Post #336509 by Sabu The Coconut Boy on Thu, Oct 4, 2007 4:36 PM

PeleeTiki -

I like Buffett as well, but I don't want to hear him in a Tiki Bar, in exactly the same way I like Football but don't want to watch it on a big-screen TV in a Tiki Bar.

I'm definitely a bit of a snob when it comes to classic Tiki Culture because it represented a sort of "Sophisticated Savage" mentality. It was exotic and primitive, but it was suave too and required some effort. Even into the 1980s you still needed a jacket and tie to enter Trader Vics. Trader Vic himself, said his restaurant was devoted to ...

"...those merry souls who make drinking a pleasure -
Who achieve contentedness long before capacity
And who, whenever they drink, prove able to carry it, enjoy it,
And remain gentlemen."

There are plenty of folks who have no problem with Buffett becoming associated with Tiki because classic Polynesian Pop culture itself was a mongrel creation of many different influences, and that JB's influence is just another part of the continuing evolution of Tiki Culture in today's world.

I disagree with that argument. If the Buffetization of tiki added-to or improved upon Polynesian Pop, then I would welcome it into the movement the way I've come to welcome the Tiki/Hot-Rod fusion and the Tiki/Burlesque fusion. But I see the Buffetization of Tiki as a watering-down of what used to be great. I don't blame JB himself, in fact, I don't really blame anybody. But I don't want to be affable and say "Yeah, yeah. You're right, Tiki is anything with a laid-back, tropical, beach vibe" when it isn't.

When I tell a stranger that I've got a tiki bar in my house, they invevitably picture this:

Instead of something like this:

When I tell them I'm having a Tiki Party, they'll usually picture this:

Instead of this:

And when I tell them I just went to a Tiki Bar the day before, they're probably going to picture this:

Instead of this;

I know the differences are subtle, but if you look really close you can see them. I usually just have to introduce the stranger to a little bit of Column B and I've got a convert. They say something like, "Wow. I didn't realize Tiki was this cool".

I'm not saying Column A isn't fun either. In fact, I will be happy to meet you in Column A anytime for a beer. but let's call it Margaritaville, Parrothead, or Beach Bar. Let's not call it Tiki because because it only confuses people.

I definitely don't represent the opinion of everyone here either. There are plenty of TC members who like Punk Rock or Reggae in their Tiki Bars and don't feel shackled to the 1960s definition of Tiki. I just think that in general, associating Buffett Culture with Tiki has only watered it down and increased the de-evolution.

Sabu

[ Edited by: Sabu The Coconut Boy 2007-10-04 16:51 ]