Why Tiki = Tacky, yet African and Asian is traditional - General Tiki

S Swanky Tiki Socialite Hapa Haole Hideaway, Knoxville, TN Joined: Apr 03, 2002 Posts: 5398	S Swanky Posted posted on Thu, May 1, 2008 6:59 AM To clarify, I am not saying I want stuff to look like our version of Tiki, but wondering why I see African masks that look like an old authentic African mask and tiki masks that look like clowns. Someone is buying it all and using it as decor in some way. It's not tacky if you do it right as with many things. There is Polynesian culture and Tiki drew from it. There is native American culture, etc. We see reasonable and nice versions of a lot of old cultural arts. But not Polynesian. Maybe it is our own fault. Well, Don's fault. He made the tiki bar and it is echoing down to today as a party theme and all anyone recalls is someone said tacky and now all anyone knows is that dying breath of "tacky tiki". Don muddied the waters and now they are extreme.

To clarify, I am not saying I want stuff to look like our version of Tiki, but wondering why I see African masks that look like an old authentic African mask and tiki masks that look like clowns.

Someone is buying it all and using it as decor in some way. It's not tacky if you do it right as with many things.

There is Polynesian culture and Tiki drew from it. There is native American culture, etc. We see reasonable and nice versions of a lot of old cultural arts. But not Polynesian. Maybe it is our own fault. Well, Don's fault. He made the tiki bar and it is echoing down to today as a party theme and all anyone recalls is someone said tacky and now all anyone knows is that dying breath of "tacky tiki". Don muddied the waters and now they are extreme.

Post #377412 by Swanky on Thu, May 1, 2008 6:59 AM