Tiki Culture Project Help?

Hello,

I am Iakona and I am new to this forum. I'm doing a research project in school on the Tiki & Polynesia culture/craze that emerged after WWII, and I thought you guys might help me. The driving question is "what caused it to become so popular?" I have a theory that it was due to service men returning from the Pacific theater and also the Statehood of Hawaii in 1959. I also theorize that it emerged from the repressed sexuality of conservative mid-century America.

Does any body have any literature they might recommend me reading? Secondary sources are good, but I definitely need more primary sources, especially first hand accounts.

The books that I have already are:
The Book Of Tiki
Tiki Pop
Sippin' Safari
Tiki Art Now!
Smuggler's Cove
Waikiki Tiki
Tiki Road Trip
Tiki Quest

Thank You

Does it have to be literature? Here's a video with some potentially useful first hand account interviews...

The DVD of Tiki: Vol. 1: Paradise Lost....
"Ready for some armchair traveling? Grab a cocktail and fly with us to the most exotic chapter in American Pop Culture: The Tiki Era! Relieve the rise and fall of Polynesian Pop. Be there. See the places and the people. Hear the stories from the eye witnesses and real tiki aficionados like Martin Denny, the Bali Hai Boys, Leroy Schmaltz & Bob van Oosting, Eric Askew, Sven Kirsten, Otto von Stroheim, Shag, Bosko, Beachbum Berry and many more.
This DVD explores the origins of the myths of the South Seas paradise and follows a nation on their transition from the Puritan 1950s to the sexual revolution of the 70s. The heyday of Tiki offered a wild island lifestyle with the exotic sounds and intoxicating concoctions without endangering the given moral and social rules at the time.
Chapters: South Pacific & Michener,Escapism,Thor Heyerdahl, The 50th State, Donn the Beachcomber vs. Trader Vic, Oceanic Arts, Eli Hedley, Walt Disney, Black Velvet, The Bali Hai Boys, In the Pacific, Hapa Haole, Mele & Exotica and The Downfall Of Tiki"
(Color, documentary, English, 95 minutes)

Here's one link:
http://www.myriahsbazaar.com/THE-DVD-OF-TIKI-VOL-1-PARADISE-LOST-p/v534d.htm

On 2017-02-15 17:06, Hakalugi wrote:
Does it have to be literature? Here's a video with some potentially useful first hand account interviews...

No, it doesn't have to be literature necessarily, but it does help. And no, sorry, that DVD won't work. Too expensive, and besides I don't know when it will get here. :(

[ Edited by: Iakona 2017-02-15 18:35 ]

The first two books on your list, both by Sven A. Kirsten, and I would also add Kirsten's book Tiki Modern, are the only books I know which deal solely, directly, and seriously with the subject of your research. The theories you mentioned are all discussed there in detail plus a great deal more. Frankly, these books are all you really need.

Sippin' Safari (Jeff Berry) and Tiki Quest (Duke Carter) might provide some supporting material. The remaining books on your list will probably not be useful. They're great books but they're more relevant to the Tiki Revival.

A few books not on your list which might be good supporting sources:
Tiki Mugs (Jay Strongman) The first chapter.
How Daddy Became A Beachcomber (Marilyn Hedley)
Scrounging the Islands with the Legendary Don the Beachcomber (Arnold Bitner)

If by "Primary Sources" you mean books written at the time, then I would recommend these as highlights:

The poetry of Don Blanding especially Leaves from a Grass-House, Vagabond's House, Hula Moons, and Hawaii Says Aloha.
The novels of James A. Michener especially Tales of the South Pacific, Hawaii, and Return of Paradise.
The novels of W. Somerset Maugham especially The Moon and Sixpence, Rain, and Ah King.
Books by Thor Heyerdahl especially Kon Tiki and Aku Aku.
The Trader Vic autobiography?? I haven't read it so I can't really comment.

