Mixed emotions...Do we want more exposure?

Hey all TCer's,

I received this email today. Problem is I'm not sure how to respond. Do we want more exposure? I think it's great Joe Public is interested and such. I know Wendy and Dan have had publicity from the local paper and PBS station. Any suggestions comments on how or if to proceed would be gratefully accepted! Thanks...PTD

Subject: feature?
Date: Mon, 11 Jun 2007 17:48:58 -0700
From: "Kellar, Liz - Sacramento" Add to Address Book Add Mobile Alert

I am a writer/editor in Special Sections at the Sacramento Bee, and one of the sections I help put together is Interiors, which comes out once a month.

I have been pitching a story on tiki enthusiasts for a while -- and saw on the tiki forum that the Fresno Bee is thinking of doing one as well. My editors now feel that tiki is a valid trend so they have given me the go-ahead.

We are trying to pull this together potentially for our June issue, which comes out June 29.
I wondered if you would be interested in being a part of the story.
You can contact me via email, [email protected] - or my direct line is (916) 321-1498.
Thanks, Liz Kellar

[ Edited by: Psycho Tiki D 2007-06-12 06:30 ]

:lol: tiki is now a valid trend - I will have to tell my folks that :D :D

I think if it will be handled respectively than go for it. Look through previous issues and see what their writing style is like, and go from there. If they are going to run the article with a sidebar on 10 tips to become more like Jimmy Buffet, then don't.

Yeah, this is the part that scares the shit out of me:

"My editors now feel that tiki is a valid trend so they have given me the go-ahead".

The scariest thing about trends is they don't last long and are most often misunderstood. I'm in for the long haul, not because it is popular for fifteen minutes and then "poof" on to the next "valid trend".

Pyscho Tiki D (I know I am and I'm ok with it)!

...notice how when someone can make a buck off it, it suddenly becomes a "valid trend" i.e. target, big lots, etc...when there is no more money to be made and the trend levels off, it's over, and they scurry off to the next big thing,....at least as far as they are concerned...as for us, we just keep on keepin' on......

I'd work to make sure they are coming at it in the right way. I think James Teitelbaum has had a lot of experience in this and you have to be sure. Make sure they are notdoing a "tacky tiki" article. If they are not going to give it respect, just say no. If they want to do it right and be respectful and recognize the style as such, then go forward. You might want to reply and suggest just that. Something like "I'd be happy to share the interior design aesthetic that has evolved from the last 70 years of America's love of the Polynesian islands theme. It started with Don the Beachcomber and has carried through to today. It remains a high standard of relaxation and the art of the cocktail. Our home oasis is a great example to share." you get the idea. Maybe send some links. Getthem in the right perspective, not letting them make their own.

Swanky makes an excellent point. Raising visibility to Tiki culture will certainly bring in a wave of newbies who are interested because it is the fad de jour, then move on to the next big thing.

But if you don't respond, there is also the risk the reporter will misrepresent actual Tiki culture. It isn't Jimmy Buffett and it isn't any kind of hut with grass matting thrown on the roof. This is an opportunity to really show Tiki as more than a passing fad, but rather a true phenomenon with deep roots in American culture. That may go over the heads of most readers, but it will set the record straight.

I want the wahine to have more exposure.

The kane... not so much.

Who cares if tiki is a valid trend or not? There is no denying that it was a valid trend in the first place back in the fifties. Therefore, tiki has trendiness in it as a part of its DNA. I know there are purists here who like to sneer that they have the real this and that, but there are also people here--like me--that enjoy tiki and don't feel they have to be purists to do so. There are serious tiki people and there are kitchy tiki people. It takes all kinds and to each his own. Say heck yes to the reporter! What if 100 trend chasers get involved in tiki and in so doing they stumble across some treasures and preserve them? What if the patio store sells out all his tiki carvings that have been sitting around? I honestly see no downside.

Hell yes!

Do it!

