Truly it should be camp verses cute, verses kitschy verses cheesy. And yes there is a difference.
Camp is so extreme that it has an amusing and sometimes perversely sophisticated appeal. Over the top and farcical, intentionally exaggerated so as not to be taken seriously. Think the movies ‘The Little Shop of Horrors’ and ‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show’.
Camp is often confused with kitsch. But kitsch is more single items not an entire work of art per say.
Camp sometimes is also described as cheesy, to confuse things. To make things even more confusing cheesy and cute are often bantered about together. Might as well throw in tacky for good measure.
I figure some examples might help.
RuPaul, Liberace, Paul Lynde all camp
Meg Ryan in her famous roles, so cute.
Kitschy is harder to define think lava lamps, trucker hats and Thomas Kinkaid paintings.
Cheese is many many horror movies and also RomComs and how we love both. No judgment, cheese it is highly entertaining and a cheap guilty pleasure.
And lastly tacky, when all these ideals can blend into something horrible like Roseanne Barr singing the National Anthem.
Still confused?
Not to worry, I saw these shoes and almost bought them home, but somehow the kitsch, camp verses cute; tacky didn’t work for me personally. Maybe if I was a 17-year-old girl or a drag queen I could of made it work. Besides sharks are vicious and aggressive, I’m a more honey badger meets Labrador.
Laura