Literary works deploy the term kitsch to critique and blur the boundaries between refined art and its mass-produced, superficial counterpart. Writers sometimes use the term neutrally—as in a discussion that re-evaluates art whether it’s high or low in aesthetic value [1]—while at other times the word carries pejorative connotations, joining a lexicon of dismissive labels such as “patsch(e)” and “quatsch” [2]. In some narratives, kitsch embodies the culture of celebrity excess and triviality [3] and even appears in depictions of quirky, homemade creations fashioned from everyday objects [4]. It can also serve as an ironic device aimed at undermining conventional bourgeois taste [5], reflecting a broader cultural commentary that both espouses and critiques superficial aesthetics—a notion further echoed in digital design and consumer culture [6, 7]. Dictionaries encapsulate this multifaceted concept by defining kitsch as gaudy, trashy, or pretentiously shallow, thereby underscoring its role as a contested marker in artistic discourse [8].