Post #808478 by MrFab on Wed, Mar 22, 2023 4:07 PM

“Tiki” currently occupies a different cultural space than it did in the ‘50s/‘60s. It HAS evolved over time. It isn’t really a part of mainstream suburbia the way it used to be. Now it’s more the domain of cultists like us. People used to wear suits-and-ties to tiki joints, not Aloha-wear, there were no tiki festivals or conventions, etc.

I’ve made the point here before that tiki is now part of the “Lowbrow” aesthetic generally inspired by mid-century “cool” culture (or would that be “kulture”?). Monsters, burlesque, hot rods, rockabilly etc are not necessarily tiki, but since fans of one Lowbrow aspect are often fans of the other, it’s bound to get mixed up. A more positive variant of “that’s not tiki” might be “that is Lowbrow,” hence allowing tiki to be “authentic” within this larger cultural umbrella. Then distinctions can be made - call it a Lowbrow festival/bar/etc and not tiki, with the understanding that of course tiki will be a part of it.