Which is the meaning of the fez in lounge culture? - Beyond Tiki

I ikitnrev Tiki Socialite D.C. / Virginia Joined: Jul 27, 2002 Posts: 1325	I ikitnrev Posted posted on Mon, May 15, 2006 9:55 PM Monkeyman is halfway there. The fez is affiliated with the headwear of the Masons (Shriners) from the 1950's-70's era. But although the Masons do perform legitimate community service, I would argue that those in the tiki community today are not wearing fezes because they wish to perform more charity work than those tiki folk who do not wear fezes. From the 1950's to 70's, the Shriners had a reputation for getting together at their meetings and conventions, and letting their guard down and doing some excessive partying. It was viewed as a social club, where once they were away from their wives and families, they could go wild. This attitude is captured well in a couple of highly visible movies/TV shows that appeared in the early 60's. The first is 'Bye Bye Birdie', the very popular movie musical that stars Dick Van Dyke and Ann Margaret. In that movie, the Rose Alvarez character somehow ends up in a basement meeting of a group of Shriners. There is a wild, dance musical number, which essentially has the Shriners chasing, in a choreographed fashion, Rose Alvarez all around the basement - much in the style that a male office executive might stereotypically chase his secretary around the office. Shag picked up on this fez connotation, with his 'Wives With Knives' print. http://www.shag.com/Holidaysonice/wivesprint.html The other media representation is the cartoon series the Flintstones - where Fred and Barney are members of the Loyal Order of Water Buffaloes - a fictious organization that is based on the Shriners, although their headgear is a bit more excessive and silly. The late 50's/early 60's was a period where it was more acceptable to become excessively drunk (think of 'alcoholic' comedians of that era, such as Dean Martin, Foster Brooks, and all the cartoons featuring drunks wearing lampshades on their heads) and to act in ways when drunk that may not be as socially acceptable today. The fezes are worn today in spirit of that wild, let your hair down, hedonistic lifestyle. By the way, I can highly recommend the book 'A Fex of the Heart - A Trek Around Turkey in Search of a Hat' written by Jeremy Seal, which will provide some actual history about the signifigance of the fez headwear - although it doesn't really touch upon the above wild retro period hedonistic connotation. Vern

Monkeyman is halfway there. The fez is affiliated with the headwear of the Masons (Shriners) from the 1950's-70's era. But although the Masons do perform legitimate community service, I would argue that those in the tiki community today are not wearing fezes because they wish to perform more charity work than those tiki folk who do not wear fezes.

From the 1950's to 70's, the Shriners had a reputation for getting together at their meetings and conventions, and letting their guard down and doing some excessive partying. It was viewed as a social club, where once they were away from their wives and families, they could go wild.

This attitude is captured well in a couple of highly visible movies/TV shows that appeared in the early 60's. The first is 'Bye Bye Birdie', the very popular movie musical that stars Dick Van Dyke and Ann Margaret. In that movie, the Rose Alvarez character somehow ends up in a basement meeting of a group of Shriners. There is a wild, dance musical number, which essentially has the Shriners chasing, in a choreographed fashion, Rose Alvarez all around the basement - much in the style that a male office executive might stereotypically chase his secretary around the office.

Shag picked up on this fez connotation, with his 'Wives With Knives' print.
http://www.shag.com/Holidaysonice/wivesprint.html

The other media representation is the cartoon series the Flintstones - where Fred and Barney are members of the Loyal Order of Water Buffaloes - a fictious organization that is based on the Shriners, although their headgear is a bit more excessive and silly.

The late 50's/early 60's was a period where it was more acceptable to become excessively drunk (think of 'alcoholic' comedians of that era, such as Dean Martin, Foster Brooks, and all the cartoons featuring drunks wearing lampshades on their heads) and to act in ways when drunk that may not be as socially acceptable today.

The fezes are worn today in spirit of that wild, let your hair down, hedonistic lifestyle.

By the way, I can highly recommend the book 'A Fex of the Heart - A Trek Around Turkey in Search of a Hat' written by Jeremy Seal, which will provide some actual history about the signifigance of the fez headwear - although it doesn't really touch upon the above wild retro period hedonistic connotation.

Vern

Post #232192 by ikitnrev on Mon, May 15, 2006 9:55 PM