The Exotica Girl thread

Sorry, but we are getting really into "stretching it" territory here again. An EXOTICa girl should have something EXOTIC about here, something ethnic, something from an EXOTIC land - not OUTER SPACE. That would be an OUTER SPACE GIRL, then.

But it does not get more "Exotic" then a woman from "Outer Space"
You know I'm right, But I don't want to blow any minds here
So we shall stick to the definition of "Terrestrial Exotic", Then?
You Earthmen are so "Limited" :lol: :lol: :lol:

[ Edited by: Chuck Tatum is Tiki 2012-02-09 16:09 ]

On 2012-02-09 08:53, bigbrotiki wrote:
Sorry, but we are getting really into "stretching it" territory here again. An EXOTICa girl should have something EXOTIC about here, something ethnic, something from an EXOTIC land - not OUTER SPACE. That would be an OUTER SPACE GIRL, then.

But sometimes exotica and outer space are not necessarily mutually exclusive. :)

Les understood...

Hammer stars and Bond girls...

Caroline Munro

and Martine Beswick

were favorites of mine.

In film set language there are different terms for the various frame sizes of a camera set up. Everyone knows the "close-up".
Then there is the medium shot, the medium wide...with two actors in the frame, one often refers to it as a two-shot.

This is what we would call a nice three-shot.

Thanks John-O, Join Col. Straker & myself for a cocktail at SHADO Moonbase.

They may not be primitive Sven, But they are swinging, baby!

Websters Dictionary defines "Exotic" as:

Definition of EXOTIC

1: introduced from another country : not native to the place where found

2 archaic : foreign, alien

3: strikingly, excitingly, or mysteriously different or unusual

4: of or relating to striptease

So I think being from "Space" counts, I would not kick any of those Moonbase gals out of my Tiki Bar.

Is she an exotica space girl?

Sorry just coming from outer space isn't enough. They have to vibe "Exotica" which the blonde above definitely does not.

Purple wigs don't count either.

Martine would kick their asses...

There's just no comparison. :)

And the offspring of Debbie Reynolds as an Exotica girl... Puleeze. I don't think so.

[ Edited by: JOHN-O 2012-02-09 16:28 ]

I'm also partial to the exotic women of the early 1930's Pre-code movies.

There was Lota the Panther Girl from "Island of Lost Souls"...

Myrna Loy as Fah Lo See, the daughter of Fu Manchu in "The Mask of Fu Manchu"...

and Lupe Velez in "Kongo"...

And how about a "Dragon Lady" ?? Are they Exotica or a separate genre on to themselves ?

Here's the original from "Terry and the Pirates"...

And how about Heddy "I am Tondelayo" Lamarr ??

I don't think she's showed up on TC before...

So your actually turning down a trip to the Moonbase for a cocktail.....on the Moon....John-O.....on the friggin Moon.

Dolores Del Rio in Bird of Paradise 1932

YouTube:Bird of Paradise- Delores Del Rio dance

I'm suprised that nobody listed this one yet.
I had to go through every page of this thread and examine every picture carefully to make sure.

What about Betty Boop?

[->>King Bushwich 33rd on Hulu.com

Vitina Marcus was a 1960's actress whose dark sultry looks had her cast in two notable Exotica Girl roles.

The "Lost World"...

and this scene in an episode of "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea" where she does a sexy Exotica dance...

And maybe Chuck Tatum was right after all about the connection between Exotica Girls and Outer Space Girls. Vitana's most memorable cult role was as a green alien on "Lost in Space"...

And hey, exotic Caroline Munro who I posted on the previous page...

She went to outer space too !!...

(And Chucky, please refrain from posting any more Space Girls unless you can provide a Pop Primitive Exotica reference).

I think I may have identified some mid-century pop cultural contrast...

Exotica Girls vs. Outer Space Girls !! Just like the Flinstones vs. The Jetsons. Or as in "Tiki Modern", the primitive A-Frame vs. the Jet-age A-Frame.

[ Edited by: JOHN-O 2012-02-16 16:48 ]

I am to busy drinking cocktails at the Moonbase, John-O
why don't you catch the next shuttle and join me?

And it's primitive Raquel vs. future Raquel...

