We need to talk about your kitsch problem... - General Tiki

S Swanky Tiki Socialite Hapa Haole Hideaway, Knoxville, TN Joined: Apr 03, 2002 Posts: 5398	S Swanky Posted posted on Thu, May 25, 2017 10:31 AM I fear that Sven's taking Tiki to a museum and his magnum opus "Tiki Pop" has furthered the serious investigation into Tiki that is upon us. And it is more and more popular. "Authentic" is something we have struggled with for a decade now. Sven and some of us "elitists" feel that "authentic" is one thing, and many others want to embrace it all and "don't worry have a Mai Tai." Then we get Party City and Walmart pushing the most horrid abominations and you have to pick a side. Is that all cool and do what you like, or do we raise the flag of "inauthentic" and put it down? If we allow that Party City Tiki is okay, then anything is okay and pretty soon there WILL be a clamoring call for Tiki to be viewed in the same way as the Washington Redskins or even Civil War memorial defenders. As the Tiki becomes more aesthetically offensive to both us "elitists" as well as every day people with taste, it also WILL be seen as offensive to Polynesian islanders and their culture. The call for "authentic" as put forward by the "elitists" is what can save Tiki. Every article that uses the work "kitsch" about Tiki is ringing the bell that will call forth the cultural wars. Abolish All Tiki Bars She has a point and her voice will get louder and the comments full of "lighten up and have a Mai Tai" sound as awful as the guy at the Redskins football gave saying "have a beer and relax dude!" A READER IN THEMED AND IMMERSIVE SPACES A long read, but skip to page 61 and the Tiki section. He spells it out pretty well and I bet he is 100% right. This aloofness of Tiki people and acceptance of everything will be it's demise. I am saying it right here and right now in no uncertain terms. If we don't ALL get more "elite" about Tiki and start disdaining the awful crap, we will ALL soon be painted with the brush of Walmart Tiki and we'll be hiding our collections like old southerners who "take pride in the heroics of Robert E Lee." Or we'll revel in the low brow and how normal society doesn't get us so here's our middle finger. That will not play well to the Polynesian people on the other side who are calling us racists. "Mai-Kai: History & Mystery of the Iconic Tiki Restaurant" the book [ Edited by: Swanky 2017-05-25 10:32 ]

I fear that Sven's taking Tiki to a museum and his magnum opus "Tiki Pop" has furthered the serious investigation into Tiki that is upon us. And it is more and more popular. "Authentic" is something we have struggled with for a decade now. Sven and some of us "elitists" feel that "authentic" is one thing, and many others want to embrace it all and "don't worry have a Mai Tai."

Then we get Party City and Walmart pushing the most horrid abominations and you have to pick a side. Is that all cool and do what you like, or do we raise the flag of "inauthentic" and put it down?

If we allow that Party City Tiki is okay, then anything is okay and pretty soon there WILL be a clamoring call for Tiki to be viewed in the same way as the Washington Redskins or even Civil War memorial defenders. As the Tiki becomes more aesthetically offensive to both us "elitists" as well as every day people with taste, it also WILL be seen as offensive to Polynesian islanders and their culture.

The call for "authentic" as put forward by the "elitists" is what can save Tiki.

Every article that uses the work "kitsch" about Tiki is ringing the bell that will call forth the cultural wars.

Abolish All Tiki Bars
She has a point and her voice will get louder and the comments full of "lighten up and have a Mai Tai" sound as awful as the guy at the Redskins football gave saying "have a beer and relax dude!"

A READER IN THEMED AND IMMERSIVE SPACES

A long read, but skip to page 61 and the Tiki section. He spells it out pretty well and I bet he is 100% right. This aloofness of Tiki people and acceptance of everything will be it's demise.

I am saying it right here and right now in no uncertain terms. If we don't ALL get more "elite" about Tiki and start disdaining the awful crap, we will ALL soon be painted with the brush of Walmart Tiki and we'll be hiding our collections like old southerners who "take pride in the heroics of Robert E Lee." Or we'll revel in the low brow and how normal society doesn't get us so here's our middle finger. That will not play well to the Polynesian people on the other side who are calling us racists.

"Mai-Kai: History & Mystery of the Iconic Tiki Restaurant" the book

[ Edited by: Swanky 2017-05-25 10:32 ]

Post #776262 by Swanky on Thu, May 25, 2017 10:31 AM