Post #362628 by Tiki Zen on Thu, Feb 21, 2008 6:30 AM

What I see developing in this thread, as has been the case in several others, is a division of members along party lines, depending on whether they subscribe to a traditionalist philosophy of tiki, or a liberal philosophy.

On the one hand, we have the traditionalists who are devoted to documenting bygone tiki landmarks before they fade forever into the past, preserving tiki artifacts and memorabilia before they go to that great dumpster in the sky, and creating some amazing tiki time capsules in their homes in tribute and celebration of classic tiki culture.

On the other hand, we have the liberals, who admire tiki culture and, for the most part, the efforts of the traditionalists to preserve and document, and they take inspiration from the classics. At the same time, liberals subscribe to a philosophy that tiki is flexible and subject to personal interpretation. A little mass-produced but accessible and affordable decoration are acceptable, as is a bit of mixing in Floridian, beach and whatever else seems to fit, as they are more interested in a tiki "vibe" than adherence to a historical style.

The traditionalists view the liberals as ill-informed party crashers, who are trying to make tiki, and Tiki Central, something it was not meant to be.

The liberals view the traditionalists as stodgy, inflexible museum curators who keep going "shush" whenever someone expresses individuality.

Each side is correct, when you view the situation from their point of view, alone. I think I understand the problem, but how to solve it, I don't know.