Decadence of the word decadence

Question

Everyone who is not from the US that I know gives the same quizzical look when some food commercial claims that a TV dinner is decadent.

When did it start being used to mean luxurious? And why? (Our best guess is that it was a joking bet by some people in advertising that got out of hand...)

Answer 1

Etymonline says that this has been going on for forty years, mentioning that the word is "usually used in a bad sense," but:

Beckoning sense of "desirable and satisfying to self-indulgence" begins c.1970 in commercial publications in reference to desserts.

Four decades is long enough for some dictionaries to catch up; one of Macmillan's definition reads:

allowing yourself, or providing, so much pleasure that it almost seems morally wrong : a deliciously decadent dessert

The Cambridge online dictionary specifically denotes this usage as "humorous":

decadent (adj.) A decadent person or group has low moral standards
a decadent society
the decadent court surrounding the king
HUMOROUS Champagne and chocolates for breakfast - how decadent!

The closest Collins comes to portraying this word in a positive light is including self-indulgent in its definition; however, the surrounding language doesn't make it seem like the word can be used in such a neutral or "humorous" way:

decadent (adj.) characterized by decay or decline, as in being self-indulgent or morally corrupt

with these synonyms:

degenerate, abandoned, corrupt, degraded, immoral, depraved, debased, debauched, dissolute, self-indulgent

Getting back to your question, I'd surmise that decadent started being used in this way – that is, as a positive descriptor of food – around the same time the term self-indulgent didn't necessarily imply moral lapses.

Interestingly enough, the McDonald's ad campaign You Deserve a Break Today began in 1971; around the same time Etymonline says that advertisers started proclaiming that it was okay to be decadent. Evidently, we deserve a little self-indulgence now and then, and partaking does not make us morally corrupt – at least, that is what the advertisers would have us believe. The OED, though, is not so quick to agree:

decadent (adj.) That is in a state of decay or decline; falling off or deteriorating from a prior condition of excellence, vitality, prosperity, etc.

with no added mention or example citations of the word being used to "humorously" describe chocolate. I'd point out that the OED meaning seems to accurately describe what might happen to a waistline after guiltlessly partaking in too many decadent desserts.

Answer 2

In the context you describe the value of the word decadent lies not in its meaning but in its associations.

Many people who cannot define the word would be able to tell you that it has to do with ancient Rome -- reclining on couches, being feed delicious morsels by nubile slaves, feasting on exotic foods, all without exerting any apparent effort in preparation.

That sounds like every ad-man's vision of a frozen meal to me!

Answer 3

When someone refers to a product as decadent in that sense, they are placing special attention on indulgence. While 'decadent' isn't a word that is naturally used as a good thing, within the context of marketing (e.g. chocolate, etc.), they construe the meaning of the word in a way that makes the product appealing. In terms of "when", I am not sure how to address that part of your question.

What you have observed is something that has happened with modern usage of the word 'dilettante'. It used to be a good thing, referring to one who dabbles in the arts, mathematics, etc. It used to be associated with "renaissance men". Today however it can be used pejoratively to refer to someone who has superficial knowledge of something.

Answer 4

I think this question smacks more of peeving than anything else, but I offer this 1895 citation...

"Is it not that we [prize classic simplicity] more than any jewelled splendour of decadent luxury?"

There's nothing unusual, recent, or to be sneered at, in the association of decadence, moral decline with self-indulgence.