....and think of these lyrics while doing so,

"Rise Above"

Jealous cowards try to control
Rise above, we're gonna rise above
They distort what we say
Rise above, we're gonna rise above
Try and stop what we do
Rise above, we're gonna rise above
When they can't do it themselves
Rise above, we're gonna rise above
We are tired of your abuse
Try to stop us, it's no use

Society's arms of control
Rise above, we're gonna rise above
Think they're smart, can't think for themselves
Rise above, we're gonna rise above
Laugh at us behind our backs
Rise above, we're gonna rise above
I find satisfaction in what they lack
Rise above, we're gonna rise above
We are tired of your abuse
Try to stop us, but it's no use

We are tired of your abuse
Try to stop us, it's no use

We're born with a chance
Rise above, we're gonna rise above
I am gonna have my chance
Rise above, we're gonna rise above
We are born with a chance
Rise above, we're gonna rise above
And I am gonna have my chance
Rise above, we're gonna rise above
We are tired of your abuse
Try to stop us, it's no use

Rise above
Rise above
Rise above
We're gonna rise above
We're gonna rise above
We're gonna rise above

Another hit from that hit master Bamboo Ben... Honey, get Clive Davis on the vine ...

:lol:

I agree with Swanky....go for it and drive the information they will publish.

Try to keep it real for the purists and fun for people like me and mzoltarp. :)

Just to clarify. What I am trying to get at is not a purist vs. kitschy thing, but trying to avoid those damned back-handed compliments. When they talk about the "tacky tiki" they end up highlighting it and condemning it as rubbish at the same time. If they talk about it in a positive way, then the images and people define it, rather than the writing bashing it as they report it. For all I know, PTDs place may be way on the far out Kustom culture flamin tikis from outer space side and not the traditional side. That does not matter at all here. What matters is that they respect what they are reporting and not trash it. Know what I mean? They can't be dissin the tiki. That's all.

You said this was for the Newspaper?

Here is a tip for you.... Walk the reporter and/or photographer through the place first. See what catches thier eys and what they gravitate towards. If they steer towards the 'tack-tiki' in thier questions and photo-ops you will know what you are up against. Then, when it is time to do the actuall interviewing you will have an idea of where/how to steer the conversation.

And, this one is a bit harder because of the 'on-duty' status, offer them a cocktail to set the mood. Nothing focuses you on the Poly-Pop aspects of the culture better than a really good cocktail in your hand.

On 2007-06-13 07:14, RevBambooBen wrote:
Hell yes!

Do it!

....and think of these lyrics while doing so,

"Rise Above"

Jealous cowards try to control
Rise above, we're gonna rise above
They distort what we say
Rise above, we're gonna rise above
Try and stop what we do
Rise above, we're gonna rise above
When they can't do it themselves
Rise above, we're gonna rise above
We are tired of your abuse
Try to stop us, it's no use

Society's arms of control
Rise above, we're gonna rise above
Think they're smart, can't think for themselves
Rise above, we're gonna rise above
Laugh at us behind our backs
Rise above, we're gonna rise above
I find satisfaction in what they lack
Rise above, we're gonna rise above
We are tired of your abuse
Try to stop us, but it's no use

We are tired of your abuse
Try to stop us, it's no use

We're born with a chance
Rise above, we're gonna rise above
I am gonna have my chance
Rise above, we're gonna rise above
We are born with a chance
Rise above, we're gonna rise above
And I am gonna have my chance
Rise above, we're gonna rise above
We are tired of your abuse
Try to stop us, it's no use

Rise above
Rise above
Rise above
We're gonna rise above
We're gonna rise above
We're gonna rise above

Black Flag isn´t it?

On 2007-06-13 13:36, tikidreams wrote:

On 2007-06-13 07:14, RevBambooBen wrote:
Hell yes!

Do it!

