That's just wrong! The un-Tiki thread:

With easy image uploading coinciding with the below image arriving in my e-mail today I decided it would be time for this. Now I know we all have to be nicey nicey here on TC, not offend anybody, and be supportive and positive....but:

We also have an educational responsibility. Every week hopeful seekers get washed ashore on this website, new and starry-eyed, looking for Tiki. They have to be warned of the nowadays numerous misuses and transgressions of the concept. There is no easier way to do that now than post a picture of these visual crimes committed in the name of the god of the artists, such as this:

Now what is wrong with this picture? (some folks might suggest "EVERYTHING!")

Is it the nudity? Certainly not. Female frontal nudity (National Geographic eroticism) was an integral part of Tiki style, and thus should never be hidden, hindered, or even made excuses for on Tiki Central.

Is it the Transvestite concept? No. Although not part of 50s Tiki culture, most Pacific native cultures have traditionally had a fully integrating and accepting attitude towards the fairy members of their group, and Tiki Central does not discriminate on the basis of religious, political or sexual orientation.

Is it the cheesy 50s exploitation movie title concept of the invite? No...and yes. Though Tiki partially IS cheesy 50s exploitation, it does not need to parody itself, it stands alone and pure in its innocent naivete. Any overdone kitsch satire is unnecessary and crude.

Is it the "orange crate" style of the whole rendering that reeks of "nostalgic" Tommy Bahama products? Well yeah, but:

What really turned my stomach is the MASK! This abomination has no basis in Tiki style, the hair, the colors, the concept are JUST WRONG! It reminds me of those horrible Tiki Toys (someone post a pic?) that came out a while ago. AND the fact that she is wearing it. Don't do that. It is un-Tiki.

the "BOOK of TRANNIES" ?

Or, Wayne Coombs suggestion, "The Book of Tacky"

Is there a tiki mug that goes with this event?

On 2006-08-04 06:41, naugatiki wrote:
Is there a tiki mug that goes with this event?

Yeah, a Lingam with double Coconut Cups, with a straw hole in the lid.

On 2006-08-04 00:36, bigbrotiki wrote:

What really turned my stomach is the MASK! This abomination has no basis in Tiki style, the hair, the colors, the concept are JUST WRONG! It reminds me of those horrible Tiki Toys (someone post a pic?) that came out a while ago. AND the fact that she is wearing it. Don't do that. It is un-Tiki.

Thats not a mask, thats a transvestite :)

http://www.cheekytiki.com

[ Edited by: cheekytiki 2006-08-04 07:31 ]

On 2006-08-04 07:30, cheekytiki wrote:
Thats not a mask, thats a transvestite :)

Yeah, it's just a really ugly dude with bad make up.

Butter Face

How can you argue with "cross dress - get in for less." Shouldn't it be ho's though instead of hoes?

Yeah there's a lot of that going around these days.
A bit too much of it right here in our little corner of the web.

What's particularly "un-tiki" about it, to me, is "Hula Hoes." A big part of the fun of exploring your savage side at a Trader Vic's or other tiki temples was the lovely, barely clothed wahines, and the general air of sensuality. But calling someone a "ho" isn't savage in a fun way, it's savage in a cruel, ungentlemanly way, and should get someone tossed out on their okole.

On 2006-08-04 10:52, Humuhumu wrote:
What's particularly "un-tiki" about it, to me, is "Hula Hoes." A big part of the fun of exploring your savage side at a Trader Vic's or other tiki temples was the lovely, barely clothed wahines, and the general air of sensuality. But calling someone a "ho" isn't savage in a fun way, it's savage in a cruel, ungentlemanly way, and should get someone tossed out on their okole.

well said.

Last time I heard someone use "Lei" as a pun I had to turn my TAZER on them in disgust.
But at least THAT was funny!

Granted i'm not very PC but I can't really see the harm in a bunch of male transvetites referring to themselves as "hoes."

I hate all that Tiki Sex SPAM I get in my email!

Rev. Dr. Frederick J. Freelance, Ph.D., D.F.S

[ Edited by: freddiefreelance 2006-08-04 11:48 ]

On 2006-08-04 06:41, naugatiki wrote:
Is there a tiki mug that goes with this event?

