Kitsch in Language: Some Observations on the Kitschification of the Translational Professions

This chapter takes the aesthetic conceptualisation of kitsch in management as defined by Michał Szostak and Łukasz Sułkowski and examines how the translation and interpreting profession can be said to have become kitschified in the light of recent developments in the sector, including new patterns of work such as the gig economy and technological advances related to machine translation and artificial intelligence. After a brief presentation of the history and current status of the translational professions, links with management studies and with managerial kitsch are outlined. With regard to the current professional context of translation and interpreting, the analysis illustrates that Szostak and Sułkowski’s framework is found to be particularly relevant in the areas of ‘simplification’, ‘functional stupidity’, and ‘bullshit jobs’, as well as propagated by ‘mendacious CEOs and owners’. These aspects are discussed with reference to relevant literature before providing final observations on whether the continued kitschification of the translation and interpreting professions can be seen as an inevitable progression in the future.