Post #329815 by Loki on Mon, Sep 3, 2007 5:54 AM

Folks...remember that the Mai Kai is not a museum, it is a restaurant that entertains us with dance, music, art, and poly-pop kitch. Some of that art is really old and full of culture and some is poly-pop at its finest. Say a tiki was put in place 50 years ago with paint on it. It then became part of the landscape of the Mai Kai and part of its history as a painted tiki. You want to see original Oceanic art, go visit the Smithsonian...or ready your copy of Oceanic Art.

Realize that we tikiphiles represent an incredibly small percentage of patrons. Its full of birthday partys, anniversary gatherings, and tourists that vist the Ft. Lauderdale area. We are quick to judge change and love to argue about what tiki is and how it should look. To the masses that visit the Mai Kai everyday and fill the seats, the tikis are only a part of the experience. I truely believe most visitors enjoy the Mai Kai for what it is...differnt, fun, flashy, exotic, etc...I visit often and I watch the tourists faces when they walk through the gardens, and I listen to their comments. I have never heard someone bitch about the color of a tiki. I have never seen a family not take a photo of their kids next to a tiki because it had colors on it. When I see the tikis that have been painted, it only adds to what the original vision of the place was...sure, they may not be decked out in original livery, but they have been there longer than I've been around, and that makes them part of the original landscape.

To echo what Chip and Andy said...visit the place and/or promote the hell out of it. Believe me, I visit often and I will live with it no matter what direction it goes. I'm in for the long haul.