It's worth noting that Kundera's interpretation of kitsch (as a socio-political phenomena rather than an aesthetic quality) is pretty fringe and generally not r

It's worth noting that Kundera's interpretation of kitsch (as a socio-political phenomena rather than an aesthetic quality) is pretty fringe and generally not recognized outside the lit crit community. You won't find it being taken seriously in academic circles focused on sociology, politics, etc., mostly because there are far more elegant and explanatory frames of reference for discussing the phenomenon Kundera describes (mostly drawn from psychology).