Celebrating classic and modern Polynesian Pop

In light of recent "What is Tiki?" discussions, I've decided to add a prominent About Page to the top of Tiki Central that discusses the site's directive.

It's not open to debate anymore: Tiki Central is Polynesian Pop oriented, and not about Jimmy Buffett. I'm not saying that other types of Island escapism doesn't exist, only that Tiki Central is not the place for it. The new About page isn't changing Tiki Central at all -- I and other early members have always leaned towards classic Tiki -- we've just now set it in stone to make it apparent to new users.

When you read the new About page, please do not get offended if something that you hold dear to your heart is listed in the "NOT Tiki Central" list. I had two goals when writing it: make it short and make it specific. I wanted to avoid the vague, open-ended descriptions that I've used in the past.

Why it has taken me so long to do this I can't answer, expect for maybe it's because since early on it's always been crystal clear in my mind and so it never occurred to me. I don't see this as a complete solution to current ailments, only a step.

A CALL FOR MORE LINKS
At the bottom of the about page there is a "further reading" section. I'd like to have specific links that won't leave new users lost, so I'm looking for definitive posts on Poly-Pop. If you think of TC topics that fit the bill, please let me know (post here or PM me) and I'll add them to the list.

Mahalo,

Hanford

Awesome, Hanford.
You must have been eavesdropping on Basement Kahuna's and my conversation last night.

One thing as a sort-of funny aside;
Last night I was talking for about an hour with Kern Mattei and he told me that Jimmy Buffett and his band were in the Mai Kai not too long ago and loved the place.

A few weeks later, Kern began to get calls from all over the US telling him that Buffett was describing the Mai Kai and calling it the "greatest tii bar in the world" to all of the throngs.

So while Jim's music and the Florida-ish-ness-ocity of his millions of fans may not be TC's particular cup of tea - it's certainly clear that Sir Buffett knows where the best tiki bar in the world is and probably gets it with the Polynesian/Exotica bent of the place.

He needs to call Waitiki and King Kukulele for his next album and maybe I'd even actually buy one.

I know this is not the point of your "about" page but I thought it might be interesting for some to read about.

Mai Kai is good.
That is all.

[ Edited by: pablus 2006-08-11 12:24 ]

Huzzah!

Down with Jimmy Buffett!!

Long live Tiki!!!

Nice one Hanford. Id noticed these kinda discussions coming up in the last week and was watching with interest. Given previous history on this topic, I was kinda expecting it to explode again...

I think this is a good way (as you say, a first step anyway) to heading that off before it occurs.

As benz says, Happy Happy Happy :)

Excellent.

I think it's important that people not be scared to voice themselves when something is not right. Myself included. I need to start commenting more often, offering suggestions that would set newcomers on the right path, or help them decide if tiki central fits in with their idea of what tiki is.

Educating people should be a fun part of these forums. I know I love talking about plants or whatever else I'm interested in, and I never tire of answering questions.

So often I stay quiet when I see something I don't agree with; maybe it's time I took the tiki by the phallic protrusion.

On 2006-08-05 19:19, Tikiwahine wrote:
I think it's important that people not be scared to voice themselves when something is not right.

Yes. It has been argued by some that Bong and others like him provided a service in this regard, albeit by drawing blood in a lot of instances. And if that is the case, then it should be recognized that he's no longer here to provide that "service". And therefore, we must step up a bit and do it ourselves. But I don't mean by drawing blood -- there's more than one way to skin a cat (figuratively speaking! I have nothing against cats).

This year I've been saying "be nice" a lot, and I want to clarify to everyone in case this is not understood: when I say "be nice", I do not mean lie through your teeth or if you can't say anything positive, don't say anything at all. What I mean is: tell the truth, but be respectful of people while doing it. An insult or personal attack does not have to be used in order to speak your mind.

Hopefully the new About page will head a lot of this off at the pass, and when it doesn't, we can simply point to the About page and say "off-topic" rather risking it sounding like another "I'm tikier than you" challenge.

A welcome addition! I hope it guides new folks so we don't have to revisit the JB discussion every 6 months.

You might want to spell check the About page Hanford. :)

Well done Hanford. Much appreciated.

-Coco

On 2006-08-05 19:19, Tikiwahine wrote:
So often I stay quiet when I see something I don't agree with

That has been my modus operandi for quite a while now. But I now see that I wasn't doing anyone a favor by posting "nice place" or posting nothing at all when I was really thinking "blech!". I will from now on make it a point to politely steer the person towards the About page. Thanks for putting it up there Hanford!

maybe it's time I took the tiki by the phallic protrusion.

Methinks I'll pass on that though...

I'm super glad there is a unifying definition of what tiki is to TC. However this "tell the truth" has the potential to cause some grief, espcially on the creating forums. Carving is not easy. It takes many tries to get it right. If i were a new member posting my new carvings and started hearing how "untiki" they are, i'd never come back. It takes a lot of guts to post art work for the world to see. Thankfully there is a "thats great" attitude over there right now. It is a close group of artists that are into each others work, for better or for worse.

Simply put, the last thing that needs to happen is a tiki purist who has never picked up a chisel or paint brush coming over to the creating forums and giving a diseratation about how untiki your carving or painting is. We all cant carve and paint like some of the masters over there. Please dont bring this topic to the carvers and artists just yet. Lets encourage the artists with more skill to be delicate, without discouraging.

My .02

so i can plan ahead, when are raffertiki´s marooned on the mainland beachcomber posts going to get the ax and sam gambinos art portraits of movie characters cut out and who else? -koochie and his great portraits????? any more?
basically under the new rules you could just about eliminate the entire creative tiki section- all of those artists are not reproducing the original tiki art.
and all those posts about tiki buying at target - gone.

i will miss them.

On 2006-08-12 16:15, nooganaaga wrote:
and all those posts about tiki buying at target - gone.

i will miss them.

I won't. Big Lots, either.

On 2006-08-12 16:15, nooganaaga wrote:
basically under the new rules you could just about eliminate the entire creative tiki section- all of those artists are not reproducing the original tiki art.
Not true. Many of our artists in creating are almost-exclusively influenced by the classic Tiki Style. And it is my hope that the ones who are not will learn over time what the classic Tiki Style is and and refine their skills, guided by others. That is why the word "modern" is included in the new tagline.

so i can plan ahead, when are raffertiki´s marooned on the mainland beachcomber posts going to get the ax and ...

I like the mission statement, but I missed the part where it outlined new rules that give the ax to any artists in Creating Tiki who aren't reproducing original tiki art. Of course I missed it because it's totally imaginary, just like the magical gumdrop fairies who will come and sprinkle tiki dust on anyone who posts exaggerated strawman arguments like this one above.

Nooga, here's some tips that might help you plan ahead. First, there are existing communities elsewhere for several of the topics that Hanford listed under "What TikiCentral Isn't". Apparently there's some singer named Buffet that some people like - if all discussion of him on TC ended and you missed it, I believe you could re-engage with that community elsewhere. Second, there are two forums here on TC that actively cover topics not strictly conforming to TC's main focus. If you find yourself saturated with on-topic posts in TC's main forums, you can always find relief in the Beyond and Bilge forums. Third, for any divergent topic area you have in mind, you could always create a separate community to focus on that. Fourth, you could just read what Hanford wrote at face value, rather than posting some kinda melodramatic exaggeration that puts words in his mouth. C'mon, the guy does a great service - why do you wanna go pulling his chain with a bunch of stuff that you know is a misrepresentation?

-Randy

I agree with this initiative because it emphasizes the positive. I think some of us need to be reminded that language and words evolve and no one owns them. Sometimes usages develop which offend us or make us uncomfortable; I dislike the usage analyzed in this article (note: non-tiki related; can be ignored):
http://www.slate.com/id/2146866/
but what can I do about it, besides personally avoid using it?

I've got a newsflash: the word "tiki" is not immune to this process. The hard fact is that the word is increasingly used to connote a bamboo-ey, thatchy setting, usually associated with drinking, beaches, spring break, wet T-shirt contests, etc. ad nauseum. Many otherwise reasonably well-informed (in the conventional sense at least) people aren't even aware of a connection with Polynesian culture nor a mid-century pop culture movement, perhaps simply assuming that such superficial decor is just sort of naturally associated with beaches and vacations, end of story.

I share everyone else here's displeasure with this erosion of meaning, but I can also see a bit of irony in the posture of denouncing it and lecturing the offenders. I mean, in the end, mightn't the joke end up being on me? Again, language is a mass-democratic thing. It might give a sense of noble satisfaction to fight a lost cause (a'la autumn lightning) as well as a chance to align oneself with higher gradations of meaning, but there is the matter of numbers. Rather than scolding those who use it in ways we don't like ("Wrong! Not tiki!"), I think the creation of new phrases ("Tiki Classic"? (It worked for Coca Cola!)) is the way to go. This is not a moral argument but a practical one. Scolding: not fun, and won't work. Creativity: more fun, and more likely to work.

I think we're a bit like serious jazz lovers encountering increasing numbers of people who express enthusiasm for "jazz," yet apparently think that word, so beloved to us, refers pretty much exclusively to the sort of commercial, contemporary jazz heard on urban radio stations across the land. There's been a good deal of tug of war over this but it seems to me the matter has been resolved via the use of qualifiers. Look at the satellite radio stations: Sirius has "Smooth Jazz";"Contemporary Jazz"; and "Classic Jazz." The pie isn't grudgingly divided up, with smaller pieces for all; via the creative use of language, it is simply expanded!

In sum, I think Hanford's "Celebrating Classic and Modern Polynesian Pop" suggests the sorts of "qualifiers" that might clarify the sense in which we wish to use the word here in our virtual community. Were I to add two cents' improvement, I might suggest something along these lines:
**
We recognize that the word "tiki" is often used nowadays to describe "generically tropical" decor and the sorts of locations (such as bars) that use it and the word "tiki" to market themselves without any real connection to the rich history of Polynesian Pop culture. If an enthusiasm for "tiki" in this simplified, commercialized sense is what drew you to Tikicentral, we warmly welcome you! Please, though, ...
**

Just trying to emphasize the postive here. Good things often have inauspicious, even goofy beginnings. There's a jazz virtuoso out there who got started on it by mimicking Kenny G. There's a scholar of Oriental Philosophy out there who got started on it by watching "Kung Fu" on TV as a kid. I'll bet the next great contributor to Poly Pop may well now be a college kid who just discovered "tiki" while getting drunk on spring break in Florida in some crass, ahem, "tiki bar." Let's not scare him or her away when he/she comes here for a visit.

[ Edited by: Thomas 2006-08-16 15:38 ]

Another $0.02 comes to mind: perhaps make the "About" link more of an unmissable first-step for first-time visitors. I'm sure the site administrator is concerned about the aesthetics of the front page and the desire to avoid clutter, but I also think there might be a real practical advantage to virtually ensuring that newcomers "go through" the "About" page right off the bat. So in an ideal world, maybe a big fat button that says something like, "New visitor to Tikicentral? Welcome! Please click HERE" which doesn't upset the aesthetics (I know, tall order) might be worth considering. Right now I envision enthusiastic newcomers blasting right past the classy, but somewhat understated "Celebrating classic and modern Polynesian Pop" link, committing a TC faux pas or two, then getting pointedly told that he/she has no excuse because "if you'd read the 'About' page like you were supposed to..." and saying, "Wow, I really struck out with these folks, I'm outa here!"

I know I may be over thinking things here or even advocating an undue level of "hand holding," but they're my thoughts.

I wonder if there's any way to limit a newbie's posts to, say, less than 5 a day, or 10 a month, or something like that.

A CALL FOR MORE LINKS
At the bottom of the about page there is a "further reading" section. I'd like to have specific links that won't leave new users lost, so I'm looking for definitive posts on Poly-Pop. If you think of TC topics that fit the bill, please let me know (post here or PM me) and I'll add them to the list.

Mahalo,

Hanford

Here's some of the threads that first popped into my mind when trying to remember some of my favorites (unfortunately a lotta pics are like, way gone):

Vintage Tiki Artwork - Favorite Artist's Renderings

The lost chapter: Hop Louie and the Stockton Islander

The Hawaii Pavillion - 1962 Seattle World's Fair

Tiki Album Covers

Near and dear to me - Cocojoes vs. HIP

There's tons more, but that's just a few that come to mind.

-Randy