Post #361414 by bigbrotiki on Fri, Feb 15, 2008 5:22 PM

It's a very easy to make people feel uncomfortable by labeling their beliefs as snobbish or elitist, even if they are not. Tiki style, just like any art form, has certain qualities and criteria that define it. If these QUALITIES are absent, it is not Tiki style any more. Very simple. It may be Hawaiiana, Island lifestyle, or whatever, but it is something else. Why is that elitist to point out? And why would one have to feel bad about doing so?

This also has nothing to do with tropical materials you can find at Ikea, which is FINE ......but that was not what the initial question was about. Ikea, Target and MANY other importers have tropical materials that do OK in a Tiki environment, but that is far from "projecting the Tiki love into the consciousness of Americana". And I did mention that Target has the occasional useful item, but again, that does not do away with the fact that the majority of their actual Tikis are soulless.

This fear of elitism is only helping to muddle up definitions and lines that need to be drawn in order so that an art form can stay true to itself.

PS: I just thought of a good metaphor for the above statement:
Recently a relatively new member on this board happily posted his favorite drink recipes, all made with Bacardi. That did not go over so well with the Polynesian mixology fans. So, should we evaluate Bacardi's efforts to bring rum to the masses, just because it's rum and available at every supermarket? And feel elitist because we look for better brands for our cocktails, and shun Bacardi?

The appreciation of quality rums is the very ESSENCE that defines Polynesian mixology, a big part of the reason why we are into it in the first place...so why would drawing the line between them and Bacardi be a bad thing?

[ Edited by: bigbrotiki 2008-02-15 17:40 ]