Post #68143 by Swanky on Wed, Jan 7, 2004 4:40 PM

On 2004-01-07 13:15, thejab wrote:
I find it interesting that I've heard plenty of criticism about other scenes from tiki scenesters (for example how rockabillies are elitist and aloof), but rarely hear criticism about other scenes from rockabilly, mod, punk, or garage scenesters. I also have heard more flag waving about how great the tiki people are from themselves than I've heard from other scenes. Granted, all of the people I have met from Tiki Central are very friendly so we have a right to congratulate ourselves but don't be so quick to judge other scenes before you try them yourself

We could talk about them if we hadn't tried them. But what you said made me realize something, for most of us, there is no tiki scene. There are clubs around dedicated to various subcultures like Goth, Rockabilly and Fetish. We can go to those places as a new person or as a person not wearing the proper costume and see how we are treated. Most of us can't do that with Tiki. There aren't tiki bars in our towns where the local Wahines dis the new girl who isn't in Shaheen or the Kanes dis the new guy not in Beau Tiki. We get together at events. Rare events. So we are insulated and lucky. Other than the faux Hoiti-Toits vs. everyone else, there's no cliques or anything. We're all just damn glad to get to be in a tiki bar with other people who enjoy it the way we do. If it were otherwise, it might change, but I doubt it.

Some cultures in some places are open to new people, others shun them. That's all. Some sub-groups are more likely to shun than others. Player hatin' and people hatin' in general is the rule in some groups.

Maybe we're lucky our gathering places are few and far between.

But tiki is also at the crossroads of many other groups. The 'billies like tiki too! Everyone likes tiki. Some are just way into it.