Post #25670 by ikitnrev on Fri, Mar 7, 2003 1:45 PM

I liked emspace's acknowledgement of the cultural differences between the 60's surf teenagers, and their adults who were in the original 'lounge' culture.

A good film to rewatch, with a current view towards what is 'exotic or not' is 'The Graduate.' In that film, the older generation is the one that is into mixing cocktails, and it is Mrs Robinson who wears the exotic leopard-skin outfits and goes into hotel lounges to listen to the bands playing there.

Young Benjamin, played by Dustin Hoffman - hates this whole culture - and equates it with being 'plastic' - he prefers drinking beer in the pool versus cocktails, and prefers rock and roll music to the old bump and grind music being played in the strip clubs.

The Graduate came out in 1966, and I consider its success to be one real reason of why the original lounge culture never was adopted by the younger generation - if you want to blame somebody for the downfall of the original lounge/tiki culture - don't blame Jimmy Buffet - blame Dustin Hoffman!!

But now it is 35 years later, and the generational differences that existed in the 60's are long past - we are more free to listen to whatever music we like, without having the emotional baggage it once did. Some of us listen to the music with an awareness of its historical significance, while others will listen to it simply because they like the way it sounds.

Vern