Are you a "Tiki Snob"?

Above: "At the risk of setting off the purists among us, I think tikidom will exile itself into a second decline if it doesn't allow external influences to introduce a certain amount of variation." I disagree. This is akin to saying that French Impressionist Art will decline unless it admits Street Art (it's actually graffiti) to give variation. It won't. It didn't and it hasn't. It still sells just as it was, and is collected very enthusiastically, bringing record prices and huge attendances at exhibitions. There is no art/music movement that does not have borders. You go to a Jazz festival to appreciate the genre, not to hear electro pop, and there would be screams if you did.

I don't think any movement has to "develop" nowadays. Why? Those who really appreciate it do so as it is, not subsequently twisted up by someone who thinks they can/must improve or add to it. Will it hold up in 50 years? Well even just judging by the following here on TC it's still going pretty strong now after quite some time. It's certainly NOT "snobbishness" to want to enjoy and preserve an historical genre as it was. That's particularly why we enjoy it, or we'd be into say Minimalism, Art Deco or some other more current trend.

You could try for a Post Tiki if that's your bent, however if you are including items that are plainly not Tiki, (and never were) then don't be surprised if it's not popular with other lovers of Tiki as it was/is. If it's just your own home bar, then feel free to include what you will, bit if it's a commercial venue, then it's probably not a good idea to advertise it specifically as a "Tiki" bar.

Yes, a lot of Tiki was "fake" in that it wasn't actually authentic Polynesian. Sculptors carved imaginary works back then, and even I can make/carve items in the Tiki Style now as many other contributors here can do very well. That's because we know full well what the parameters are and wish to preserve them. I certainly do not consider it snobbishness to not have any Rat Fink cartoons, flying saucers, aliens, clowns (or what-have-you) in a designated Tiki bar.

I collect nothing but vintage "tiki" and "pre-tiki" that has history to it. I couldn't care less what other people collect or put in their "tiki bars". I try to avoid conversations and criticizing stuff that people consider "tiki" has nothing to do with it, but as I'm human I'll slip every now and then. Am I a "snob"? Hell, yeah.... sorry, not sorry

Am I a Tiki snob?

Depends.

If you ask a Tikiphile that knows the difference between true Polynesian Pop/mid-century Tiki and the diluted crap we often see today, no.

If you ask someone whose first reaction is to get their panties in a wad and say "Tiki is whatever you want it to be", then yes. I am absolutely a Tiki snob.

True Tiki doesn't "evolve"—just like any other part of mid-century Americana, it doesn't change and become something else. It just IS. People can color their Tiki world with all the horror, burlesque, rockabilly, pirate or whatever other shit they want. Just don't call that stuff Tiki, because it isn't.

“Tiki” currently occupies a different cultural space than it did in the ‘50s/‘60s. It HAS evolved over time. It isn’t really a part of mainstream suburbia the way it used to be. Now it’s more the domain of cultists like us. People used to wear suits-and-ties to tiki joints, not Aloha-wear, there were no tiki festivals or conventions, etc.

I’ve made the point here before that tiki is now part of the “Lowbrow” aesthetic generally inspired by mid-century “cool” culture (or would that be “kulture”?). Monsters, burlesque, hot rods, rockabilly etc are not necessarily tiki, but since fans of one Lowbrow aspect are often fans of the other, it’s bound to get mixed up. A more positive variant of “that’s not tiki” might be “that is Lowbrow,” hence allowing tiki to be “authentic” within this larger cultural umbrella. Then distinctions can be made - call it a Lowbrow festival/bar/etc and not tiki, with the understanding that of course tiki will be a part of it.

Monsters, burlesque, hot rods, rockabilly etc are not necessarily tiki, but since fans of one Lowbrow aspect are often fans of the other, it’s bound to get mixed up. A more positive variant of “that’s not tiki” might be “that is Lowbrow,” hence allowing tiki to be “authentic” within this larger cultural umbrella. Then distinctions can be made - call it a Lowbrow festival/bar/etc and not tiki, with the understanding that of course tiki will be a part of it.

