Help me define schlock

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Please give examples and / or definitions for "schlock". Unexplicably, the word came to mind when I was listening to "May the cube be with you" by Dolby's Cube.

― Herr Fahrstuhl (Herr Fahrstuhl), Thursday, 25 May 2006 15:49 (twenty years ago)

Schlock is the drek which is made by hacks.

― Steve Goldberg (Steve Goldberg), Thursday, 25 May 2006 15:56 (twenty years ago)

james taylor

sentimental schlock at that

― bb (bbrz), Thursday, 25 May 2006 15:57 (twenty years ago)

Anything you only like when you're drunk.

― Tom (Groke), Thursday, 25 May 2006 15:58 (twenty years ago)

To me it's any performer who is more concerned with appearance and stage presence than creating or performing quality music. In my opinion, Britney Spears is the current queen, and 50 Cent is the reigning king.

― shorty (shorty), Thursday, 25 May 2006 16:06 (twenty years ago)

Well done there.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 25 May 2006 16:09 (twenty years ago)

It's in the eye of the beholder:
http://www.answers.com/schlock&r=67

You may also wish to review this entry:
http://www.answers.com/topic/inexplicable

― Edward III (edward iii), Thursday, 25 May 2006 16:10 (twenty years ago)

I actually thought for a second that schlock was some new offshoot of dubstep or something that I'm not cool to have heard about yet.

― chap who would dare to be a nerd, not a geek (chap), Thursday, 25 May 2006 16:11 (twenty years ago)

Anything that tries to provoke a direct emotional response through lyrics carries the possibility of 'schlockiness' within it. It just requires a sufficient level of cynicism or weariness from the listener.

― Tom (Groke), Thursday, 25 May 2006 16:12 (twenty years ago)

trying to be overly shocking via appearance is pretty schlocky by now too i think.

― Kim (Kim), Thursday, 25 May 2006 16:46 (twenty years ago)

As opposed to when it was a symbol of class?

― Edward III (edward iii), Thursday, 25 May 2006 16:54 (twenty years ago)

Adam Ant - aristocrat. As opposed to a time when it actually did shock and was more novel than rote?

― Kim (Kim), Thursday, 25 May 2006 17:19 (twenty years ago)

schlock = schlub + slick and/or sick

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Thursday, 25 May 2006 17:52 (twenty years ago)

SCHLOCKIST

― Edward III (edward iii), Thursday, 25 May 2006 18:45 (twenty years ago)

Its yiddish.

― Shakey Mo Collier (Shakey Mo Collier), Thursday, 25 May 2006 18:51 (twenty years ago)

Does schlock = roteness? Texas Chainsaw Massacre was novel + shocking in its day (more shocking than what passes for horror today) - hard to argue it's not lowbrow schlock, then or now, though.

If schlock is whatever's tacky - who's the judge of what's tacky and what's cutting edge? (besides the ILM hive mind)

I find schlock to be one of those loaded words that says more about the person who hurls it than the thing its being hurled at... and from now on I will call these superwords...

― Edward III (edward iii), Thursday, 25 May 2006 18:51 (twenty years ago)

Its yiddish.
-- Shakey Mo Collier (audiobo...), May 25th, 2006.

RACIST

― Edward III (edward iii), Thursday, 25 May 2006 18:52 (twenty years ago)

wasn't trying to say it equates with roteness. more like something that might have been surprising at one point, because most people have seen a lot of such things, when we see it now it often is going to have that "trying too hard to create a response" aspect to it. just seemed like something (like lyrics) that would trigger that sober cynicism Tom mentioned.

― Kim (Kim), Thursday, 25 May 2006 19:25 (twenty years ago)

I find schlock to be one of those loaded words that says more about the person who hurls it than the thing its being hurled at...

I think "pretentious" tends to be a glaring example of this.

Anyway, the American Heritage Dictionary defines schlock quite broadly as: "something, such as merchandise or literature, that is inferior or shoddy."

My idea of schlock is more like something that's derivative, obvious, and crappy. Sort of like cliche, but explicitly bad whereas cliche can be more neutral.

― Steve Goldberg (Steve Goldberg), Thursday, 25 May 2006 19:58 (twenty years ago)

Its yiddish.

LINGUIST

― joseph cotten (joseph cotten), Thursday, 25 May 2006 20:00 (twenty years ago)

http://www.smooth-jazz.de/firstview/Najee/MyPointofView.jpg

― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn (Alfred Soto), Thursday, 25 May 2006 20:52 (twenty years ago)

http://www.pointedmagazine.com/jazz%20kenny%20g%201.jpg

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Thursday, 25 May 2006 22:18 (twenty years ago)

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