Which is the meaning of the fez in lounge culture? - Beyond Tiki

MT Mai Tai Tiki Socialite Exotic Isle of Alameda Joined: Mar 21, 2004 Posts: 1438	MT Mai Tai Posted posted on Thu, Jul 24, 2008 11:07 PM On 2008-07-24 10:51, Jason Wickedly wrote: So a few months back I purchased a fez at an antique market. It is a genuine Shriner's fez from the Al Malaikai Shrine in Los Angeles. I bought it with the express intent of wearing it at Tiki events. What I'd like to know from people with more knowledge on such subjects than I, is if that is kosher? Or is it the equivalent of wearing a Roman collar and not being a priest? ...I would in no way want to take anything from the hard work and diligence that the members of the Shrine do in the community. Any thoughts? On 2008-07-24 12:19, Tiki-Kate wrote: Aloha Jason. You need to get Mai Tai to tell you about his fez wearing adventure at Oasis last year. Yeah, I had a minor skirmish with someone, first at the Bali Hai, and then later that same night at the Cult Of The Eye Room Party, where tons of folks were wearing fezzes, ironically enough. I was wearing a real Shriner's fez, and I believe it was from the "Oasis" chapter, but I forget, I have a few vintage fezzes. I feel no need to single out anyone about this incident, it's all in the past, but I do realize why he was upset. He is working hard and diligently to become a Mason/Shriner himself (currently a Mason now, I think), and he thought that I was mocking and being disrespectful of real Masons and Shriners. But there is no way I would ever do anything like that, I am not that kind of person. I was in no way trying to be disrespectful, it was more of a vintage wardrobe kind of thing, and if I was going to the Cult Of The Eye's party (where several close friends of mine are members and were hosting) then I wanted to represent and wear my best fez. In the same vein, I'm not trying to be disrespectful to polynesian culture when I wear an aloha shirt, but folks from Hawaii and other South Seas locales might see it differently. But that minor skirmish isn't the worst thing that has happened to me while wearing a fez. On 2008-07-24 11:55, Bora Boris wrote: What's the worst that could happen a Shriner would drive a Go-Cart over your foot? How about a well known and incredibly drunk Tiki Central member taking a swing at you and/or your fez, and punching it off of your head. And then you're wondering if he's going to keep swinging, and if you're going to have to drop the hammer on him during the special event being thrown in his honor? Yeah, stuff like that happens. No hard feelings on either side, we're buds. But be forwarned, if you wear the fez, sometimes that's the risk you take. Kind of like being a haole and wearing a loud aloha shirt in a remote local's only area of Hawaii. On 2008-07-24 11:55, Bora Boris wrote: *Personally I don't understand the whole fez thing anyway to me it seems like "Oh my aloha shirt doesn't make me interesting enough? How about this wacky hat?" :) * Others feel this way too. See my post above. But I find it interesting that a group of people so die hard dedicated to a a retro culture thing, and feel that none of their "straight" friends will ever get it, and constantly lament about how once again they had to explain to some coworker/aunt/dude at a bar about what tiki is, absolutely don't get the fez and bash it, in the same way that their acquaintances that "don't get tiki" look down their noses on them, either condescendingly or even hostily. On 2008-07-24 13:43, Tipsy McStagger wrote: ..none of the above applies to plain red fezzes, new fezzes, custom fezzes, etc....only to the actual vintage and masonic fezzes ....if you really like that look..buy a red fez and some rhinestones and create your own wacky fez that when finished, will look like the old time fezzes but will be recognized as not being from any existing fraternal order like masons or shriners.... My feelings on this is that if you decorate a plain red fez up good enough to look ilke a real Shriner's fez, then you are going to run the same risk of having to explain yourself to a shriner or others. I get the same strange comments/jeers even when I wear that cheapy leopard skin fez. So if you're willing to deal with the grief, why not just wear the real thing? On 2008-07-24 12:07, Johnny Dollar wrote: it's like anything; if you dig it, cool, if you don't dig it, cool. I feel the same way about it, but some folks here don't. And that's not sour grapes, lamenting, complaining or whining. It's just a simple observation. I think that some people want to fiercely guard what is Americana Polynesian Pop, so anything that falls out of those rigid guidelines becomes suspect to scrutiny. And I guess that's fine. I'm certainly not trying to Buffetize the place by wearing a fez, the main reason I enjoy wearing one to a vintage type event, especially a tiki event, is that I feel that the Shriners would have been the guys that you would have seen hanging out at the bar at Trader Vic's or Don The BeachComber or The Kahiki or the Mai Kai, whooping it up while adorned in their fezzes and finest smoking jackets. So in answer to your question, it's kosher enough to wear a vintage Shriner's fez to tiki events, but be prepared to answer some questions, just like when your co-workers ask "what is tiki?" It sounds like a nice fez, you should show it off. I'll still be wearing my fez to Tiki Oasis, and other events too.