Really excellent idea & observation, MrFab.

Pure tiki (and MCM culture) is very dead these days. Most tiki-related endeavors now are part of the lowbrow scene, be it a festival or publication or product. The tiki purists and cultists sort of died out or were buried away at the same time all these various elements of the lowbrow movement converged together.

That said, we absolutely despise lowbrow anything. And we've always maintained that for a man, the best attire for the best tiki joint is and always will be a jacket and tie. Today, there aren't that many around where a discerning gent can pull that off. There also aren't that many gents who can pull it off, either. But, ironically, we did spot one today -- crawling around at the records in a suburban Goodwill!

Maybe we ought to get a little linguistically pedantic here, and differentiate between "purist" and "snob".

Seems that a tiki purist might be interested in preserving certain borders or parameters of what many of us would define as classic tiki, whereas a snob might have the same interests, but get judgey or arrogant about it when others don't fall in line.

It may be splitting hairs, but the difference between purism and snobbery is how you react to others who express different (and clearly inferior, haha) opinions.

Far too many truly important things in life to be a "snob" about. Tiki doesn't rise to that level for me. If someone wants star wars or monsters or whatever in their tiki, sure. Not my thing, but I don't care. On the flip side I'm more concerned about some of the touches the third rail sociopolitical aspects of Mid-Century "culture" (or those that practice it) which were best left, in my opinion, in the Mid-Century. In that sense, I am absolutely a snob, and do not apologise for it.

YMMV and almost certainly does.

Mike and Marie, It behooves me to agree on the Suiting up aspect of classic Tiki and MCM culture, As I have for many years, here in what used to be the OC Tiki scene, been the one to decree all to "suit up" and set that example, sadly, post Pandemic I have not had the opportunity to do so, I am sad.

As for the Snob vs Purist conundrum, it is only a question of wrong vs right, there it has been settled! and you know that I am right, now suit up everyone.

As soon as something gets too "cartoon-y" I can't get behind it. I prefer traditional, but am not limited by it.

ATP, glad you set the tone in the OC! We think there's room in Tiki to make a whole other offshoot of events and cons and whatnot, where it's the "grownup" style, suited, with lectures and whatnot and a fancy dinner, etc., the music is all Exotica purist stuff, and so on. Postpandemic, we've found scant historic places still operating that we can even visit! And we should note that when tikibars visited our record store last year, he was dressed pretty snazzy indeed!

So am I a snob? When societies will is trying to make us into all accepting and all encompassing whilst trying not to be a Karen, mansplaining, stereo-typical or offensive (Sorry Karen).

Well the answer is yes.

To have an opinion makes you divisive and discerning and therefore snobbish.

I've really tried not to be, especially in a scene where its meant to be about relaxing and escaping. I mean, most of us will have started out with some form of Clown Tiki, and I mean low brow bright and gawdy.

As Ive got more well read and also a couple of years trawling online auction and sale sites I know what I like and what is quality and what isnt.

Is my Snobbishness worse that anyone else's? Well I'm middle aged, and have teenage kids so am prown to losing my temper so it depends on the mood I'm in LOL.

I'm not In to new stuff. It has no history and when I mean history, it hasn't had a lived a life with someone yet. If it's repro it wasnt bought or made in the country of origin. My Suitcase Tikis were probably bought on the way from the hotel as a last minute keepsake to remind someone of their time long ago on that island many thousands of miles away from my door. It's lived a life, getting dusty, observing someone grow old. Being looked at with a wishful stare of rememberence. Until its finally listed by either a house clearance person or distant relative as a bit of African folk art or carving.

And where I rescue them from a certain life of charity shop or land fill to accompany others and treated like the deities they represent.

So, Yes yes yes to snobbishness with a healthy dose of romanticism also.

[ Edited by Fourth Wave on 2023-09-30 14:37:36 ]