Cutre

Cutre

Ayer, unos alumnos me trajeron un folleto publicitario de una cadena de supermercados anunciando productos de «típica» comida asiática con el título «¿Te atreves?» Había un par de páginas de comida japonesa. Me pareció un poco cutre.

Algo es «cutre», cuando te da una imagen negativa porque es pobre, descuidado, sucio o de mala calidad: la ropa, un bar… Cualquier cosa puede ser cutre, pero el elemento clave es que algo es cutre si quien lo hace no pone ningún interés en que no lo sea. Tal vez el público a quien va dirigido el producto no sabe diferenciar lo que es cutre, o le da igual. Otra posibilidad es que al público le atraiga lo cutre, porque hay gente que considera lo cutre a la vez repulsivo y atrayente. Un ejemplo de esto sería la canción crítica con los antiabortistas «Voy a ser mamá» (1983) del entonces joven director Pedro Almodóvar, que después se haría mundialmente famoso. Almodóvar utilizaba esa estética «cutre», porque era consciente de que provocaba rechazo y atracción a la vez.

Sin embargo, la percepción de aquello que es «cutre» se puede encontrar en cualquier país. No hace mucho tiempo, me enviaron un folleto de un supermercado japonés con una sección dedicada a productos “típicos” de la comida española.

No sé cómo se dice «cutre» en japonés. ¿Alguna idea?

Cutre (seedy)

Some of my students brought me yesterday an advertising brochure they had taken from a supermarket with “traditional” Asian food products. The title said: “Do you dare?” There were two pages with Japanese products, too. I found it a bit “cutre”.

Something is “cutre”, when it gives you a negative impression because it is poorly or carelessly done or it has a low quality standard: clothes, a bar… Anything and anyone can be “cutre”, but the main point is that something will be “cutre” if the one who did it or made it didn´t put any effort to make it better, Maybe the targeted people cannot make any difference between what is “cutre” and what is not, or maybe they just don´t care. Another possibility is that some people feel attracted by “cutre” things, because some find them attractive, too. An example of this could be a song (“Voy a ser mama”) from 1983 criticising anti-abortion positions by Pedro Almodóvar, then a young man and now a worldwide famous movie director. Almodóvar used “cutre” aesthetics, because he was well aware that it provoked in some people both attraction and repulsion.

I think that the concept of “cutre” is both Spanish and universal. There is an idea of “cutre” which has a lot to do with a sensibility against embarrassing situations, which is too high in many Spaniards and differentiates us from other European citizens. They can keep relaxed in shorts with a flower pattern, fluorescent coloured shirts and sandals with socks up to their knees. Well, most of us simply can’t. We would love to be that brave and we envy them, no doubt. However, the perception of what is “cutre” can be found anywhere. Not so long ago, I received by mail an advertising brochure from a Japanese supermarket chain with a section dedicated to “traditional” products of the Spanish cuisine.

I don´t know how to say “cutre” in Japanese. Any ideas?