Post #675 by kahukini on Sat, Apr 13, 2002 6:20 PM

Well I don't think I'm alone as one of the tikiphiles who'd look a concerned native easter islander in the face and laugh. This has nothing to do with them - they are but inspiration for props in an entertaining fantasy world we have created.
Furthermore, part of the joy of tiki for me is its outright religious irreverance. We have reduced the Gods to silly scenery and drink from their heads.
I understand the patronizing 50's pop perversion of polynesian culture, and proudly carry on the mantle. Dance for us you happy natives, dance!
The Polynesians aren't the only ones to have their religion reduced to entertainment - in Atlanta Georgia a great gourmet restaurant is called The Abbey. It's a real, entire church building and sanctuary converted into a theme restaurant where the theme is catholicism. There's nothing like dining like a roman god in a place where they used to worship a poor nazarene carpenter.