Yeah, it's that "fishman" mask, with lots of hair in it!

Kinder, thank you for all the replies...but what I was also hoping for in this thread were more visual examples of the abuse of the term "Tiki", so that these can be denounced as such, for the advancement of newbies, and the satisfaction of the elders (and the amusement of all).

[ Edited by: bigbrotiki 2006-08-04 12:09 ]

An easy target, but oh so fun -- Tiki Bob's Cantina, this one is the Philadelphia location:
http://www.tikibobsphilly.com/

Where to start... So, the Tiki Bob's name of course -- very tiki, has a great history. But then it's all buggered up with the tacking-on of "Cantina" -- cantinas of course are Mexican, and ain't tiki. To their very, very minor credit -- there is a tiki on the page, though it is very, very wee. Much too wee. The overall feel of the page is a bit too Tequila Sunrise for me.

$2 drinks -- you haven't been able to get a properly made tropical drink for $2 in at least 30 years.
$2 Coors Lights -- there's nothing wrong with serving beer in a tiki bar, or enjoying a beer in a tiki bar, but it shouldn't be an advertising point. Especially if it's Coors Light.

And really, what can be said about midget wrestling and tiki bars that hasn't been said a thousand times before?

I haven't even bothered to delve further into the website to find more atrocities, this front page is enough for me!

This one is in Lahaina, Maui:

If the nudity, the transvestite reference and the 50's exploitation aren't wrong, how can "everything" be wrong with it?

that HIDEOUS mask is for real. http://www.halloween-mask.com/tiki_ap.htm i was hoping it was just drawn up (poorly), but it exists.

I thought a "trannie" was a transexual, not a transvestite.

Not that there's anything wrong with that.

There's something about the proliferation of the "Party City" Tiki that bothers me the most. It's wrong on so many levels.. The garish colors, the feather headdress, the generic-ness of it. There's no real sense of polynesian style here.

And the worst thing about it is the sheer volume of items with this image plastered on them. Cups, shot glasses, party trays, napkins, inflatable beer coolers.... the list goes on and on.

If this is what the lay person envisions as "tiki", our genre is in deep trouble.

I blame the Trannyhunes.

On 2006-08-04 00:36, bigbrotiki wrote:

It reminds me of those horrible Tiki Toys (someone post a pic?) that came out a while ago.

I think you mean these "things" Crazy Al showed us in this thread:
http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=13469&forum=5&14

Interested in those great Tiki party songs like "Play That Funky Music"
and "Mustang Sally"?!?!?!?!

http://www.bizrate.com/partysupplies/oid437822412__nwylf--.html

[ Edited by: The Granite Tiki 2006-08-04 14:53 ]

[ Edited by: Tangaroa 2008-07-11 05:23 ]

Yaaah, keep'em coming!:
Michelle, yesss, those Tiki Bob's Cantina franchises are an old beef some of us carry, a good example of the blatant exploitation of a classic, important brand name in Tiki history!

Pappy, re-read my post again ("SOME might say...")

5-0, you are on the right track, much of today's Tiki abuse stems from indiscriminate, uninformed web pasting from bad sources

Aaron, the garish color scheme certainly has been a sign of Tiki-devolution since the 1980s, best exemplified in the thread that 8 ft dug up, in one word: The NEON Tiki tribe---Arrrrrgh!!! (...but I actually meant those action figures.)

Mr. BH, I have seen a lot of f#%&*d up things being done with Ken and Barbie dolls, but this IS JUST WRONG! And from our own ranks! Tranniehunes? :D

Granite, yes, perfect Tiki "packaging" abuse example. Hey, after all, TIKI = PAAHTEEE !!! , right?

I wanna see those beer can and potato chips holding Jimmy Buffet Tour Tikis next!

On 2006-08-04 15:39, bigbrotiki wrote:
I wanna see those beer can and potato chips holding Jimmy Buffet Tour Tikis next!

HA! I almost did. But decided I've stirred enough up for the day.

