Vulgarize

To make something crude, common, or lacking in refinement; to debase or degrade its quality, character, or appeal. This process often involves simplifying complex ideas or aesthetics to appeal to a wider, less sophisticated audience. It can also entail the introduction of vulgar or offensive elements, such as profanity or explicit content, to make something seem more 'popular' or relatable. The result is a diminished value, both aesthetically and intellectually, from a refinement to an appeal to the lowest common denominator. This change frequently results in a loss of nuance or subtlety. It can be applied to art, language, social customs, literature, and almost any other form of cultural expression and it usually cheapens it.

Vulgarize meaning with examples

• The art exhibit initially featured abstract sculptures, but the gallery owner, hoping to boost sales, decided to vulgarize the display by adding cartoonish figures and vibrant, gaudy colors, thus attracting a less sophisticated crowd and diluting the original artistic intent.
• The once-elegant language of the novel was vulgarized in the new film adaptation. Dialogue that was previously subtle and insightful became direct, overly explicit, and littered with profanity, simplifying the characters' emotions and reducing intellectual depth for broader audience appeal.
• The popular music industry, in its relentless pursuit of profit, frequently vulgarizes artistic expression. Complex musical arrangements are replaced with repetitive beats and formulaic lyrics, debasing the art form to a simple, commercially viable product.
• In an attempt to make his complex scientific concepts accessible to the general public, the professor inadvertently vulgarized his lectures by oversimplifying the arguments and replacing precise terminology with overly simplified, sometimes misleading, analogies.
• The rise of reality television often vulgarizes the private lives of individuals. Intimate moments and relationships are manipulated and exaggerated for dramatic effect, ultimately cheapening the human experience and fostering a culture of voyeurism and sensationalism.