....and think of these lyrics while doing so,

"Rise Above"

Jealous cowards try to control
Rise above, we're gonna rise above
They distort what we say
Rise above, we're gonna rise above
Try and stop what we do
Rise above, we're gonna rise above
When they can't do it themselves
Rise above, we're gonna rise above
We are tired of your abuse
Try to stop us, it's no use

Society's arms of control
Rise above, we're gonna rise above
Think they're smart, can't think for themselves
Rise above, we're gonna rise above
Laugh at us behind our backs
Rise above, we're gonna rise above
I find satisfaction in what they lack
Rise above, we're gonna rise above
We are tired of your abuse
Try to stop us, but it's no use

We are tired of your abuse
Try to stop us, it's no use

We're born with a chance
Rise above, we're gonna rise above
I am gonna have my chance
Rise above, we're gonna rise above
We are born with a chance
Rise above, we're gonna rise above
And I am gonna have my chance
Rise above, we're gonna rise above
We are tired of your abuse
Try to stop us, it's no use

Rise above
Rise above
Rise above
We're gonna rise above
We're gonna rise above
We're gonna rise above

Black Flag isn´t it?

Rise Above
Black Flag from the Album "Damaged"
PTD

This conundrum is as old as the Tiki revival itself. Every year since the early 2000s some paper has declared Tiki as a trend, in varying degrees of accuracy, with varied results, good, bad, or none.
You basically can only do all you can, and hope for the best. I like Chip and Andy's approach of "reading" the journalist's attitude beforehand, enabling you to influence it your way then. But if you display genuine enthusiasm, it usually is infectious. And showing the BOT usually conveys the artistic horn of plenty Tiki was and is.

The feelings one has about the "tacky" label for Tiki points to the contradiction that is inherent in Tiki: If we appreciate it because it IS pop culture, and because of its "Kitsch" (for lack of a better word) quality, why do we feel awkward about it becoming popular again, and condemn tacky modern mass-market representations of it?
My answers to that are
1.) There is "good" bad taste, and there is "bad" bad taste, and the difference of the two is in the eye of the beholder.
2.) There is cheap only-in-it-for-the-money modern Tiki product on one hand, and on the other there is talented and being-in-the-know craftsmanship, and even some lucky commercial exceptions that resemble the creative ingenuity that made mid-century Tiki so inspiring to me. Both do go hand in hand.

But I digress. From my experience, to avoid all exposure would be wrong. I held onto the Book of Tiki material for years because I wanted a publisher that had the right distribution and quality to make Tiki re-enter pop culture. I WANTED it to become popular! I could have gone with insider publishers like REsearch or Feral House years earlier, but this would have kept the wealth of information I had to share inside a circle of people already somewhat in the know, like the Tiki News subscribers. I could have left the mention of Witco out of the Book and would been that much Witco-richer now. But where is the fun in that? As stated above, to share your enthusiasm about something is much more rewarding than sitting on it and keeping it under wraps for you and your collector friends.

Yes, there will be those who do not get it, and make a mockery of it, but here I like to use my reasoning that I give to critics of the in-authenticity of Tiki in relation to real Polynesian culture:
I believe that for every ten or twenty readers of the Book of Tiki that only enjoy the party/pop lifestyle aspects of it, there is ONE who gets inspired to delve deeper into authentic Polynesian history and art, and that makes ONE more human being inspired by a culture that would remain dead to most people otherwise.

Similarily one can hope that for every 20 readers of an (even if badly written) article on Tiki today there is one with whom it hits a nerve, and who is inspired to search out his grandparents' memorabilia, or the Tiki bar remnants of his youth.

Spreading the word of Tiki is good mana. :)

On 2007-06-13 15:26, Psycho Tiki D wrote:

On 2007-06-13 13:36, tikidreams wrote:

On 2007-06-13 07:14, RevBambooBen wrote:
Hell yes!

Do it!

