In the 1950s, fashionable figures in the world of show business became known as the glitterati. Derived from a straightforward combination of glitter and literati, the word referenced not only glamour but also to a level of artistic merit, and for a short time it was seen as a positive label. Very soon though, it became pejorative.
The same applies to glitzy. From the German verb “to shine” or “to glitter”, it was seized upon by Madison Avenue in the 1960s. America’s advertisers used glitzy as a positive label for a range of products and for a time it was successful. Once again, though, opinion soon shifted. These days, to be glitzy is to be flashy, perhaps even spectacular, but not in good taste. Glitzy cosmetics, glitzy jewellery, glitzy accessories are associated with a lack of substance, and ironically also with a lack of true style.
In the 1983 song Fletcher Memorial Home, Pink Floyd deliver a harsh verdict on the post war world, summing up the sins of tyrannical heads of state and including on their list of offenders the “Latin American meat packing glitterati”. From an aspirational label of artistic glamour to a collective noun for murderous dictators in a few short decades; time has not been kind to glitterati.
Did you like the article? Then please like and share it on Facebook, tweet it on Twitter or add it in Google+.