Well that's more "Inner Space" Raquel from "Fantastic Voyage"

OK John, for your more down to Earth sensibility's

One of my very favorites, Marlene Dietrich when she went dark haired gypsy
for the movie "The Golden Earrings"

Here is an Exotic "Hedy Lamarr"

I know we like to tout "Gilligan's Island" as the 1960's Tiki-style sitcom.

I always considered "I Dream of Jeannie" to be its Exotica-style counterpart i.e. the iconic Martin Denny cover.

OK, I know that Barbara Eden was way too kooky, too blonde, and too fresh-scrubbed to be a true Exotica girl but consider this...

A 1960's sitcom featuring a provocatively (and exotically) dressed woman... living with a man who is not her husband... who she refers to as "Master"... and fulfills his every wish ??

Wasn't that the ultimate mid-century White Male fantasy ?? :)

And a little more on the fringe "Maila Nurmi"

Here she is naturally blond

I think she is predating Punk & Goth here by about 20 years

John, Barbara Eden did bring the sexy to sitcom.

Sorry the Goth/Vampire look is a whole different aesthetic.

That's really stretching it !!

And I already did Heddy Lamarr. Pay attention !!

:)

On 2012-02-16 17:45, JOHN-O wrote:
Sorry the Goth/Vampire look is a whole different aesthetic.

That's really stretching it !!

And I already did Heddy Lamarr. Pay attention !!

:)

But that is Exotic! She is from another country, was a former model, Hung out in the Bohemian scene & was a Vampire! win win
added some new pics of her outside of others posted...sooooo...

Just adding a new Heddy Lamarr pic to your others, John.

Well, if Muppet Monsters are Tiki, Vampire vamps are Exotica Girls, John. Next up: ALL versions of Batgirl, and any underwater females with elongated eyebrows.

I think what it really is about is that Chuck is trying to overtake me in my number of posts. :D

OK we be reaching, But there are just so few "Primitive" island girl photos out there....
I just expanded the coverage here.....a little bit....just a little bit...

[ Edited by: hottiki 2012-02-16 20:19 ]

OK, if a German blonde can be an Exotica girl, than I'm a Tiki!

On 2012-02-16 18:39, Chuck Tatum is Tiki wrote:
OK we be reaching, But there are just so few "Primitive" island girl photos out there....
I just expanded the coverage here.....a little bit....just a little bit...

This is really the crux of the matter, innit? Is "expanding the genre" and innovation for innovation's sake just because we cannot think of something new OK so we can keep ourselves busy?

My Bad...may have been due to the new prescription

I think your misquoting me there Sven, Am I getting "An annoyed vibe there?" or you having fun at my
expense? :wink:

But if you do look at the actual definition of "Exotic" John-O and my posts do fit in with the context defined.
Or would you like to narrow the definition to more your "Ideal Exotic Girl" say Island,Dark Skinned,Primitive etc.
I am happy to go with what ever rules you would like to apply.

This is for hottiki !!...

Did you ever happen to hear of voodoo?
Hear it and you won't give a damn what you do
Tom-tom's put me under a sort of voodoo
And the whole night long I dont know the right from wrong
Hot voodoo, black as mud
Hot voodoo, in my blood
That African tempo, has made a slave
Hot voodoo, dance of sin
Hot voodoo, worse than gin

I'd follow a cave man, right into his cave
That beat gives me a wicked sensation
My conscious wants to take a vacation
Got voodoo, head to toes
Hot voodoo, burn my clothes
I want to start dancing, just wearing a smile

Hot voodoo, I'm aflame
I'm really not to blame
That African tempo, is meaner than mean
Hot voodoo, make me brave
I want to misbehave

I'm beginning to feel like, an African queen
Those drums bring up the heaven inside me
I need some great big angel to guide me
Hot voodoo, makes me wild
Oh fireman, save this child
I going to blazes
I want to be bad!

[ Edited by: JOHN-O 2012-02-16 20:51 ]

On 2012-02-16 20:45, Chuck Tatum is Tiki wrote:
But if you do look at the actual definition of "Exotic" John-O and my posts do fit in with the context defined.

"Exotic" and "EXOTICA" are two different things.

Just like "Hawaiiana" and "Tiki" are two different things.

Just like a Gin Martini and a Mai Tai are two different things.