....and think of these lyrics while doing so,

"Rise Above"

Jealous cowards try to control
Rise above, we're gonna rise above
They distort what we say
Rise above, we're gonna rise above
Try and stop what we do
Rise above, we're gonna rise above
When they can't do it themselves
Rise above, we're gonna rise above
We are tired of your abuse
Try to stop us, it's no use

Society's arms of control
Rise above, we're gonna rise above
Think they're smart, can't think for themselves
Rise above, we're gonna rise above
Laugh at us behind our backs
Rise above, we're gonna rise above
I find satisfaction in what they lack
Rise above, we're gonna rise above
We are tired of your abuse
Try to stop us, but it's no use

We are tired of your abuse
Try to stop us, it's no use

We're born with a chance
Rise above, we're gonna rise above
I am gonna have my chance
Rise above, we're gonna rise above
We are born with a chance
Rise above, we're gonna rise above
And I am gonna have my chance
Rise above, we're gonna rise above
We are tired of your abuse
Try to stop us, it's no use

Rise above
Rise above
Rise above
We're gonna rise above
We're gonna rise above
We're gonna rise above

Black Flag isn´t it?

Rise Above
Black Flag from the Album "Damaged"
PTD

Aha, just as i thought. I´m more familiar with the cover by Swedish Driller Killer.
Is this place infested with old punks?

I recommend anyone with a concern, or personal incentive about how this write-up ultimately characterizes tiki and/or accurately captures the aesthetic to call or email Liz. Don't rest this solely on the back of PTD. I got the same email and so did probably dozens of other people if not more, but we all can just as easily comment as everyone here has a vested interest (of sorts) to ensure the article delivers a sound expose regardless of where you're from. In fact I think it would be ideal if she received email from people all over. Forget whether you got a formal invitation to respond. PTD posted her contact information so it can't get any easier and I'm assuming he did so for a reason. Thanks PTD.

Consider this. If we are providing the history, photos, perspective and personal stories how could she possibly drift off course headed straight for the island of Jimmy Buffet, or whatever other disturbing misrepresentation that we have all grown to loathe. If she does anyway, well, it wasn't due to a lack of effort on our part to steer the story and give mid-century/tiki/PolyPop the respect you know it deserves. In short write the dang thing for her as she'll love you for doing all research for her. The depth of expertise here is phenomenal. Bury her inbox. (PTD - you are what you is)

[ Edited by: alohacurrent 2007-06-14 09:40 ]

I responded to Liz's request yesterday afternoon. I based contacting her on by weighing all of the responses posted in this thread. I guess the collector side of me would rather not have any more competition, but bigbrotiki makes a good point in that:

"Similarly one can hope that for every 20 readers of an (even if badly written) article on Tiki today there is one with whom it hits a nerve, and who is inspired to search out his grandparents' memorabilia, or the Tiki bar remnants of his youth".

I agree, especially at a local level where it would be interesting to see more of abandoned local flavor like Tiki Bob's, Zombie Hut, Coral Reef and such; some artifacts to resurface and maybe this could be a way to get others involved.

I simply stated to Liz in my response that I was willing to assist in steering her in a positive direction towards those of us who have an affinity for this area of lifestyle and collecting and wanted to convey I welcome any and all who are interested to participate and learn.

I also directed her to contact others locally and steered her towards a couple of threads on Tiki Central.

I also like Alohacurrent's thought of having anyone else participate by contacting Liz directly. It appears she has contacted some of the individuals from the threads and hopefully if we are all able to provide some insight into this feature we will see an informative and accurate representation of tiki and tiki culture.

I guess we will see where this goes?

Psycho Tiki D (I know I am and possibly soon, so will all of Sacramento)!

While the discussion continues over tiki press....

This is a pretty good one..

Chip and Andy
Tiki Socialite

Joined: Jul 13, 2004
Posts: 747
Mugs: 19
From: Hollywood, Just south of the Mai Kai
Posted: Today; 09:53 am

Here is the introduction that aired today on our local news..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGN8lZmB3fY

Featuring Tiki Bree and King Kukulele introducing the 2007 Hukilau. Also showcasing two of the more fabulous models from Sarong-A-Rama!

