One of the greatest books ever!

While The Book of Tiki is great also (that's why I said "one of...") I picked this book up at an estate sale. It isn't too old but out of print. There are used available at Amazon.
It is "The Encyclopedia of Bad Taste"
Does it say something about me that everything I LOVE is in here?
Cadillacs, fake fur, Hawaiian shirts, Monster Trucks, Nudism, Taxidermy, Treasures from trash, Vans, Velvet paintings,Weeki Wachee Mermaids, and of course Polynesian Food! There's more too! It is well written and will have you laughing out loud!

Oh well, to quote another great book.."Ah, good taste! What a dreadful thing! Taste is the enemy of creativeness!" Pablo Picasso- from TBOT.
A must have book! Any other must-haves besides the obvious?

Oh man, there gonna kill me for this one:

There is a great book called "the encyclopedia of Mullets"

Which I found to be fascinating!

And before the war club comes down, or lock-down occures..there IS an example of "tiki mullet" on page 43..(in reality, it's a hawaiian dude with really bad early 90's hair)

Re: Encyclopedia of Bad Taste

My favorite aspect (besides Jane and Michael Stern's aMAZing writing) is the choice of illustrative photos. For "White Lipstick," the photo is of Priscilla Presley is all her frosted white glory. "Jogging Suit"? The King wearing one. "Nehru Jacket"? None other than Sammy Davis, Jr., dripping with love beads, and grooving to his own album "I've Gotta Be Me." "Hot Pants": an album cover of "Roller Dancing for Fun and Fitness." "Poodles": a paint-by-number. It's all two-for-one.

The cross referencing is addictive: under "Charo," you find "See also: Breasts, Enormous; Chihuahuas; Las Vegas." Turn to Chihuahuas, find Charo, Tammy Faye Bakker, Jayne Mansfield. You get the idea.

It says aLOT about the Book of Tiki that I placed it on TOP of my E of BT, which had formerly been The coffee table book out. But as soon as my guests spot the treasure underneath, I can't pry it out of their hands.

It is kind of a statement, isn't it, that most everything in the book is visible throughout my apartment and my life.

Except the hot pants and breasts, enormous.

TIKI: Now, more than ever

[ Edited by: Formikahini on 2004-02-03 18:48 ]

I borrowed the Encyclopedia of Bad Taste several times from the library when I was a high schooler. Had more influence on me than I realized at the time. You don't know how many times I've recited their entry on Chesty Morgan to rapt audiences.

Good night Chesty Morgan, where ever you are!

Sounds like this book may sit nicely alongside the venerable "Catalog of Cool".

now that i think of it "The Encyclopedia of Bad Taste" may have planted the germ of tiki in me... i bought the book in about 1990, although more out of interest in spam and elvis. i think i started collecting tiki by 92. wow, funny how these things interrelate... btw JT i found your website by about 96-97, that was a huge influence thanks brah... j$

Just picked up this book-- we should start a bad taste index to see which of us is the worst. I'll admit to being into at least 20 of the bad taste indicators.

On 2004-02-04 12:23, Johnny Dollar wrote:
btw JT i found your website by about 96-97, that was a huge influence thanks brah... j$

Thanks for the props, kahuna.

Sorry I haven't updated the TBRP much lately, but TC seems to have sucked away a lot the need for my site, and does the interaction between members infiniately better. Also, working on TBRP less gives me time to work on things like TRT and Big Stone Head.

You may want to also check out another book by the Sterns called "Sixties People" that does profiles on such folks as Playboys, Perky Girls, Surfers, Mr and Mrs. Average in the Sterns usual insightful and indepth style. They also have several cookbooks out that that read like pop history books. You haven't lived until you've tried Sputnik Tea