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Tiki Central / General Tiki

Queer Eye for the Poly Pop Guy

Pages: 1 18 replies

Z

We all know the history. WWII GI's returning from the South Pacific ignite the Polynesian Pop Culture movement here on the mainland......

...but I was not aware of this version of the story...

What an odd concept for a towel advertisement.

But then I found this ad in a 1960 Sears catalog...

Maybe there was an 'alternative' movement.

Sorry Wildsville Man!

PTD

Ha I Dig!!!
the reply pic.
ha ha ha
Jeff(bigtikidude)

I like a MAN in a palm fron. :lol:

I need to get some snaps of the murals inside Mary's Club here in Portland, OR.

Lots of GIs and native men with rippling back muscles, hauling bananas.

In a strip club.

Fun.

Z

Just found Part 2...


Oops, I did it again, what is wrong with me?

P
Paipo posted on Wed, Feb 6, 2008 8:18 PM

Not quite as racy, but a contemporary of the above ads...?

H

Shjeeez--looks like a Brokeback Bali! That really takes away from the age/old fantasy about army men ending up on an island with only hottie island babes, succumbing to their every desire. Does make for good story--and several (or many) movies, usually high in cheese factor, though.--(the good cheese, though, right?)

OK- while we're pickin' and I have photoshop open:

Where are you finding these ads?

It makes for an odd couple of options.....

A - the ads are in magazines that the women folk are reading because their men are off in the war. This ad would comfort them that their men are OK and are just playing around with the guys and not really in much danger. (And probably kept their motors running if you know what I mean :wink: )

or B - these ads are in magazines that the men folk are reading because they have to keep their true desires kept in that proverbial closet everyone keeps on about. (and probably got their motors running if you know what I mean :wink: )

Either way, I want to know!

That is pretty incredible! Great finds, Mike. I would say that A.) The artist of those towel ads was gay, and B.) The client did not know what gay was, and thought these ads would appeal to women. After all, they do, don't they?

It's DEFINITELY hard to picture my Dad in one of these WWII situations!! :o

i think they were a bit busier with killing japanese than having proto-erotic romps :P

H
hewey posted on Thu, Feb 7, 2008 6:57 PM

On 2008-02-06 21:36, Chip and Andy wrote:
A - the ads are in magazines that the women folk are reading because their men are off in the war. This ad would comfort them that their men are OK and are just playing around with the guys and not really in much danger. (And probably kept their motors running if you know what I mean :wink: )

Given the period these came from, and the fact it's selling towels, I'd say definitely the above. Back then men did the manly stuff, and the woman did the womanly stuff, like buying towels. And nice happy shots of troops mucking around makes the ladies feel comfortable and safe, comfortable and safe ladies are more inclined to buy things like towels. It's basic marketing.

M

On 2008-02-06 18:45, ZuluMagoo wrote:
We all know the history. WWII GI's returning from the South Pacific ignite the Polynesian Pop Culture movement here on the mainland......

...but I was not aware of this version of the story...

What an odd concept for a towel advertisement.

But then I found this ad in a 1960 Sears catalog...

Maybe there was an 'alternative' movement.

Too insanely funny for words. Would love to have heard middle America's reaction back in the day.

"Too insanely funny for words. Would love to have heard middle America's reaction back in the day. "

I think middle America was fine with this. These ads were for women, placed in women's magazines. The straight guys would never have seen them, and the gay guys would have seen these ads behind closed doors. (so to speak) Middle American women might have blushed a bit, because of the skin shown, but i don't think the women would see this as gay.

TS

On 2008-02-06 20:18, Paipo wrote:
Not quite as racy, but a contemporary of the above ads...?

The dudein the middle, with the fruity moustache looks like John Waters...

[ Edited by: Tom Slick 2008-02-09 14:11 ]

so these are definately not tiki...but I was looking thru a bunch of magazines that I have from the mid 40s..and I thought these looked really familiar!

From the vintage Hawaiian photos I got today...

Psycho Tiki D (I know I am and I like my women flat and one-dimensional)!

Pages: 1 18 replies