Ahhh! What the heck!

Well, I could tout how focused on the real deal and nice this place was in times of old and name a slew of pretty good blasphemies of all sorts that have somehow snuck their way in here and- ...oops...crap...I mean, uh, I love it all, man, and, who are we to judge what's tiki and what's not? I mean, (holding my right thumb up front and center) what, sir, is yore definition of a tiki act? And who said anything about Polynesian? I'm heading off to sniff some flowers now and run through a meadow now to cleanse myself of "non-tiki open mindedness"... right :) (P.S. BK being very sarcastic this evening!)

On 2006-08-04 20:55, Basement Kahuna wrote:

....who are we to judge what's tiki and what's not?

Sarcasm aside, WE ARE TIKI CENTRAL! Where else shall it be judged?

I know BK you carry a grudge about your misunderstood attempt at constructive criticism here. And yes, the Tiki culture we promulgate here is mainly Polynesian POP, and Pop is usually Kitsch, and Kitsch is bad taste.

But, I say it again, there is GOOD bad taste, and there is BAD bad taste. While some here will throw up their hands about such a statement, others know exactly what I mean.

To see the difference between the two can only be taught by example, and this thread is supposed to be a tool for recognizing this differentiation.

And Tangaroa, don't hold back, even though we know that, as some old French guy once said:
"Only few men are wise enough to prefer helpful criticism to vacuous praise."

since no one else has the balls...

note the halloween ghost in the left corner:

there. I've said it.

-Z

[ Edited by: Tangaroa 2008-07-11 05:24 ]

[ Edited by: Tangaroa 2008-07-11 05:24 ]

Maybe it's the Poly part that attracks them.

Like, Poly want a Cracker?

Parrot?

Maybe change the Poly Pop to First Generation American Tiki.

Or, FGAT for short.

Maybe I should wake up a bit more this morning.

NOW page 4

I am surprised that even though Tiki is probably not thought of as our religion (by most of Tiki Central members) that there is such a fundamentalist movement here. Silly me, I thought Tiki was just a fun thing that I did not take too seriously. Even friends who know I collect tiki items have given me some really tacky stuff but I always accept it with thanks (then put it out of sight). Sure, I’ve seen really bad tiki-like items trying to be tiki but I usually just laugh or ignore them. It seems some of you folks are really bothered by them especially some Grand Members.

I really don't want to offend anyone with a misstep so I guess Tiki Central is not the place for me, so I will be saying goodbye to you all. But I do have a suggestion that you come up with some Tiki Rules that new members have to review before joining up. Maybe you could call them the Ten Commandments of Tiki or how about the Sharia of Tiki?

I’m going to have a Mai Tai (probably not the official or original recipe).

Wellllll, actually, if we dooo pick posts from TC, I like Zombified's way of showing the images out of context of the original post's better. Then the person can draw their own conclusions, and either say "These TC snobs suck, bye bye" or "Hmmm, why is this not Tiki?"

In the case of the above images it should be fairly obvious: Just like 95% of what is called a "Tiki Bar" in Florida, generic tropical party shacks are not Tiki. It is not for naught that James Teitelbaum invented the TIPSY factor, and I continuously preach my old adage: "If it says TIKI on it, it should have TIKI in it!"

This is not to say that rattan and bamboo walls aren't a good start, but let us see some serious Oceanic art in place before invoking the name of the main deity.

There is no reason to start a debate, because I am not trying to convert anyone. It is really very simple. There is Tiki, and there is Un-Tiki.

And since I wrote the book that defined Tiki as a style, I feel I have the authority to opinionate about that very difference, just as everybody else has the right to disagree.

On 2006-08-05 12:23, bigbrotiki wrote:
And since I wrote the book that defined Tiki as a style, I feel I have the authority to opinionate about that very difference, just as everybody else has the right to disagree.

Should I bow in your presence if ever I am honored?

I don't have a picture to show, but I do have a story...

Apparently my wife's cousin's best friend throws a tiki party every year. She heard through the grapevine that I'm really into the "tiki-thing", so she asked if I would bartend for it. For some reason, instead of screaming the word "NO", I said sure.

