Post #792652 by Prikli Pear on Thu, Jan 24, 2019 7:19 AM

I've never been a big fan of "kitsch" being so liberally applied to all things tiki. To me, that indicates things that are 1) of poor quality and 2) poor taste displayed or celebrated out of a sense of irony. I don't think any of us look at a Bosko original or the Mai Kai and so, "Wow! That's so shitty, it's great!" Most of us appreciate the artistry and effort that goes into these pieces and larger builds, and how that contributes to the elements of escapism. Sure, there are some individual pieces that have an intentionally silly sensibility and/or self awareness to them that would qualify as kitsch, but those are outliers.

Kitsch always sounds defensive, like, "Yes, I have a lot of tiki stuff, but I know it's tasteless and tacky, so that makes it okay." I do not yet have any Boskos, Tiki Diablos or custom lights in my place, but I guarantee when I shell out $XXX for them, it won't be because I think they're kitschy.