What would it take?

Since I've started reading books and articles on the subject of Polynesian pop culture in America, I would say that almost all of them paint a bleak picture towards the future of "Tiki." That picture shows that eventually "Tiki" as we know it, will only live on in the basements and backyards of us "Tikiphiles."

At current I would say, that picture is slowing becoming true with the almost constant loss of such classic tiki icons like the Aku Tiki Room in Kewanee, IL. There also seems to be a sense of impending doom, that I think is growing in that whenever someone recommends a tiki bar or restaurant they do so with an attitude of; "get there while it lasts!"

I'm just curious to know;

1. Is it possible to bring back the tiki culture in America close to the way it was? (I think we all know it will never be exactly the same as in the 50's & 60's.)
2. What would it take to bring it back?
3. How much would be enough? 25%, 50%, 75%? (Right now I would say we are less that 1% from the peak.)
   [ Edited by: tikijoeusaf 2008-06-12 11:15 ]

[ Edited by: tikijoeusaf 2008-06-12 11:16 ]

the initial novelty that fueled the first wave of polynesian establishments in the forties through the 60's has worn off...tiki will probably never come back into the forefront of our culture like that ever again..there was so much more to it than just being the first "themed" bars and such....there was a novelty of the chinese cuisine as well....it was a big deal in those days to get dressed up and go to the latest hawaiian themed place....

..it's a pipe dream to think it will ever get back to that level....and why would you want it??? things are always changing...you can never recapture the essence of anything...you have to live it as you go, and let the creativity of the moment guide it through to the next incarnation...which right now happens to be the neo tiki revival....so enjoy this period for what it's worth...the past is gone. When looking back, we always tend to highlight and focus on the selective aspects that we find appealing...this never paints a complete picture of the past, only the past as we would like to remember it or imagine how it used to be....

as a wise zen master once said " to be passing is to live.....to stay and continue, is to die"

[ Edited by: Tipsy McStagger 2008-06-12 11:27 ]

There are 50's diners all over the place. I know it is not the same because the focus of those type places is nostalgia and not creating the exact same thing as a actual 50's diner. But hey, I would be happy with a nostalgic Tiki place in every town!!

On 2008-06-12 11:59, nature boy wrote:
There are 50's diners all over the place. I know it is not the same because the focus of those type places is nostalgia and not creating the exact same thing as a actual 50's diner. But hey, I would be happy with a nostalgic Tiki place in every town!!

true- there are many original diners still left but alot of vintage ones bit the dust over the years.....the thing with diners is they serve a specific function as eateries and the whole diner look and concept is alot more palatable to your average american in a sense that they have more mass appeal for the simple reason that they don't challenge anyones ideas or provoke new ones....it's simply an old/new place to get something to eat, maybe socialize a bit and it looks like happy days....the bigger and more focused the theme, the harder it is to sell to your average consumer these days ...tiki themes put the restaurant biz over the top which was what made it so appealing....now in these times of everything being disneyfied, we have places like rainforest cafe, (had) planet hollywood, etc.....in this climate, tiki would have to go way over the top even further to put itself beyond the reach of those places and still appeal to a large number of consumers...a tall order indeed. tiki will always be with us on some level...it's just hard to see it realisticly as opposed to the way we normally like to romanticise it, through our eyes as tikiphiles....

Hey Guys! Just wanted to say sorry for the double post and thanks for the responses! :D