Post #31598 by Squawker on Sat, Apr 26, 2003 1:21 AM

Thanks, Purplejade...

I joined up a couple days back. It's good to commune with like-minded souls. I've been infected with tiki for over 30 years. It's like malaria; you get better, but you're never considered cured.

That's fine with me. Tiki is a state of mind, not an object. I felt that way the first time I saw Hawaii, over two decades ago. I lived there awhile and it creeped under my skin. Burying itself deep, and I've spread the disease ever since. Many other destinations in the tropics have since clung to my skin.

I've scanned past postings and observed some interesting and disturbing remarks. Most notable are the negative comments about Jimmy Buffet and his so-called anti-tiki activities. This makes no sense to me. I've known Bubba for awhile and all he has done (besides find a way to make a profitable living, which as a fellow artist I appreciate) is to suggest the key to emotional stablity is a positive state of mind. Maybe it's a silly concept, but, nevertheless, harmless. And as for the drinking aspect, well...I never saw a tiki lover refuse a shot of 151 laced with a trace of fruit juice.

Margaritaville is a state of mind. Tiki is a state of mind. The physical observation of both is an endulgence in our creative spurts of imagination. Neither one is based on some archeological mountain of research. Tiki, as we know it, is a creation of a fantasy world - not something truely born somewhere in the south pacific. My god, we created this marketing device and imported to the islands in the 1950s & '60s, simply because mainlanders expected an image already created by popular musicals like "South Pacific" or Mitchner's books.

Lets' get real here. There are plenty of people in the world who think this tiki thing is about as sophisticated as pink plastic lawn flamingoes. Considering that, I think any in-bred snobbery is ridiculous.

I really love to discover others with my twisted sense of decor and lifestyle. To share the child-like wonder of graphic puesdo-polynesian culture is wonderful and strangely refreshing. However, I don't appreciate negative vibes and elitism I've seen in some posts.

At my mature age, I'd like to think people are better than those petty attitudes. Maybe I'm naive. The tiki lifestyle is not a trend to me. It's a physical representation of my zeal for life. Something positive to be shared with people of all ages. Not to be used as an excuse for segregation.

If what I have said offends anyone here, I gladly apologize and resign from this community.

[ Edited by: Squawker on 2003-04-26 01:48 ]