This kind of kit was literally my favorite kind of craft when I was a kid…
Wow, literally?
That shocked me too. I, um, I just don’t know what to think about that. I mean, really?!? Just, wow…
Looks fun. The “Stop Motion with Black Light” effect reminds me of the Oogie Boogie scenes from The Nightmare Before Christmas.
Looks awesome! Hope they get funded!
What, you think he liked crochet or making horsehead bookends better?
Personally, I would have thought that shrunken heads were only metaphorically his favorite craft had he not specified “literally”.
I was thinking he either meant 3-d model painting or fluorescent painting… either of which were literally the favorite crafts of many in my generation.
If it was shrunken head kits that he meant then Cory just got supremely wrong/cool.
As for the use of literally, it’s still a word and for once it wasn’t used in the modern/internet/stupid sense, so I’m groovy with it. About time.
This tikki obsession strikes me as being pretty fucking racist. Some shit from the 50’s should just stay dead.
Well, duh…
I’m genuinely curious how many people of Polynesian descent feel that way. I wouldn’t be surprised to find that Pacific Islanders do find the kitschy appropriation of Tiki culture offensive, but I haven’t heard or read any firsthand accounts to that effect.
Are you speaking as one of the people whose culture you feel is being mocked or as an outsider like myself?
The portrayal of Polynesian cultures via caricatured witch doctors, shrunken heads and idols is as racist as minstrel shows and fu manchu. Dressing it up as a cute cartoon doesn’t make it any less offensive.
I get that’s your position, and I understand it.
I was just wondering if you were speaking from personal experience or not. I know plenty of Asian people who think Fu Manchu is offensive and pretty much all black people these days are disgusted by minstrel shows, but I haven’t (yet) heard any Polynesian people weigh in on stuff like the Enchanted Tiki Room. So I was curious if you might be one of those people.
I am not one of those people as you say. I don’t see what that has to do with it. Try a Google search and you can hear about it plenty. Also, one does not have to be part of a class targeted by racism to be able to talk about it. It seems so many people say “i’m white so I can’t really understand or talk about this.” Fuck that. If you have an intellectual bone in your body, you can call out and analyze racism.
I did but found almost nothing (either in support of kitschy portrayals of Tiki or against it) written by the actual people whose culture has been appropriated. I was hoping this might be a chance change that.
I’m all for everyone’s right to be offended and to call out racism, but I think it carries more weight when the people being offended are actually members of the culture being portrayed.
For example, I think the Washington Redskins should change their team name but I don’t have much opinion on Notre Dame’s mascot. That’s mostly because a lot of American Indians have understandably expressed offense about the Washington team name but very few Irish Americans seem offended by the “Fighting Irish.”
Tiki culture appropriates Polynesian art and culture, but mostly in a reverent, celebratory way (not a belittling, mocking way). Most tiki enthusiasts I know also have a genuine appreciation for the originals. I get your point, but don’t see it as pernicious.
I found this with a cursory search
http://tinyurl.com/qcgrhdm
It’s better written than what I can come up with.
As for authenticity of racism, your claim that it’s only racism if you hear a representative of targeted class complain about it allows one to retain their own unchallenged racism as long as they keep their head in the sand. I see it all the time from new age numbskulls in the bay area. There’s a ton of them in burner community. Ignorance isn’t an excuse.
I literally shrank people’s heads when I was a kid. Literally.
That’s not what I’m saying. I’m saying “Tiki kitsch is offensive and racist” is a valid position, but I’d still really like to hear some Polynesian voices included in that conversation, just as Native American voices are rightly a big part of the conversation about why using their culture as mascots is offensive. I am actively trying to END my ignorance of how most Polynesian people feel about appropriations of Tiki culture.
I actually had found that same paper you linked to when I did my Google search but it wasn’t immediately apparent to me that author Daniel McMullin was of Pacific Islander descent. I appreciate his take.
I believe I’m in a much better mood today. I’m sorry for being harsh. I hear what you’re saying and it makes sense.
