New Tiki bar called Painkiller to open in Manhattan in March! - General Tiki

B bigbrotiki Tiki Socialite Tiki Island, above the Silverlake Joined: Mar 25, 2002 Posts: 11621	B bigbrotiki Posted posted on Fri, Jan 8, 2010 3:36 PM Problem is, neither the press NOR the restaurant industry in general have ever taken the time to educate themselves WHAT actually defines TIKI culture. They think anything that has a stick of bamboo on it and some import store carvings can be called Tiki. And as soon as you start to try to explain it, the "but Tiki is supposed to be FUN" contingent rises up and squelches any meaningful discussion: "YOU can't dictate ME how I am gonna have fun!!!" Yada, yada, yada yada... The other problem is: By now, everybody wants to re-invent it, not do the "same old thing". Look at the new Luau in Beverly Hills: They took the name of a famous Tiki temple, claiming to be inspired by it --but then they did not want to be called "Tiki"!? Thing is, in order to re-invent something, you have to understand it in the first place. Only then can one apply informed and creative innovations to a style. However, that kind of problem of lack of understanding something, or lack of interest to, is not exclusive to Tiki culture

Problem is, neither the press NOR the restaurant industry in general have ever taken the time to educate themselves WHAT actually defines TIKI culture. They think anything that has a stick of bamboo on it and some import store carvings can be called Tiki.

And as soon as you start to try to explain it, the "but Tiki is supposed to be FUN" contingent rises up and squelches any meaningful discussion: "YOU can't dictate ME how I am gonna have fun!!!" Yada, yada, yada yada...

The other problem is: By now, everybody wants to re-invent it, not do the "same old thing". Look at the new Luau in Beverly Hills: They took the name of a famous Tiki temple, claiming to be inspired by it --but then they did not want to be called "Tiki"!? Thing is, in order to re-invent something, you have to understand it in the first place. Only then can one apply informed and creative innovations to a style.

However, that kind of problem of lack of understanding something, or lack of interest to, is not exclusive to Tiki culture

Post #503076 by bigbrotiki on Fri, Jan 8, 2010 3:36 PM