Sorry for the low quality, it was the best I could do in a rush....

The dresses in the video were hot...mental note get them on my wife...mix up mai tais...take the dresses off the wife...

On 2007-06-14 07:15, tikidreams wrote:
Is this place infested with old punks?

Yup, a lot of old punks I know eventually drifted into the Exotica/Lounge scene, then to some degree or another, got into Tiki. A couple of us have tried to sit down and figure out exactly how that particular strand of DNA evolved. A lot of us used to hang out at Tiki Ti back in the late 70s/early 80s, long before there was any Tiki revival, so maybe that provided some impetus.

Weblog: Eye of the Goof

[ Edited by: MrBaliHai 2007-06-17 14:32 ]

I've been watching this post for a couple of days, and Ihave been thinking about the exposure aspect. When Polynesia Americana hits a major museum in a couple of years, thers definatly going to be exposure. Dawn

Is this place infested with old punks?

Never Mind the BOLLOCKS! Here's the...Well, BOLLOCKS probably!!

It's funny that you should say 'infested', I thought it was '77 all over again! The mainstream never did 'get us', hated us even, and now look, so called 'punk' is everywhere! Tiki may not be everyone's cup of tea but if enough people are exposed/introduced to it then some will be caught in its undoubted enchantment. Granted it will inevitably be watered down and commercialised, but hey!, Tiki will live on and surely that can only be a good thing! What would you rather listen to, 'X-Factor product' or watered down punk rock? Personally I'd rather listen to the LURKERS and the CLASH!!!

Our interest in what is really a popularisation of authentic tiki culture, could be seen by those whose actual cultural lifestyle it is, as a watered down commercialisation! I have spoken to polynesians who actually find it funny that we would be so interested in a culture that is not our own. Like them, we should give others a chance to enjoy what we've known for a long time!

Tiki is here to stay, with or without the blessing of the mainstream!!

Trader Jim - Make mine a Mai-Tai!

SHA-DO, SHA-DO! :)

I say go for it, even bad exposure is exposure.

My own interest in Tiki comes from living in the islands and an affinity to Hawaiian culture.

I've never much liked the kitchy tiki-bar asthetic, but I will admit that after seeing some of the modern Kustom car culture type of tikis, I saw an opportunity for creative expression. After looking into the artform, I started looking to source material - the authentic tikis on the island. It was there that I saw the Mana of tikis, and how powerful they can be.

I can see the whole spectrum of sacred to kitch as valid, all with value. Then again, I'm basically a buddhist (and old punk).

Exposure is good. It let's people know that there is still life in these creations. And let's face it, people will find what they want to find, and get out of it what they put into it.

-Mike

Guess I'm out...all of that fretting for naught! This, after the initial contacts for an interview and scheduled photo shoot on Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. See below:

Hey Duane,

I just got an e-mail from SacBee and it seems like we have
all the people we need.

Thanks for your time,

Sal+

--- Duane Orzol wrote:

Thanks for letting me know.

Duane

Salvador Ochoa wrote:
Hey Duane,

Sorry for getting back to you this late. I was talking to
some people at Sac Bee and it's not clear yet if I'm
going
to be photographing your place...yet. I got things
confused
so let me clear things up with the Bee and once I know
for
sure if I'm shooting your house/collection, I'll let you
know ASAP.

Thanks for your understanding.

Salvador Ochoa

I was still having second thoughts and this probably worked out for the best.

Guess Liz must have read this thread...Oh well, I leave this to the other Sacramento Tiki spokespeople.

Psycho Tiki D (I know I am and I guess Sacramento won't know soon)!

On 2007-06-17 21:38, bigbrotiki wrote:
SHA-DO, SHA-DO! :)

THE BEST BRO! THE BEST!!!

