The Grateful Dead Thread - Bilge

TM tiki mick Tiki Socialite SOCAL Joined: May 12, 2004 Posts: 4094	TM tiki mick Posted posted on Mon, Feb 12, 2007 2:15 PM so what is this constant need by people to interject the grateful dead onto a Tiki website? I realize there is a lot of latitude on this site as far as making a connection between punk rock and Tiki (however tenous) but don't you think the grateful dead has about as much to do with tiki as does Jimmy Buffet? If someone likes the dead, that's great, but by trying to make a connection with Tiki, I feel it helps dilute actual tiki culture, and that is something that has been done too much lately, like by people named Jimmy Buffet. I feel we need to preserve as much of the original intent of Tiki as much as possible, before it's gone forever. Deadhead culture (and hippy culture) does have some small tie to exotica related items in that the scene has some middle eastern influences, some jamaican influences, and even some African themes. But these all stress the psycadelic aspects of those cultures. Even when there is some supposed link to Hawaii, it is always of the laid back pot smoking mystical Hawaiian triipy artwork variety, be it graphics or music. Tiki to me, means specifically a fake exotic experience that veers towards kitsch, came from America in the late 40's, 50s and early sixties, and was never meant to be truly mystical in a deep sense, as that the main adherents were people with short hair, ties, normal jobs and they were mostly middle class suburban parents. The equivalent of yuppies in a sense. It's just by chance that the music they listened to (which was ridiculed in the late 70's and ended up in garage sales) turned out to be really cool in retrospect. I can't speak for a lot of members of TC, but I can guess their backgrounds are similar to mine. late 30's, early 40s. They like Tiki because it reminds them of the better parts of thier youth, when art and life was far more whimsical. Most were probably not into hippy rock, but instead grew up on punk, new wave and alternative music. Discovered tiki later, but grew to love it because it reflects a nicer, less cynical time in thier lifes. Am I 100% wrong about any of this?

so what is this constant need by people to interject the grateful dead onto a Tiki website? I realize there is a lot of latitude on this site as far as making a connection between punk rock and Tiki (however tenous) but don't you think the grateful dead has about as much to do with tiki as does Jimmy Buffet?

If someone likes the dead, that's great, but by trying to make a connection with Tiki, I feel it helps dilute actual tiki culture, and that is something that has been done too much lately, like by people named Jimmy Buffet. I feel we need to preserve as much of the original intent of Tiki as much as possible, before it's gone forever.

Deadhead culture (and hippy culture) does have some small tie to exotica related items in that the scene has some middle eastern influences, some jamaican influences, and even some African themes. But these all stress the psycadelic aspects of those cultures. Even when there is some supposed link to Hawaii, it is always of the laid back pot smoking mystical Hawaiian triipy artwork variety, be it graphics or music.

Tiki to me, means specifically a fake exotic experience that veers towards kitsch, came from America in the late 40's, 50s and early sixties, and was never meant to be truly mystical in a deep sense, as that the main adherents were people with short hair, ties, normal jobs and they were mostly middle class suburban parents. The equivalent of yuppies in a sense. It's just by chance that the music they listened to (which was ridiculed in the late 70's and ended up in garage sales) turned out to be really cool in retrospect.

I can't speak for a lot of members of TC, but I can guess their backgrounds are similar to mine. late 30's, early 40s. They like Tiki because it reminds them of the better parts of thier youth, when art and life was far more whimsical. Most were probably not into hippy rock, but instead grew up on punk, new wave and alternative music. Discovered tiki later, but grew to love it because it reflects a nicer, less cynical time in thier lifes.

Am I 100% wrong about any of this?

Post #285091 by tiki mick on Mon, Feb 12, 2007 2:15 PM