Post #117641 by Kaiwaza on Sat, Oct 2, 2004 1:52 AM

Here's what's funny to me when my family, a rather actively church-going bunch visit me from the mainland ( I live in Hawaii now). The tikis don't bother them in the least..I gather they think of them as "decorative Polynesian items", yet they take great offense at some kitschy paintings I had of topless "Polynesian" women.
It seemed odd to me, being an openly gay man, why those paintings offended them so much when they were obviously not ther for my sensual arrousal. And yet, they took no offense at the tikis which, in reality, DO represent an alternative world view of the faith I was brought up in. I wouldn't say I "worship" tikis, but they do embody the idea of an attraction to that which is "different" and somehat "earth-bound" or "earth-based."
Anyway,,it just strikes me as kinda funny.