:)

According to Webster's Dictionary:

ex·ot·i·ca noun pl ig-ˈzä-ti-kə
Definition of EXOTICA

1:things excitingly different or unusual; especially : literary or artistic items having an exotic theme or nature

2:Objects considered strange or interesting because out of the ordinary, esp. because they originated in a distant foreign country.

And from Wikipedia:

Exotica is a musical genre, named after the 1957 Martin Denny album of the same title, popular during the 1950s to mid-1960s, typically with the suburban set who came of age during World War II. The musical colloquialism, exotica, means tropical ersatz: the non-native, pseudo experience of Oceania (Polynesia, Melanesia, Micronesia, Southeast Asia, and especially Hawaii).[1] Denny described the musical style as "a combination of the South Pacific and the Orient...what a lot of people imagined the islands to be like...it's pure fantasy though."[2] While the South Seas forms the core region, exotica reflects the "musical impressions" of every place from standard travel destinations to the mythical "shangri-las" dreamt of by armchair safari-ers.[1]

So Exotica & Exotic are based in the same definition unless you apply it to a music form.

Exotica Girl = Exotic Girl

John-O give me your definition so I can add it to the list, Sorry to get all "Academic", But this is my understanding
of the words, Exotic & Exotica :P :P :P

On 2011-10-27 23:19, Dustycajun wrote:

i'd drink to that.

Chuck, you're actually quite annoying.

Chucky, if we have to rely on Webster's dictionary or Wikipedia to define a pop cultural style (OUR pop cultural style) then we're really Tiki sunk. :(

Here's the aesthetic for me. Imagine the mood set by any of Les Baxter's (even more so than Martin Denny's) Exotica albums. You think of the exotic Far East, the mysterious island of Bali Hai, the deepest jungles of Africa, maybe even a Mayan temple. And we're not talking about the National Geographic reality of it but rather the imagined, idealized, and embellished Hollywood version. The Exotica girl is the type of girl inhabiting these places, not vampires, not space girls, and probably not Marilyn Monroe in a hula skirt.

(And yes, "Space Escapades" does fall outside of that exact genre. It's Space-Age Pop. I regret bringing it up here.)

It's not to say the latter aren't mid-century pop culture cool, but do they remain outside the style of Tiki Central and the spirit of this particular thread.

Actually I think Komohana's reposting of Ava Garnder above illustrates the true illusion of the Exotica girl. Ave Gardner was NOT an Exotica girl but maybe she played one in the the movies. Same goes for Sandy Warner, after those album shoots she changed out of the animal skins and probably went back to being a suburban house wife. Exotica girls need to be authentic in their inauthenticity (just like Tiki !!).

And yes Marlene Dietrich CAN portray an Exotica girl. Her rendition of "Hot Voodoo" above remains to me one of the most iconic of Pre-Tiki style Pop Primitive kitsch. So I guess that does make the Bigbro a Tiki. I always think of him as "MR. TIKI" anyway. :)

[ Edited by: JOHN-O 2012-02-17 08:51 ]

To me (and to many grown up urban and vinyl archeologists), the term "Exotica Girl" came into being because of Sandy Warner. Her photo on Martin Denny's LP "EXOTICA" coined the term in a very literal manner. That is an accepted pop-historic fact. From there, it became apparent that indeed a large part of albums in the Exotica genre relied on tropical beauties with a combination of almond or Asian eyes, darker complexion, and come hither smiles to seduce the consumer.

This is what defines the genre "Exotica Girl": ExoticA!, with a capital A - not just anything exotic with two legs and t#!$.

Examples from other media than Exotica LP covers that are closely related to that specific "look" can be cited, sure, but simple nude Hula girls, primitive caveman girls, and not to mention Sci Fi and Vampire girls are just what they are: Nude Hula girls, cave girls, and so on. I just don't get it: Why do people want every tropical/monster THING to be "Tiki", and every vamp to be an "Exotica Girl"?

P.S.: Just to clarify: With her dark eyes and amazing eyebrows in combination with her outfit and environs, the above Ava Gardner photos fit the "Exotica Girl" bill beautifully, yes!

[ Edited by: bigbrotiki 2012-02-17 09:52 ]

Thanks for the clarification Sven, Since I was using the literal meaning of the word, I was falling outside of
What you intended as the topic on this thread, I shall indeed follow the "Idealized" version from now on
I see it is more in step with the "Tiki Style" mindset.