As Lakesurfer and the other Midwest tikiphiles can probably tell you, the locals here just don't have a clue. It was a nice backyard with a new patio, but it was all decked out in the paper Party City type tiki cutouts, Christmas tree lights, a bunch of plastic leis, and a couple of tiki torches. The host was even wearing a plastic coconut bra.

Very few people wanted any of my drinks. I suppose it was because the Molson Ice was just too inviting.

At one point, after a couple hours of listening to Metallica and Korn, I snuck in the Crazed Mugs CD. Two measures into track #2 someone openly complained and replaced it with a best-of Ozzy album.

The high point of the night was letting her 19 year old daughter sneak Jello shots the whole time. Yes, I said Jello shots.

Around 11pm I quietly collected my things and said goodbye. They asked if I would come again next year. This time I said I would have to check my schedule. I think I'm busy though. :wink:

On 2006-08-05 12:15, ThreeTikis wrote:

...I thought Tiki was just a fun thing...

A very good point! This is what the generic media idea of Tiki is nowadays: "Just fun!" And you are right, it is FUN...but not JUST.

It is FUN made into an ART FORM, a funny yet highly sophisticated and complex game with so many facets and such depth that it continuously surprises the beholder with its myriad of unique concepts and creations.

Treating it as "Just a fun thing" is dulling the diamond that Tiki really is. Any good game has some rules, and if we do not care to respect them, the game is no more... FUN!

feeling zombified...LOL I figured you would wank on our "big Lots Pele" too..not just the adorably laughable halloween pirate....LOL

Ah the variances of what we all think is really " IT" or really " ISN'T" ....... Am I a tiki purist? Probaly not... am I someone who enjoys the way I do it...probaly so. and also someone who enjoys the way each person does there own thing......you included

On 2006-08-05 12:27, rodeotiki wrote:

On 2006-08-05 12:23, bigbrotiki wrote:
And since I wrote the book that defined Tiki as a style, I feel I have the authority to opinionate about that very difference, just as everybody else has the right to disagree.

Should I bow in your presence if ever I am honored?

No, not required. But it's interesting that some people seem to get ticked off when I mention it. I'm sorry, but I did. Should I apologize for it?

On 2006-08-05 13:10, bigbrotiki wrote:

On 2006-08-05 12:27, rodeotiki wrote:

On 2006-08-05 12:23, bigbrotiki wrote:
And since I wrote the book that defined Tiki as a style, I feel I have the authority to opinionate about that very difference, just as everybody else has the right to disagree.

Should I bow in your presence if ever I am honored?

No, not required. But it's interesting that some people seem to get ticked off when I mention it. I'm sorry, but I did. Should I apologize for it?

If you dont feel the need to apologize then dont. I am sure that most of us know you wrote BOT.

Hahaha...sorry, rodeo, my bad writing, I actually meant "I just DID write the book, should I apologize for it?"

I just thought it would emphasize why I feel that I am in the position of offering some pointers in Tiki science. You felt I was boasting, I felt I was just making a point. I really don't think I plaster my credits all over this board that much, my only fault may be that I am too involved, but I just am.

Anyway, I am glad I got some action going on TC, and people are venting. Even if some feathers are ruffled, and tears are shed, do not recoil in fear, but rejoice! It is all for the greater good of TIKI.

Polynesian Pop is very, very fun to a lot of us. If keeping the focus on Polynesian Pop isn't of interest to you, isn't fun for you; if what's fun for you is more generic Tropicalia, then it's entirely possible that Tiki Central isn't the place for you. If you're not sure what I mean by that, then perhaps spend some more time reading up on Polynesian Pop, here on this site and on others, before jumping into the community here.

It's a bit like showing up at a basketball court where a game is in play, and diving in trying to play football. The folks there are playing basketball, they enjoy basketball. There's nothing wrong with your wanting to play football, but that's just not the place for it. Telling the folks who are trying to play basketball "I thought we were just trying to play a game and have fun!" is missing the point.

[ Edited by: hanford_lemoore - removed off-topic post - 2006-08-05 18:17 ]