These works won't discuss your topic as a topic, but they should hopefully exemplify whatever theories you're going to propose.

I hope it's a fun project for you. Good luck!

"The driving question is "what caused it to become so popular?"

Back at that time there were many types of Theme restaurants not just
Polynesian type places.
Remember the whole thing was new the food the drinks most people did not get
to travel like they might now.

And not everybody got to even see these new foods and places on TV or in the movies.

So the novelty itself would make it popular and something one would want to see.

I would encourage you to roll up your sleeves and do a little research yourself. This particular website would be a good place to start, as it documents countless stories of the men and women who created their own versions of the Tiki inspired movement from a wide variety of influences. From rum running to overseas combat, native art collecting and exotic plant cataloging, pagan worship, adventures on the high seas and plain-old tom-foolery. You can find it all here. You just have to look.

DC

Well, you are taking Sven's theories which come out of Book of Tiki, etc. My book I may give some insights. My book is written from interviews with those who were there, but how it all happened is more tangentially there.

Rascals of the Pacific maybe by Michener.

The only ones talking specifically about it are us really. It isn't really a subject. The other thing that is similar is the awakening of Polynesian and Hawaiian culture that came along a little later. Herb Kane and the Hokulela are central there.

On 2017-02-15 22:54, kenbo-jitsu wrote:

The poetry of Don Blanding especially Leaves from a Grass-House, Vagabond's House, Hula Moons, and Hawaii Says Aloha.

Those poems seem to be written and published in the 1920s. My focus is on, at least, 1945-1971. I know the narrative, for you guys, starts with the 1920s Hawaiian music craze and Don the Beachcomber in the 1930s, but to keep it narrow, I'm keeping it in the Post-War era.

But will try to check out those other books.

Another thing I want to add guys, I really am in doubt that the Tiki culture was solely about the drinks. I will probably have people tell me that "Oh, the Tiki craze was popular at the time because of the Exotic drinks that the adults made." If that were the case then why wasn't there a Barvarian craze for beer, or a French or Italian craze for wines and champagne?

[ Edited by: Iakona 2017-02-19 12:44 ]

On 2017-02-19 12:44, Iakona wrote:
...a Barvarian craze for beer...?

[ Edited by: Iakona 2017-02-19 12:44 ]

:lol:

"Oh, the Tiki craze was popular at the time because of the Exotic drinks that the adults made"

I have not got that feeling here on TC.
And that was not what I was trying to say.
In fact I think the reason people here on TC like tiki is the many different things there
are to the tiki craze.

It was more like a perfect storm back then that had many influences at the same time or they could have all sparked each other.

The food the drinks the décor the movie South Pacific soldiers coming back from the war the record Quite village ect.
Think every family we knew had the record Quite village.
This all may have played a part in the craze.

The hard one to figure out is way the he!! are the kardashians so popular?
There is a lot more to explain the Tiki & Polynesia culture/craze than there is to
explain some of the BS that is so popular today.

Please die Yoga Pants craze!

Post your research project here if you can when done.

The drinks were a part of it since the tiki craze happened soon after the end of prohibition. People wanted strong drinks and escapism and liked to feel that they were in a tropical land far from the problems of the world.

Mid-century tiki was a multi-faceted cultural phenomenon that came together from a number of converging influences. I don't think tiki should be too heavily summarized down because of how prominent and diverse it became.

About cocktails --- I think the drinks and the tiki-themed environments went so well hand-in-hand that it was just a no-brainer, or you just had to do it because the synergy was just too obvious. Once people got into such a relaxing and pleasant 'exotic' faux-tropical environment, having themed food and drinks (and in some places, extravagant entertainment) just fit together very well. It was a formula for memorable fun and for success.

About yoga pants, and this is for tikiskip:
We're seeing tiki evolve again in more modern times. Yoga pants are being made under the "teeki" brand name and there's nothing we can do about it but grin. But hopefully only stunningly beautiful people will wear yoga pants, and in that case I'll raise my skull mug in approval.

