Who Is Better at Introducing Tiki to the Mainstream Tommy Bahama or Target? - General Tiki

B bigbrotiki Tiki Socialite Tiki Island, above the Silverlake Joined: Mar 25, 2002 Posts: 11621	B bigbrotiki Posted posted on Mon, Feb 18, 2008 1:07 PM Sorry, kids, I ain't buying all that namby pamby "it's all good" stuff (literally AND figuratively). I am not as much as a Tiki purist as I am its chronicler and definer, and as such I already had identified the oft quoted "Jimmy Buffett-ization" as contributing to the downfall, the devolution of Tiki in the BOT. Tommy Bahama's is doing the same thing ( well actually, not intentionally. They would, IF they would be calling themselves "Tiki"...but they are not, anywhere, ...or are they?). I had to react to the fact that T.H. was mentioned here as a possible introduction into the world of Tiki, and clear up that misunderstanding: Now how can something that would contribute to turning a defined style into something more generic and middle of the road be a positive influence? To me, it does more damage than good by using common, bland "good taste" parameters and possibly making people think that that IS Tiki. The perhaps in-born need for faux Island escapism gets pacified on the lowest level, and more people will leave it at that than ever find "true" Tiki through it. Just like with the Polynesian cocktail, which was sweetened and de-alcoholized to become more palatable to the masses, resulting in the "watering down" of Polynesian cocktail culture. If Tiki culture does not retain its "bite" of creative outragousness, it's not Tiki anymore. Tommy Bahama's is the Grenadine in the Mai Tai of Tiki culture.

Sorry, kids, I ain't buying all that namby pamby "it's all good" stuff (literally AND figuratively). I am not as much as a Tiki purist as I am its chronicler and definer, and as such I already had identified the oft quoted "Jimmy Buffett-ization" as contributing to the downfall, the devolution of Tiki in the BOT. Tommy Bahama's is doing the same thing ( well actually, not intentionally. They would, IF they would be calling themselves "Tiki"...but they are not, anywhere, ...or are they?). I had to react to the fact that T.H. was mentioned here as a possible introduction into the world of Tiki, and clear up that misunderstanding:

Now how can something that would contribute to turning a defined style into something more generic and middle of the road be a positive influence? To me, it does more damage than good by using common, bland "good taste" parameters and possibly making people think that that IS Tiki. The perhaps in-born need for faux Island escapism gets pacified on the lowest level, and more people will leave it at that than ever find "true" Tiki through it.

Just like with the Polynesian cocktail, which was sweetened and de-alcoholized to become more palatable to the masses, resulting in the "watering down" of Polynesian cocktail culture. If Tiki culture does not retain its "bite" of creative outragousness, it's not Tiki anymore. Tommy Bahama's is the Grenadine in the Mai Tai of Tiki culture.

Post #361924 by bigbrotiki on Mon, Feb 18, 2008 1:07 PM