Post #40291 by Rattiki on Sat, Jun 21, 2003 5:49 PM

Well this is very interesting on several levels. Firstly from what I have read in Sven's book, "TIKI" is 'Made in (mainland) America'. An amalgamation of all things Pan-Pacific and Poly-South East Asian with a splash of cartoon that seems to have originated more out of Hollywood than Honolulu. I even see where it has been said that at one time Hawaii actually imported the Polypop culture to meet the expectations of the howlie tour-ons! (that's a cross between a tourist and a moron :wink: ). The word 'Tiki' seems to have come from other than Polynesian origins and I have seen a couple of speculations, but I suspect that since Thor H. had used it in the name for his boat the 'Kon Tiki' that it just stuck.

So what is the big deal? I don't even see that much of a similarity in many of the classic Hawaiian carvings and what is touted as being Tikis. So how can anyone be particularly insulted? It is all just in good fun, just like the 'South of the Border' fantasy has little to do with Mexico.

Also this one killed me:

What would Christians throughout the Mainland think if
Islanders created a fad, "all things saintly," for example. What
if Islanders created silly images of Christian saints, decorated
their dens with white-robed bearded cartoon figures with
glowing circles above their heads, and maybe a bunch of
robed guys and gals with multicolored wings flapping behind
their backs ... you could have cloud-shaped beanbag chairs. A
bar shaped like a cathedral.[quote/]

I guess this guy has not spent much time in Latin America, or been to a Latino Family's home in a working class neighborhood in anywhere USA! :wink: