Hippies Hate Tikis?

Didn't realize this until just recently. I've been trying to get a few handmade Tiki mugs fired, and have been knocking on the doors of every kiln-dude in lower SoCal. For one, they're ALL owned by old hippies.

Secondly, they HATE Tikis!

Don't know why, but you can talk to these guys for hours on end about firing, pre-firing, clay texture, Grateful Dead band members, and they don't bat an eyelash. But mention Tiki and they get all red in the face, and look like you're trying to arrest their old lady! Holy crap, you'd think I was trying to swipe their stash of Guatamala Gold or something!

No kidding, they're very willing to let me fire a few mugs in their next run, but then they find out they're Tiki Mugs and they won't do it! It's happened again and again. They treat me like I've got the bird flu and I'm sneezing all over their roasted barley soup!

Why?

Are they jealous of Tikis and how Tiki mugs are selling but their heavy ugly green coffee mugs aren't?

Do they somehow make the connection between Tiki culture and the Lounge/50's/drinking & smokin' era that hippies were designed to destroy? Or is that giving them too much credit for thinkin' this thing through?

Do they hate the idea of a subculture doing something way more creative with ceramics than they ever did?

I mean, what the...?

Nah, it's that the cool ex-hippie ceramicists are in NORTHERN California:

http://www.munktiki.com/
:wink:

What about Hairy Menehunies?

An interesting observation... Im guessing that after one too many hits on the bong Tiki just freaks them out man, y'know like - PARANOIA... whoahhhh dude

TTT :)

It's because the Tiki Folks dress and smell better (*except GROG)! Plus, most Tiki people are alcoholics as opposed to stoners,so you really have nothing to offer them! Plus, being a hippie and growing old doesn't do much for a cheerful attitude! :)

When i was making my own mugs I took my stuff to one of those paint it yourself pottery places. the ones where they have shelves of bisque ware to choose from and kids make mom some goofy toothbrush holder. They will fire stuff for you for a small charge. also some community colleges and community centers have pottery classes and therefor have kilns and would probably fire some stuff for you. Sounds like a uniquely so-cal attitude. Ive never had anyone ,stoned or drunk get pissed at me about tiki mugs.
I smoke more than I drink and dont think that has anything to do with weather or not I like tiki. I like a good cocktail once in a while but a good bowl is what gets me through the day. dawn

I just think that the art form of pottery has a certain type of individual that is drawn to it, and it is mostly people who believe in natural materials and manufacture (which has always appealed to the hippie mentality), and tenets like "truth in creation" and "the artist as philosopher". To them, the "fake" and "Kitsch" quality of Tiki mugs must seem diametrically opposed to their "honest" craftsmanship. This is just a difference in conceptual approaches to handicrafts that only few individuals like the Munktiki folks have been able to bridge successfully.

I have no official info on this, just an idea.

Maybe hippies think there will be some bad ju ju left behind if they let a tiki into their kiln.

Jeff(bigtikidude)

I've had a lot of hippie kids visiting Hawaii ask me where to get tiki pipes and comment on what a great bong certain mugs would make... But aside from that, I would agree with the above- maybe the cali hypocrites believe in the power of authentic tikis, and think by letting you fire up your homemade kitsch tikis, you'll unleash some angry ancestral spirit on them. Silly hippies.

?

[ Edited by: foamy 2007-02-19 14:40 ]

I asked my Tiki Mugs what they thought of Hippies.....
You should have seen their faces!

Its because... like you represent thh establishment man, and hippies are anti-establishment,ya dig?

Groovy maannn! Bitchin topic!

Quote - (I hate quoting things back, it's like so petty)

"When i was making my own mugs I took my stuff to one of those paint it yourself pottery places. the ones where they have shelves of bisque ware to choose from and kids make mom some goofy toothbrush holder. They will fire stuff for you for a small charge. also some community colleges and community centers have pottery classes and therefor have kilns and would probably fire some stuff for you."

This is exactly what I did, those are the places I hit, and EVERY SINGLE FREAKIN' place is owned by an ex-hippie! They're all wearing tie-dyed t-shirts, I'm not imagining it!

I think, this is just a gut feeling from talking to these dingbats, that hippies think they INVENTED CERAMICS! It's like their one claim to eternal fame. They hate having some young tattooed engine lovin' cigar chompin muscle buldin' rum soaked Ed Rothesque Tiki Hipster making these incredibly detailed, cool lookin mugs! It's their turf! It's their kiln!It's their Cone 5 Purple Psychedelic Glaze!

Peace, love, and get outta my shop you meddling kids!

On 2007-02-19 15:36, Tom Slick wrote:
Its because... like you represent thh establishment man, and hippies are anti-establishment,ya dig?

AAahh yes, it's times like these I wonder what the the great and wise peacemaker King Okole would say.

On 2007-02-19 14:44, jpmartdog wrote:
I asked my Tiki Mugs what they thought of Hippies.....
You should have seen their faces!

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Shouldn't you be asking the hippies?

I ask the hippies, but they look at me like I've accidentally thrown a football into their backyard pot garden. Then they say something meant to be cutting like

"That's not the type of mugs I make."

like their type of mugs are the International Greenwich Standard for all ceramic firings. They usually follow it up wih a snooty snear. I can't get anything more out of them, they just clam up. It's kind of funny, if it wasn't so pathetic.

Been giving this a lot of thought, and most of the "true to materials" bologna that they keep parroting is lifted, well... stolen, from the brilliant Japanese ceramics masters who introduced these concepts to the good old USofA craft colleges in the 50's and early 60's.

And of course, ironically it was Japan during the same period who produced a LOT of those great tiki mugs we're still drinking from!

Thanks for the warning.

I was going to go to a festival in North Carolina this spring and take the uke along.
There's gonna be a buncha hash-brownie-eatin'-no shavin'-no washin'-veggie burger chewin'-spin dancin'-hippies there.

Now, I'm not so sure I should go.

If any of those hippies would go to a tiki-burn with Boobam Ben, baxdog and Tiki Bong, they'd be converted.
Or fried.

Strange - must be SoCal Hippies. NorCal and Oregon ones are much more groovy.

Maybe it's the sun (in combination with the green stuff)?
It's cooked their SoCal brains, rendering them unable to appreciate a finely crafted Poly Pop ceramic?

It must be that salt air and grass they smoke over there b/c I haven't had any problems being a or with hippies who liked tiki. I do agree with your thought about how tiki is representation of the 50's/lounge era and old hippies not liking that. Yeah I'm too young to be associated with those hippies you speak of, I am just a by-product of them. But I think you probably have just run into some plain old a-holes who happen to be ex-hippies. If i lived in your area, you'd be welcome to my kiln at no charge.

I heard that Stoners really love Tiki!!!

Hey! take it easy on my generation will ya! If you were not there, you don't know and clumping all people together rarely works.
Even in my day there were hippies and then there was hippies. The group that I hung out with were probably more "surf hippies" than San Francisco types. We were doing the "tiki" thing in the late 60's and 70's. Albeit not lounge style, more Hawaiiana type. I drove a 1958 VW bus with Hawaiian print curtains, bamboo and cork walls and I had a large Coco Joe tiki on my dash. We drank rum mixed with tropical fruit juices and listened to Surf Rock. Just because they wear tie die don't make them hippies.
Yours truly, 1972

I thought that it was tikiphiles that hate hippies. At least there is one here on TC (in another thread) that does.

I know that the pros and the government do not have the same name for these things.

I am neither.

Signature? I ain't signin nothin!

[ Edited by: Mr. NoNaMe 2007-02-21 07:07 ]

Keep in mind that the flat-out best tip-top greatest Tiki Shoppe in San Diego is "Freaky Bou-Tiki", which is half smoke shop and half tiki wares. It does have a wall right down the middle, though, to keep the two camps seperate but equal. Hodad Hankster who rules the place with a firm but fair hand may have some insights here.

Bananabobs, you were not a hippie.

What I'm talking about are the original hardcore folkie-hippies. The burn-your-bra, anti-plastic, throw a stoneware pot and smoke flowers before going to Humanities 103 Course, "Pre-1853 Historical Precedents for Vegetarianism". The ones who were taking LSD before it was illegal. The ones who liked to bead adorn all their tan-brown leather jackets, or just wear ponchos. The ones who took themselves really seriously, no laffs allowed.

THOSE ones.

Jeez, when you think about it, why WOULD they like Tikis????

[ Edited by: Cammo 2007-02-20 21:20 ]

Aloha all,

Just my two cents, I have to agree with Sven I don’t think it’s hippies per say its more complex actually.
It is a couple of groups, first those who think ceramics are the most under appreciated art form ever, second the old lady ceramics shop expert who knows everything and you don’t. I have been harassed by both in my years of making Tiki mugs. There was a ceramics genius/manager at Laguna clay, when she saw me come thru the door she’d start yelling hey it’s they guy that doesn’t know anything about ceramics, I had apparently asked the wrong questions previously and she was very sweet about it. Another intense ceramics dude worked at the local pro shop and he would (literally) start shaking when he saw me, his boss was cool and I would crack jokes and get the whole room laughing but not this guy he would have to leave the building. I suspect he could not understand how I found a market for my kitschy crap while he was fighting the good mushy art clay fight and forced to work part time, no long hair he was bald had piercings, etc…
The other group is the bitter ole ceramics ladies, they have been doing this since Abe Lincoln and they know it all, along with; you poured it too thick, that glaze won’t look good on this, that’s an interesting cup, who buys these things, etc… They didn’t have cool glazes way back then or any reason to use them, everything was wheat flower gold, corn flower blue or some crap and why don’t you use this one it’s a nice color? When we would come to pick up or drop off, the whole ceramics class would stop talking and they would listen to the loud impromptu critique about what mistakes I’ve made with my most recent batch.

Obviously I could go on and on, my very best mahalos,

Bosko

On 2007-02-20 21:07, Mr. NoNaMe wrote:
I thought that it was tikiphiles that hate hippies. At least there is one here on TC (in another thread) that does.

I know that the pros and the government do not have the same name for these things.

I am neither.

---

Signature? I ain't signin nothin!

[ Edited by: Mr. NoNaMe 2007-02-21 07:07 ]

I don't hate any one, except the current hip hop generation. BUT, I strongly dislike the 60's hippie mindset (except that I am pretty much a leftist) and I don't cotton to hippy style at all. I think it stinks, literally. I think they are phonies and poseurs and by thinking they are individuals with thier uniform appearance, likes and dislikes, they are actually a clique. One that I don't belong to. Oh yeah, and I have noticed (and been the recipient of) thier attitude-smirks on many occasions.

Hippies destroyed Tiki, bottom line. It was thier parents style. The nixon generation. I still think Tiki is cool, of course.

**
I think they are phonies and poseurs and by thinking they are individuals with their uniform appearance, likes and dislikes, they are actually a clique.
**

Well put, though I think this can apply to many, or most, groups. Resisting such voluntary self-pigeonholing should be a personal goal, but trying to change others -- nah. There is a strain of puritanism in many hippies (btw what a goofy, anachronistic word that is); one naively expects libertarianism and is surprised to encounter a thicket of taboos and judgementalism. It's actually fun to get the awkward reactions sometimes. I like to mix things up on purpose, e.g., "Sure do still love the good old Grateful Dead! But I sometimes prefer disco ... I eat a lot of whole grains, beans, nuts, and dried fruits -- I buy them in bulk at Sam's Club! ... Don't you love Vegas? ..."

Recently read a lovely and wise quote from Ken Kesey: "People think love is an emotion. Love is good sense."

Nevermind. I am getting off this bus.

[ Edited by: Mr. NoNaMe 2007-02-22 19:28 ]

It just amazes me that there are people who were hippies in the 60's that have frozen in time. It's one of the reasons I avoid northern California. I prefer the shallow, gas guzzling, plastic surgery enhanced southern California. And yes...I'm being sarcastic.

" I don't hate any one, except the current hip hop generation. " Well, that means you DO hate someone, right?

And Bosko's experiences - that is exactly what I'm talking about. But keep in mind, Bosko, those little old ladies were all silly little young lady hippies, you just can't tell now because they can't fit into their old bell bottom jeans anymore. And they're just jealous. They haven't sold any of their awful ceramic wares for years, no exaggeration.

How hard is this ceramic stuff anyway? It ain't rocket science. You -

1. Shape it
2. Bake it
3. Glaze it with some cool colors, and
4. Bake it again.

If it doesn't blow up, you got a mug.

Hey Lucas - I'm going to force you to listen to my two Hippie CDs next time we bump into each other. Count 'em, 160 minutes of solid Joanie Mitchell, Donovan, 5th Dimension, Peter Paul & Mary, Lovin' Spoonful, Melanie... cripes, you'll either become a hippie or have a complete nervous breakdown!

On 2007-02-23 07:16, Cammo wrote:
" I don't hate any one, except the current hip hop generation. " Well, that means you DO hate someone, right?

And Bosko's experiences - that is exactly what I'm talking about. But keep in mind, Bosko, those little old ladies were all silly little young lady hippies, you just can't tell now because they can't fit into their old bell bottom jeans anymore. And they're just jealous. They haven't sold any of their awful ceramic wares for years, no exaggeration.

How hard is this ceramic stuff anyway? It ain't rocket science. You -

1. Shape it
2. Bake it
3. Glaze it with some cool colors, and
4. Bake it again.

If it doesn't blow up, you got a mug.

Hey Lucas - I'm going to force you to listen to my two Hippie CDs next time we bump into each other. Count 'em, 160 minutes of solid Joanie Mitchell, Donovan, 5th Dimension, Peter Paul & Mary, Lovin' Spoonful, Melanie... cripes, you'll either become a hippie or have a complete nervous breakdown!

Huge Joni mitchell fan here. James Taylor too, but I don't really consider them "hippy". They are too exploratory, and too well versered in music theory to be Hippy. Most (if not all) hippy music I have encountered was played and performed by complete amatuer garage musicians. Except the Beatles. They actually had skill, though I don't like there sound at all.

Joni Mitchell had knowledge of jazz, and not just a passing knowledge. She was a huge fan of Mingus, and her albums are staffed with jazz fusion musicians like Jaco Pastorius.

5th dimension were more soul artists, IMHO.

The greatest thing I ever saw was Sha-na-na playing at woodstock. Totally out of thier element, and I am loving it!

On 2007-02-23 07:16, Cammo wrote:
" I don't hate any one, except the current hip hop generation. " Well, that means you DO hate someone, right?

But I think I am pretty justified in hating hip hop. After all, it really sucks and has done more to subjugate minorities then a lot of other things. Keeps people down, and in thier place. Which sucks.

What ever happpened to the brooks brother's Miles Davis look? Now that was class!

Lucas - maybe, just maybe, you'd LIKE these hippie Cds....

That's a really weird idea.

Hey, by the way, I just made a new sign for your group. It's about 2 feet across, has like 5 layers of poly on top and gleams like polished crystal;

On 2007-02-23 09:55, Cammo wrote:
Lucas - maybe, just maybe, you'd LIKE these hippie Cds....

That's a really weird idea.

Hey, by the way, I just made a new sign for your group. It's about 2 feet across, has like 5 layers of poly on top and gleams like polished crystal;

Bong mentioned this, and looking at it, I think it is a frickin masterpiece!

I don't think you can lump them all in there. My shop landlord is a cool guy, hippie through and through, and a self-made man, AND a very involved clay/art pottery guy, and (he) has brought up the idea with (me) several times about wanting to try and do some tiki mugs, on his dime. He simply views it as a fun project. I'm already committed on a multi-mug deal with a tiki mug manufacturer, but as a point I think the only things that hippies truly hate are Mcdonalds, the government, and modern footwear.

Bud, everybody hates Mcdonalds, the government, and modern footwear.

Steppin' OUT!