Post #258802 by ikitnrev on Tue, Oct 3, 2006 8:07 PM

I kind of agree, that tiki and kitsch, if not equaling the same thing, reside in the same neighborhood of the universe. Having a fondness for kitschy items, especially from the 50's and 60's (i.e. Tretchikoff), is a good indicator that you will also enjoy tiki -- certainly more so than being a fan of the New York Mets, or owning a fishing boat.

Having said that, I would not declare the Mai Kai as the best tiki destination in Florida, if you are in search of kitsch. That honor would go to the Hawaiian Inn in Daytona Beach. Their live luau/hula show features black-light colored backdrops, a smoking day-glow volcano near the food buffet line, a bubble machine that operates when the song 'Tiny Bubbles' is played, and a on-stage full trap-set drummer who sings most of the songs. You never really feel you are on an authentic South Pacific island. Instead you are hallucianting on a 70's representation of a hotel luau show, or on the set of a Jerry Lewis Labor Day telethon ..... and that is the charm of the Hawaiian Inn show.

The Mai Kai, on the other hand, is more of an authentic Polynesian experience, done in a more upscale setting. With the Mai Kai, you get more of the feel like you are on an authentic National Geographic expedition, with more authentic food, more authentic dances, more authentic decor, etc.

One of the definitions for kitsch is 'having a fondness for the overly sentimental.' What is more sentimental than a generation of ex-soldiers and sailors, treasuring the memories of their South Pacific adventures, and wanting to recreate that in their hometown? Tiki mugs are kitschy ... and yes, they can be works of art too.

I'm not afraid to raise and fly the kitsch flag in my home - but then, I am the guy who commissioned a big-eyed tiki road-trip portrait of himself ... so my view of the world is already skewed a bit.

Vern