Proliferation of bad taste

So I seem to have found the answer to my question about bad taste raised here in the oddest place.

I found it in Robert Rankin's The Hollow Chocolate Bunnies of the Apocalypse. You've probably guessed from the title of the book that Rankin is not a philosopher of any sort. But he does have a way of pointing out the obvious.

I quote:

Why it is that bad taste always triumphs over good is one those things that scholars love to debate, when they don't have anything better to do, such as getting a life and getting a girlfriend.
Is there actually such a thing as 'good taste'? they debate. Or 'Is it all merely subjective?'
Well, of course there is such a thing as good taste! Some things actually are better than other things, and people are capable of making the distinction.
But...
Bad taste will always ultimately triumph over good taste , because bad taste has more financial backing. There is far more profit to be made from selling cheap and nasty products, at a big mark-up, than selling quality items at a small mark-up. And you can always produce far more cheap and nasty items far nore quickly than you can produce quality items. Far more.

So, there we have it.

The weekend that was. And the first of much randomness

I have nothing to say. No, that's not true. But what I have to say, or what I can say is not very interesting. So, I'll start with writing about the weekend.

It was uneventful and I caught up on much needed my sleep. One cannot have fun all the time, right? And there should be time set aside to cuddle with the kitty and catch up on some TV. So that is what I did. My frenzy to see that next season of Lost was subdued when I realised that season 5 is not altogether great. But I'm determined to see Lost through to the end. We have walked a long path together and Lost owes me an explanation. However crappy that explanation might end up being.

Between sleep session there was also time for a visit to the nursery and a little gardening. Which was great! Over R200 worth of plants, soil and pebbles later, I had to cut myself off. I will be back in 2 weeks though as they had no moss in stock. Also, I now have 3 incomplete terrariums (soon there will be a 4th) that are begging for more plants. I have no pictures yet due to incompleteness and a lack of good photographic light this weekend.

This is what my entrance hall looked like shortly after starting the first terrarium.

Making a mess. You're doing it right.

Sunday I went to family so they could feed me. It's also been a long time since I've seen them (2-3 weeks?) and I missed them. There was the usual: chicken curry, sugar-free fizzy cooldrinks, rambunctious kids, sleeping on the couches, tea and cake (no death, sorry) and bad taste.

At some point after tea my aunt explained that one day soon she buy a wall unit to house her television and various decorative ornaments. Wide-eyed I kept my mouth shut until her children almost yelled at her that wall units for your television are in no way and form fashionable anymore. My aunt wouldn't hear of it and insisted that stores would not be selling it anymore if it wasn't fashionable.

So, I ask the question: why are stores still stocking horribly outdated, kitsch items (the non-ironic ones)? Because people still buy them? But why? This truly boggles my mind.