By the way...Full throttled, bleached, spiked, pierced, tattooed, pissing and moaning, Sex Pistols, Clash, Ramones, X, Oingo Boingo, Dead Kennedy's, Flipper, Butthole Surfers, Cramps, Surf Punks, Bad Religion, Black Flag, Circle Jerks, Generation X, Runaways, the Damned (amongst many others) listening Mother F&@#er! (Although the bleaching, spikes and piercings have subsided somewhat)!

PUNK RULES!

Psycho Tiki D (I know I am and Exotica is just an another word for punk)!

[ Edited by: Psycho Tiki D 2007-06-18 17:49 ]

That's a real heady cocktail you mixed there Psycho Tiki D! Pogo'd and not stirred I assume?

Trader Jim - Make mine one o' them PUNK-TAIs barman!

On 2007-06-18 17:29, POCKETIKI wrote:
That's a real heady cocktail you mixed there Psycho Tiki D! Pogo'd and not stirred I assume?

Trader Jim - Make mine one o' them PUNK-TAIs barman!

Pogo'd, Moshed and Thrashed...Skated, Surfed...Still Alive And Kickin'! Shaken and Disturbed, not stirred.

PTD

[ Edited by: Psycho Tiki D 2007-06-18 18:16 ]

On 2007-06-18 17:47, Psycho Tiki D wrote:
Pogo'd, Moshed and Thrashed...Skated, Surfed...Still Alive And Kickin'! Shaken and Disturbed, not stirred.

Sounds the biz! I'm just off to mix myself one now!!!

BLOODY NORA, PSYCHO TIKI D!

That hits the spot!...Like a flamin' train crash!!

Trader Jim - Make mine another one of these hooligans!

valid concerns Psycho .....as a former newspaper photographer/reporter I often became frustrated as the editors would change the complexion of a story to suit their own or the publishers' politics....there's a recent thread on T.C. where a Sunday Boston Paper did a cover story on Tiki revival and they labeled it as "Tiki Tacky" while the article itself had a far more respectful tone....it really depends much on the editors not trying to be "cute" and trusting their reporters'......so what that leaves is getting a feel for how this particular rag accurately represents it's information.....and leading the reporter where you want them to go.....good luck and aloha, Hula Cat

[ Edited by: Hula Cat 2007-06-19 16:20 ]

On 2007-06-13 12:23, Chip and Andy wrote:
You said this was for the Newspaper?

Here is a tip for you.... Walk the reporter and/or photographer through the place first. See what catches thier eys and what they gravitate towards. If they steer towards the 'tack-tiki' in thier questions and photo-ops you will know what you are up against. Then, when it is time to do the actuall interviewing you will have an idea of where/how to steer the conversation.

And, this one is a bit harder because of the 'on-duty' status, offer them a cocktail to set the mood. Nothing focuses you on the Poly-Pop aspects of the culture better than a really good cocktail in your hand.

Chip and Andy beat me to it -- if the reporter wants to EXPERIENCE what the attraction to this form of relaxation is, then SHOW them. Offer them a cocktail. Take them to your tiki room (lanai, etc). Turn on some Denny, Baxter, Drasnin. Set the tone with the cool lights. SHOW them what the big deal is.

They'll either get it or they won't. Depends on how well you mix that cocktail... :lol:

Kanekila

I agree with your concerns because of this statement. Of course, those of us in the business of TIKI can always benefit from it becoming a "valid trend" (Jeez, what CEO - Bullsh*t ad-speak) the downside is that stupid Hollywood youngsters...the Jessica Simpsons and and Lindsay Lohans...will grab onto it, then it will be really annoying. I like the fact that Tiki culture right now is more of a thing for us folks over the age of 25, and not so concerned with "what's hot". It's genuine.

