That's so KITSCH.

With the holiday season drawing near, one must prepare for the masses of tacky and exaggeratedly decorated – also referred to as “kitsch” – front lawns [see image below].

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The inflatable snowmen, the fake snow and the Santa Claus with reindeer ensembles all fall under this description of kitsch. Originating from the German language, “kitsch” is simply used to describe something that is of bad taste – especially in the arts. “Kitsch” is mentioned in Gary Hustwit’s film, “Objectified,” primarily to contrast the ideal of “good design.” The film defines “good design” as being aesthetic, unobtrusive, long-lived, consistent in detail, environmentally friendly and most importantly, useful. All of these features of “good design” come into play when formulating the bigger contextual picture – that of the relationship between humans and objects. This bigger picture is even placed into consideration when it comes to designing what would normally seem like insignificant objects, such as a toothpick.

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In the film, the design process of the Japanese-designed toothpick is discussed – demonstrating the significant, although often overlooked, detail of the ridged top of the toothpick. The Japanese designed this aspect of the toothpick in order to allow for people to break off the ridged top to rest the toothpick on after using it [see image above]. This tiny detail emphasizes the film's recurring idea how there is a design for everything.

Speakers in “Objectified” suggest that designers are constantly looking at things and thinking why things are the way they are, as well as always looking to the future when it comes to design. Returning to the kitsch holiday lawn decorations, as society continues to advance with improving the human-object relationship of design, what will become of these mass-produced items that stray so far away from the ideals of “good design?” Only the future holds that answer, but no need to worry. If one is, in fact, a fan of such kitsch holiday lawn decorations, after the holidays have passed, they will immediately be replaced back in the standard forms of lawn gnomes and pink flamingos. Whatever the fate is of any type of kitsch lawn ornament, the idea from “Objectified” still stands: “We have too many unnecessary things everywhere.”