Post #63298 by sjarvis on Thu, Dec 4, 2003 1:44 PM

On 2003-04-30 21:15, inkylouise wrote:
in regards to the hippy-sixties...
didn't tiki fulfill the conservative, alcohol abiding citizen with the same reckless abandon that the so-called hippies sought for through the use of more powerful, prescriptive semi-pharmaceutical inebriants?

Albeit, with loads more style and grace?

I'd have to disagree with you there, Inkylouise. Hippies (and these are gross generalizations, of course) intended to reform (or overthrow, depending on your perspective) the established social and political structure. Tiki-philes of the 50s/early 60s used the whole polynesian pop thing as a TEMPORARY escape from their boring suburban lives. Tiki was a relief valve, not a revolution. The following Monday morning, the tiki-philes went back to their jobs.

Heck, that's pretty much why I'm interested in tiki and other mid-century things (especially surf music): to get a little escape from the whacked-out world of the 21st century (and its generally awful and aggressive music). I think for us Generation Xers (well, the white kids, anyway), the pre-Kennedy era of our parents and grandparents represents a much more innocent and easy-going sort of life. But, we don't have any "real" memories of that era, we have to rely on artifacts and television and movies, which just contribute to the myth. It's the escapist MYTH that attracts us. That tiki (and surf music) is a living, evolving tradition is a bonus.

Whew, I was in grad school for WAY too long, wasn't I? :)

[ Edited by: sjarvis on 2003-12-04 13:45 ]