True, I'll sell more records, Ben will book BIG $$$ jobs (he does that already!), and all the artists like Crazy Al, Brad Parker, Kirby, Squid and everyone else in here will sell more art...good for business, but potentially bad for business too....I like it where it's at right now....healty, but still underground, bubbling under, and I don't wanna see young Hollywood going Tiki....It's hard enough having a teenager in the house watching all those mindless "so you wanna be famous" reality shows on MTV, but when they're all Tiki'd up, it will be torture.

I say, tell the reporter, it's been a valid sub-culture for years, a "trend", it's not. Trends are for Paris Hilton...and the real Tracer Vic has left that building already.

That's my opinion and I'm sticking to it.

I say, tell the reporter, it's been a valid sub-culture for years, a "trend", it's not.

tikiyaki -- that's the best thing I've read yet. Excellent!

I don't want to fit in! I experienced this in the Hot Rod world. I've been into "old school" since I was in fourth grade(1973). Now stuff I was buying at swap meets for next to nothing is going for stupid money to people with deep pockets who think Boyd Coddington is an icon! Case in point: I bought a set of headlights at a swap 10-12 years ago for $40.00. I recently saw a set go for $1800.00 on ebay!!!!!
My buddies and I were buying this stuff because we appreciated it & wanted to preserve the legacy of the original Hot Rod & Kustom guys. Now, people with more cash than brains are jumping on the bandwagon, cuffing their jeans, using stupid lingo & think Von Dutch was a clothing designer.( Don't get me started on that one!)
A little appreciation is nice but if tiki becomes "hot" we're all screwed. They'll drive the price of a Tiki Leilani mug to $100.00, suck all the fun & the cool right out of tiki & then just move on to something else. Be careful! Be very careful!

On 2007-06-19 17:17, tikiyaki wrote:

I agree with your concerns because of this statement. Of course, those of us in the business of TIKI can always benefit from it becoming a "valid trend" (Jeez, what CEO - Bullsh*t ad-speak) the downside is that stupid Hollywood youngsters...the Jessica Simpsons and and Lindsay Lohans...will grab onto it, then it will be really annoying. I like the fact that Tiki culture right now is more of a thing for us folks over the age of 25, and not so concerned with "what's hot". It's genuine.

True, I'll sell more records, Ben will book BIG $$$ jobs (he does that already!), and all the artists like Crazy Al, Brad Parker, Kirby, Squid and everyone else in here will sell more art...good for business, but potentially bad for business too....I like it where it's at right now....healty, but still underground, bubbling under, and I don't wanna see young Hollywood going Tiki....It's hard enough having a teenager in the house watching all those mindless "so you wanna be famous" reality shows on MTV, but when they're all Tiki'd up, it will be torture.

I say, tell the reporter, it's been a valid sub-culture for years, a "trend", it's not. Trends are for Paris Hilton...and the real Tracer Vic has left that building already.

That's my opinion and I'm sticking to it.

I beg to differ Yaki,

It IS a trend right now. That's way so many people are doing it.

Target?

Walmart?

Etc.?

20 years ago I was Cold Calling to get people to do tropical decor ( any style) and they would freak! Not in style!

If the young stars get it or ahold of it, they still won't know the real roots.

You have to live it, have it in your blood, 24/7, to know what it's really all about. As most of us here do.

It's pretty simple. If you're a real tiki freak, you will love tiki forever! It's inbedded in your heart.

If you're trendy...you'll enjoy it for a while then move on to ?

But! Saturate the press with anything you can give them!

Rise above!

Enjoy change!

Well said Rev. Ben!

Well Ben,

Of course, it will be easy to spot the phonies, and while it may be a trend in some form, Tiki still remains a fringe element to the world at large. Just cos target and WalMart have Tiki stuff, doesn't mean it's a real bonafied "trend"....At the party stores, the "Luau" decorations never really went away...they have always been summer items, for birthday parties, graduation parties etc....

But where TIKI culture is right now, I think is great. Alot of great artists (like yourself) are getting attention and making some money...Of course, with SHAG being as huge as he is, some would argue that it's already Trendy, but I disagree.