I thought that the "cocktails" came about to make the cheap booze more drinkable as
the quality of booze was so bad.
Now people try to find the BEST booze and THE rarest mixers to make these drinks with
it's kinda funny to me.
Coke won't due, no it's got to be Fentimans Curiosity Cola with the smallest shaving of newt.

"But hopefully only stunningly beautiful people will wear yoga pants"

That's just it, there are like 5% of people that would look good in them.
But like 80% of the people wear them.

I would also think any books on the rise of Googie and other mid-century styles would be useful. Some same themes of a new growing middle class, post-war boom and new ideas and opening to new style.

As to the cocktails, it HAS to be a part of it because there were tropical style bars all over, but it was Don's truly unique recipes that took the world by storm. And then the later additions that took things into an even more exotic realm with the mugs and garnishes and fire added to it all. But it started with DtB as you see virtually every Tiki joint has his drinks on the menu (or their versions).

It is a complete package though. Just the cocktails does not Tiki make. And plenty of places did well and had awful versions of Don's drinks.

Question: Are there any documentaries/educational films/propaganda from the 50s or 60s that discuss this movement? You know the kind they parody on MST3K.

Here's a really interesting Facebook video about hula dancing I found which really highlights the "authentic" aspect of Polynesian things.

https://www.facebook.com/greatbigstory/videos/1668244596811300/

Another component that gave rise to Tiki Pop following WWII was a growing affluence in the middle class. With more money to spend and more leisure time on their hands thanks to advances in technology, many people were looking for something "new" to experience. This was also coming on the heels of years of war rationing so many people were eager to indulge in some of the things that they had been denied. After over two decades of a repressive mood in the United States (Prohibition: 1920-1933, The Great Depression:1929-1940, WWII: 1941-1945), people finally had a reason to be in a good mood. What better way than by enjoying some exotic food and music and sipping a tasty cocktail with friends.

Hey Takona,

I am new to this forum also but not new to tiki, having lived it vicariously via a family member for 20 years! .!

You state your theory in your first post but to confirm or deny that theory you really have to look at the years before the war. Interest in Hawaii and Polynesia pre-date the war and in fact we saw a marked interest in the are in the 1930's, though I have found "Hawaiian Rooms" in restaurants on the mainland as early as 1916. Don The Beachcomber is a key point in time but also the publishing of Truman Bailey's book Polynesian Adventure that came out in January 1939. This book seemed to cause a semi-tiki craze in fashion and design that was all over the US and other parts of the world, that was referred to as Hei-Tiki. Fashion, make-up and even some restaurants jumped on the band wagon and the public seemed to love the whole idea of remote Polynesia and what it stood for. The war came along that autumn and I think put a damper on things but I always wonder if the war had not happened would the interest have continued? The US was very involved in Japan after the war and if anything you would think there would have been a big tilt towards that style but in fact the Polynesian style really took off, so was it just a continuation of what had started before the war and that was augmented by the US servicemen who came back from that area? I cannot answer these question with any definite response, and I do not remotely have the expertise of the gene like Sven, et. al., but it is some food for thought and it may be hard to conclude what caused the craze without looking back in time a bit.

Just some food for thought!

Cheers, TT

On 2017-02-19 15:18, tikiskip wrote:

Post your research project here if you can when done.

OK how do I do that?

I don’t know what form your research project was in but you could give an overview of what you found.
Or you could post it here if it was in writing.

Tell what you felt about what info you came up with that was new, interesting or even bad about the subject.

How was the research project received by others?

Did you find that Tiki Culture was on the rise or in decline?

A new viewpoint would be interesting to see on TC.

Thanks for your efforts.

Here's the paper on a Google doc:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=11vFmjFOxsSA8rXMArAq8AR5NyTSigS7Nc4Sumiahvpg

Not bad, thanks for posting it.