane-he-said-one-must-break-with-one-s-past-to-embrace/) [Karen Marie Moning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-marie-moning/) > [Just because someone thinks they remember something in detail, with confidence and with emotion, does not mean that it actually happened, .. False memories…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-loftus/just-because-someone-thinks-they-remember-something-in-detail-with/) [Elizabeth Loftus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-loftus/) > [Consequently, citizen legislators, rotating back to their communities after a short period of public service—considered an indispensable and routine characteristic and design of representative…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/consequently-citizen-legislators-rotating-back-to-their-communities/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [A second characteristic of the process which for me is the good life, is that it involves an increasingly tendency to live fully in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-rogers/a-second-characteristic-of-the-process-which-for-me-is-the-good-life/) [Carl Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-rogers/) > [Philanthropy is one of the most hopeful characteristics of our time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-livermore/philanthropy-is-one-of-the-most-hopeful-characteristics-of-our-time/) Mary Livermore > [God has given this way of life to Israel: to abstain from everything which is contrary to nature, that is to say, anger, fits…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/poemen/god-has-given-this-way-of-life-to-israel-to-abstain-from-everything/) [Poemen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/poemen/) > [The most significant moment will be when we stop referring to the hiring of qualified women (and racial, ethnic and religious minorities) as significant.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-trask/the-most-significant-moment-will-be-when-we-stop-referring-to-the/) Amy Trask > [Iron and coal dominated everywhere, from grey to black: the black boots, the black stove-pipe hat, the black coach or carriage, the black iron…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-mumford/iron-and-coal-dominated-everywhere-from-grey-to-black-the-black-boots/) [Lewis Mumford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-mumford/) > [The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation. What is called resignation is confirmed desperation. From the desperate city you go into the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-mass-of-men-lead-lives-of-quiet-desperation-what-is-called/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [I think it would be just to say the most essential characteristic of mind is memory, using this word in its broadest sense to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/i-think-it-would-be-just-to-say-the-most-essential-characteristic-of/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [ \[Joseph\] Stalin closes the exposition of these \[Leon Trotsky\] ideas with the words, "Such are in general the characteristic features of \[Vladimir\] Lenin's conception… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leon-trotsky/joseph-stalin-closes-the-exposition-of-these-leon-trotsky-ideas-with/) [Leon Trotsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leon-trotsky/) > [It is true that 'I seem to see a table' does not entail 'I see a table'; but 'I seem to feel a pain'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/galen-strawson/it-is-true-that-i-seem-to-see-a-table-does-not-entail-i-see-a-table/) [Galen Strawson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/galen-strawson/) Browse all 1,325 Characteristics quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "One of the characteristics of kitsch is precisely the neutralization of 'extreme situations', particularly death, by turning them into some sentimental idyll.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Saul Friedlander" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-friedlander/one-of-the-characteristics-of-kitsch-is-precisely-the-neutralization/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Characteristics" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-friedlander/one-of-the-characteristics-of-kitsch-is-precisely-the-neutralization/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ce/saul-friedlander-72995_characteristics_one-of-the-characteristics-of-kitsch-is_2012099.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ce/saul-friedlander-72995_characteristics_one-of-the-characteristics-of-kitsch-is_2012099.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ce/saul-friedlander-72995_characteristics_one-of-the-characteristics-of-kitsch-is_2012099.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“One of the characteristics of kitsch is precisely the neutralization of 'extreme situations', particularly…” — Saul Friedlander", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Saul Friedlander", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-friedlander/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "One of the characteristics of kitsch...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-friedlander/one-of-the-characteristics-of-kitsch-is-precisely-the-neutralization/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-friedlander/one-of-the-characteristics-of-kitsch-is-precisely-the-neutralization/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```