When Paris Hilton calls you to do a "Tiki thing" in her mansion (and who better to call?) , THEN I'll call it a "trend"....and hey, drinks will be on YOU when that happens :)

Until then, I still consider it a fringe thing.

And I like it that way.

[ Edited by: tikiyaki 2007-06-19 23:31 ]

The press will always write what they want in the end, I've had my fair share of run ins with journalists over the last year about Mahiki, who even when given the right facts still describe things as "tacky","current trend" and the one I hate most "THEMED!!".
Would you call a restaurant that sells Sushi, Japanese themed or pasta , Italian themed? No, they would just be Japanese or Italian restaurants
No matter how hard I've tried to explain Tiki is a "Style" thats been around for donkeys years, they still don't quite get it here, i even gave one journalist the BOT to take home and read. Another I told we had used around a mile in length of bamboo, which was reported as 5 miles.
Luckily, I from what I've been told, the US press in general go by the " if you can't say anything nice , don't say it at all" ethos, unlike here.
Good press is great, just ignore the bad.
As we say here "Todays papers are tomorrows Fisn n' Chips"

In the end, I think most people who are into tiki do not really care if others like or dislike it. I think what they do care about, human nature really, is to be represented accurately and not to get a judgmental response out of someone else. The difference is "Wow! You really put a lot of effort into your tiki space and I'm glad you enjoy it." versus "Wow! It sure is tiki. I don't know that I would have wasted my time on this." Both responses would be from someone who does not enjoy tiki with the first being more diplomatic. A friend of mine bought a Prius shortly after I bought a Mustang GT. He loves my Mustang so we went for a drive. The Prius makes my skin crawl on so many levels and yet I was offered a drive in his wondercar. I didn't like it any better after I drove it so I framed my compliment based on my perception of how it made him feel. Learning to accept the bizarre differences people make in their choice of style as nothing more than variation, as opposed to right versus wrong, results in more happy people.

People who classify a top-notch tiki bar as tacky tiki deserve a smile and a nod because they cannot get it and diving into their lack of expansive thinking will go nowhere.

:music: Lunatic Fringe...I know you're out there
You're in hiding, and you hold your meetings :music:
I can hear you coming, know what you're after
We're wise to you this time, we won't let you kill the laughter :music:

On 2007-06-20 07:47, Jungle Trader wrote:
:music: Lunatic Fringe...I know you're out there
You're in hiding, and you hold your meetings :music:
I can hear you coming, know what you're after
We're wise to you this time, we won't let you kill the laughter :music:

Red Ryder classic...how apropos for this topic!

PTD

Whoa! 80's flashback!
We're are my parachute pants & my members only jacket!

On 2007-06-21 07:00, Big Kahuna wrote:
Whoa! 80's flashback!
We're are my parachute pants & my members only jacket!

If you do still have them around, you may want to hold on to them because they may be next week's "valid trend".

PTD

On 2007-06-17 12:26, MrBaliHai wrote:

On 2007-06-14 07:15, tikidreams wrote:
Is this place infested with old punks?

Yup, a lot of old punks I know eventually drifted into the Exotica/Lounge scene, then to some degree or another, got into Tiki. A couple of us have tried to sit down and figure out exactly how that particular strand of DNA evolved. A lot of us used to hang out at Tiki Ti back in the late 70s/early 80s, long before there was any Tiki revival, so maybe that provided some impetus.

---

Weblog: Eye of the Goof

[ Edited by: MrBaliHai 2007-06-17 14:32 ]

i think that basically, any creative trend or movement attracts creative people to some degree or other..those of us that were punks, eventually got into other things like tiki and rock a billy, usually a hybrid of all of these. tiki, punk, or what have you have always been creative "scenes" because they encourage creativity and free thinking....when stuff goes mainstream, it becomes static and rigid like a corpse that the final light has gone out of. We here are creative and we need our creative outlets....it's what separates us from the squares!! LOL