Something I’ve been pondering lately is why kitsch looked kitschy to me even when I was a young kid?

I didn’t go to art museums. I’d never been inside an expensive house. I’d read only a few books about art and interior design, and hadn’t paid all that much attention to them if I’m being honest.

So why did velvet Elvises, chicken-based decor, pink flamingoes, Hummel figurines and the like feel kitschy and schlocky even when I had little to no basis of comparison? I have been struggling to figure this out and I really cannot come up with any answers.