Post #6970 by woofmutt on Tue, Aug 27, 2002 11:22 PM

Here in the Jet City there's this annual Labor Day weekend music and arts fest called Bumbershoot. Never mind the details. This year they're having a "VIVA POLYNESIA!" section. It sounds largely OK. For one thing Seattle Tiki Carver Edwin Germaine (written 'bout him here before) is gonna be there carving during the day and burning during the night (or so was the plan when I talked to him this past spring). There's scheduled perfomances by a local highschool Tahitian dance group, lei making, the Lagoon Lounge beer garden, and "local eats". But they've also thrown in "bubblenoculars" ("these fun spectacles not only look wacky but blow bubbles too."), a kinetic "Junk Chime" sculpture, "message in a sand bottle" crafting, and "earthquake burgers". This marriage of eclectic wackiness and Tiki seems to be a common Ordinarys approach to Tiki. To me it shows why Tiki is never going to catch on as a mainstream style (which often seems the fear when someone posts here about hula girl pillows at Pottery Barn or kids Tiki t-shirts at Target). The Ordinarys regard Tiki as a goof you do once a year or when vacationing near a Trader Vic's. In their minds there's no difference between a great Tiki bar and Uncle Eddy walking around the Christmas party with a lampshade on his head. The mugs will continue to be ours.