Garden Gnomes

Can Garden Gnomes ever be considered "Tiki"?
Mine looks more like he is just visiting.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Only if it's a half bred Menehune.

While garden gnomes are definitely in no way tikis I think they could be classified as Tiki in that Tiki is really all about whimsy, fun, and having a good time.

Of course purists might chuckle and shake their head in slight amusement since the traditional garden gnome has no obvious Polynesian connections. But as Unga Bunga mentioned above the concept of mysterious, small, human like creatures is Polynesian. One could regard garden gnomes as Menehune in city clothes.

Most Tiki environs are built on a fantasy of sorts and garden gnomes are pure fantasy. In a well thought out Tiki interior I can see garden gnomes dwelling happily beside Maoai, war clubs, bamboo, and thatch.

The key thing about Tiki is fantasy. In my home Tiki bar I have a vintage late 70s unicorn, several Universal Studios monster models, a Civil War era spittoon, two large neon Corona beer signs, and a Victorian "fainting couch" for the Tiki purist who just can't handle all the splendor.

This reminds me, has anyone every followed up Quiet Village with Stairway To Heaven? It's really incredible and you hear all these Exotica elements that you've never noticed in Zeppelin before.

On my tiki bar soundtrack, I follow up Quiet Village with Hooked On A Feeling by Blue Swede. I pretend the "Oooga Chaka, Oooga Chaka" sounds are made by primitive Tahitian tribes.

On 2009-04-09 17:01, woofmutt wrote:
The key thing about Tiki is fantasy. In my home Tiki bar I have a vintage late 70s unicorn, several Universal Studios monster models, a Civil War era spittoon, two large neon Corona beer signs, and a Victorian "fainting couch" for the Tiki purist who just can't handle all the splendor.

Are you sure you aren't living in a T.G.I.Fridays restaurant? :lol:
Can you post pics of the rusted license plates, bicycle parts, and farm equipment that also adorn your walls? :P

On 2009-04-09 17:30, Tom Slick wrote:

On 2009-04-09 17:01, woofmutt wrote:
The key thing about Tiki is fantasy. In my home Tiki bar I have a vintage late 70s unicorn, several Universal Studios monster models, a Civil War era spittoon, two large neon Corona beer signs, and a Victorian "fainting couch" for the Tiki purist who just can't handle all the splendor.

Are you sure you aren't living in a T.G.I.Fridays restaurant? :lol:
Can you post pics of the rusted license plates, bicycle parts, and farm equipment that also adorn your walls? :P

hahahahahaha.....too much! lol

On 2009-04-09 17:01, woofmutt wrote:
...Tiki is really all about whimsy, fun, and having a good time.

Except for around here.

You will find WHIMSY in the third row down, to the right:

http://www.clownscharacters.com/htmls/houston_clowns.htm

If you put an Aloha Shirt and a woven hat on him, you've got a menehune!

Still not tiki, but you can post him on Hawaiiana Central. However, if you hang a tiki pendant around his neck THEN he's tiki! :)

As I wrote in the Book of Tiki on page 248: " Tikis - The garden gnomes of California..."

So does that mean that GARDEN GNOMES are the TIKIS of Germany?

The human inclination to decorate one's front or back yard with mythical humanoid figurines seems to be international, indeed. But aren't we taking multiculturalism a bit to far if we let red caps mingle with island idols? What will be next? German Beer steins on your Tiki mug shelf? I think we are entering the dangerous territory of watering down (beering down?) our Mai Tais here, my friends!

I will leave it to the individual leisure landscape lover to make up his mind about this...

:D

hmmmmm.....interesting theory.....and more photographic evidence of gnomes encountered along the road in Germany.....

BUT WAIT!
I believe that tikis are making inroads!
As evidenced by these also recently found along the road in Germany.....

Will it be a battle between Garden Gnome & tiki in Germany?
Who will win?
& will the Gnomes use garden tools in battle?

My gnome, out back, seems to be into the Tiki Lifestyle more than actually being "Tiki".

[ Edited by: Murph 2009-04-10 10:03 ]

"I think we are entering the dangerous territory of watering down (beering down?) our Mai Tais here, my friends!"

The Mai Tai I serve at the West Howl INN is a Coors Light with a shot of rum on the side.

On 2009-04-10 10:09, woofmutt wrote:
"I think we are entering the dangerous territory of watering down (beering down?) our Mai Tais here, my friends!"

The Mai Tai I serve at the West Howl INN is a Coors Light with a shot of rum on the side.

:) Now what would Adolph say to that!

[ Edited by: bigbrotiki 2009-04-10 10:42 ]

On 2009-04-10 10:09, woofmutt wrote:
"I think we are entering the dangerous territory of watering down (beering down?) our Mai Tais here, my friends!"

The Mai Tai I serve at the West Howl INN is a Coors Light with a shot of rum on the side.

Coors Light? I'm afraid to ask what rum you serve :D

Keep those things away from me!!!!! They are creepy & evil! AHHHHHHHHHHH!

The gnomes say...

Thanks a lot, Murph! I won't sleep for a week, now! :lol:

:music: Dah da-daaaah, da-daah, da-daah dummm... :music:

OK, this thread is heading in the wrong direction, we better stop! :D

What? you want to kill the thread?

Just when it was getting fun?

You've all been bad and need to be punished

Oh Gno, gnot gnaughy gnomes! :lol:

But you have inspired me with the garden gnome-to-menehune link. Now one of these days I need to sculpt a "King Menehunemehameha" (Menehune + Kamehameha) garden gnome/and or mug

(sorry about the crappy picture, MS Paint was all I had available here)

I'm gonna sit right here, I'm gonna watch the sun
Disappear into the ocean, it's been years since I smelled this salty sea.

[ Edited by: MadDogMike 2009-04-12 06:30 ]