I apologize for any frustration it may have caused you, As that was not my intention.

As for you John-O.......Drinks at 10 paces, Buddy!

On 2012-02-16 17:35, JOHN-O wrote:
I know we like to tout "Gilligan's Island" as the 1960's Tiki-style sitcom.

I always considered "I Dream of Jeannie" to be its Exotica-style counterpart i.e. the iconic Martin Denny cover.

OK, I know that Barbara Eden was way too kooky, too blonde, and too fresh-scrubbed to be a true Exotica girl but consider this...

A 1960's sitcom featuring a provocatively (and exotically) dressed woman... living with a man who is not her husband... who she refers to as "Master"... and fulfills his every wish ??

Wasn't that the ultimate mid-century White Male fantasy ?? :)

I think Jeannie was pretty exotic, that costume fueled many a young man's fantasies of far off places and exotic women, I'm sure. The whole blonde, bubbly, and wholesome thing with Barbara Eden presents a bit of a problem with her Exotica cred, that is until you consider Jeannie's evil twin... Sultry, smoldering, vampish... Ooooooooh yeeeeeaaaaaaah! :lol:

...

Now, of course, none of these images will ensconce her solidly into the Exotica girl category, but I think they make the case a little firmer than just blonde Jeannie on her lonesome.

Bear

[edit - removed images to get thread back on topic]

[ Edited by: Brudda Bear 2012-02-17 16:24 ]

On 2012-02-17 14:55, Brudda Bear wrote:
Now, of course, none of these images will ensconce her solidly into the Exotica girl category, but I think they make the case a little firmer than just blonde Jeannie on her lonesome.

I disagree. Honestly I think the images are out of context for this thread and arguably derail it's purpose. My point wasn't that Barbara Eden was a "true" Exotica girl the way we would define it here but rather as close as you could get for a 1960's sitcom (and I purposely used smaller more discrete images). Anyone casually glancing at this post would assume Exotica = Pin-up.

Now to get this thread totally back on track (and something for Lucas, too)...

I can't believe nobody in this thread has yet mentioned the yummy Nancy Kwan!

Born in 1939 in Hong Kong to a Chinese architect father and Scottish model mother, she was just a fresh-faced 18 year old student at the Royal Ballet School in England when producer Ray Stark (no relation to Tony and Howard) saw her and gave her a screen test for the title role in "The World of Suzie Wong" (a must see, if you haven't already), thus launching her career as an actress/singer/dancer but more importantly... Exotica Girl!!

Mmmmmmmmmm...

Bear

So if we can picture it as a cover to a long lost "Martin Denny" Album
That would be a true ExoticA Girl?

On 2012-02-17 15:16, JOHN-O wrote:

On 2012-02-17 14:55, Brudda Bear wrote:
Now, of course, none of these images will ensconce her solidly into the Exotica girl category, but I think they make the case a little firmer than just blonde Jeannie on her lonesome.

I disagree. Honestly I think the images are out of context for this thread and arguably derail it's purpose. My point wasn't that Barbara Eden was a "true" Exotica girl the way we would define it here but rather as close as you could get for a 1960's sitcom (and I purposely used smaller more discrete images). Anyone casually glancing at this post would assume Exotica = Pin-up.

Well, I myself said in my post she had problems in regards to Exotica, and never tried to claim she was a true Exotica girl. To wit;

On 2012-02-17 14:55, Brudda Bear wrote:
none of these images will ensconce her solidly into the Exotica girl category

And yes, for campy '60s sitcoms, it's hard to find Exotica girls. My mistake was that I thought you were at least halfway serious about making a case based on the costuming and theme, and that you were just being lazy. Fine, I didn't "get you." As for the images, they are what they are, that's how they were found.

Bear

On 2012-02-17 15:44, Chuck Tatum is Tiki wrote:
So if we can picture it as a cover to a long lost "Martin Denny" Album
That would be a true ExoticA Girl?

If that works for you, that would be a good way to go about it, Chuck.

So I give my thumbs up to Nancy Kwan, YES! ...but not so much to Barbara Eden. So she should go into the "The exotic Girl" thread :D

...which really doesn't have that much to do with Tiki - just like Barbara Eden.