On 2008-07-24 10:51, Jason Wickedly wrote:
So a few months back I purchased a fez at an antique market. It is a genuine Shriner's fez from the Al Malaikai Shrine in Los Angeles. I bought it with the express intent of wearing it at Tiki events. What I'd like to know from people with more knowledge on such subjects than I, is if that is kosher? Or is it the equivalent of wearing a Roman collar and not being a priest? ...I would in no way want to take anything from the hard work and diligence that the members of the Shrine do in the community. Any thoughts?

On 2008-07-24 12:19, Tiki-Kate wrote:
Aloha Jason.
You need to get Mai Tai to tell you about his fez wearing adventure at Oasis last year.

Yeah, I had a minor skirmish with someone, first at the Bali Hai, and then later that same night at the Cult Of The Eye Room Party, where tons of folks were wearing fezzes, ironically enough. I was wearing a real Shriner's fez, and I believe it was from the "Oasis" chapter, but I forget, I have a few vintage fezzes. I feel no need to single out anyone about this incident, it's all in the past, but I do realize why he was upset. He is working hard and diligently to become a Mason/Shriner himself (currently a Mason now, I think), and he thought that I was mocking and being disrespectful of real Masons and Shriners. But there is no way I would ever do anything like that, I am not that kind of person. I was in no way trying to be disrespectful, it was more of a vintage wardrobe kind of thing, and if I was going to the Cult Of The Eye's party (where several close friends of mine are members and were hosting) then I wanted to represent and wear my best fez. In the same vein, I'm not trying to be disrespectful to polynesian culture when I wear an aloha shirt, but folks from Hawaii and other South Seas locales might see it differently.

But that minor skirmish isn't the worst thing that has happened to me while wearing a fez.

On 2008-07-24 11:55, Bora Boris wrote:
What's the worst that could happen a Shriner would drive a Go-Cart over your foot?

How about a well known and incredibly drunk Tiki Central member taking a swing at you and/or your fez, and punching it off of your head. And then you're wondering if he's going to keep swinging, and if you're going to have to drop the hammer on him during the special event being thrown in his honor? Yeah, stuff like that happens. No hard feelings on either side, we're buds. But be forwarned, if you wear the fez, sometimes that's the risk you take. Kind of like being a haole and wearing a loud aloha shirt in a remote local's only area of Hawaii.

On 2008-07-24 11:55, Bora Boris wrote:
***Personally I don't understand the whole fez thing anyway to me it seems like "Oh my aloha shirt doesn't make me interesting enough? How about this wacky hat?" :) ***

Others feel this way too. See my post above. But I find it interesting that a group of people so die hard dedicated to a a retro culture thing, and feel that none of their "straight" friends will ever get it, and constantly lament about how once again they had to explain to some coworker/aunt/dude at a bar about what tiki is, absolutely don't get the fez and bash it, in the same way that their acquaintances that "don't get tiki" look down their noses on them, either condescendingly or even hostily.

On 2008-07-24 13:43, Tipsy McStagger wrote:
..none of the above applies to plain red fezzes, new fezzes, custom fezzes, etc....only to the actual vintage and masonic fezzes ....if you really like that look..buy a red fez and some rhinestones and create your own wacky fez that when finished, will look like the old time fezzes but will be recognized as not being from any existing fraternal order like masons or shriners....

My feelings on this is that if you decorate a plain red fez up good enough to look ilke a real Shriner's fez, then you are going to run the same risk of having to explain yourself to a shriner or others. I get the same strange comments/jeers even when I wear that cheapy leopard skin fez. So if you're willing to deal with the grief, why not just wear the real thing?

On 2008-07-24 12:07, Johnny Dollar wrote:
it's like anything; if you dig it, cool, if you don't dig it, cool.

I feel the same way about it, but some folks here don't. And that's not sour grapes, lamenting, complaining or whining. It's just a simple observation. I think that some people want to fiercely guard what is Americana Polynesian Pop, so anything that falls out of those rigid guidelines becomes suspect to scrutiny. And I guess that's fine. I'm certainly not trying to Buffetize the place by wearing a fez, the main reason I enjoy wearing one to a vintage type event, especially a tiki event, is that I feel that the Shriners would have been the guys that you would have seen hanging out at the bar at Trader Vic's or Don The BeachComber or The Kahiki or the Mai Kai, whooping it up while adorned in their fezzes and finest smoking jackets.

So in answer to your question, it's kosher enough to wear a vintage Shriner's fez to tiki events, but be prepared to answer some questions, just like when your co-workers ask "what is tiki?" It sounds like a nice fez, you should show it off. I'll still be wearing my fez to Tiki Oasis, and other events too.

Post #396385 by Mai Tai on Thu, Jul 24, 2008 11:07 PM