Tiki

You’ve heard the word “Tiki” many times, whether from a bar, restaurant, or even from the Enchanted Tiki Room at Disney parks. But just what is a tiki?

Like most historic terms, “Tiki,” has many meanings but the most basic is that Tiki is the first man in the Maori culture of New Zealand. His origin story varies from region to region, but in many versions he was created of soil and saliva and made into being. He soon found that he was lonely, and seeing his reflection in the water, thought he’d found a companion. When he reached for him, he fell into the water.

Determined, he filled in the pond with soil and created Marikoriko, who would be his wife. At first, the relationship was chaste, as they had no knowledge of sex. But then one day, Marikoriko saw an eel and “became excited.” She then “put her excitement” on Tiki, and the first procreative act was consummated.

In other versions of the story, Marikoriko is formed from one of Tiki’s ribs. If that story sounds familiar to you, you can thank the influence of European missionaries, who often forbade the retelling of the traditional, oral mythology and replaced it with their own.

Statues of Tiki were common, and at some point the statues became more known than the figure they represented, and all statues were called “Tiki,” though this is not the common usage in the Maori language. Tiki can also refer to a style of jewelry more formally known as hei-tiki, which are pendants of figures carved in jade.

In the 1930s, the term “Tiki” became associated with polynesian kitsch, in the form of restaurants and bars, and any relationship to Tiki, the first man is lost.

Tiki Culture

Ernest Raymond Beaumont Gantt can’t be blamed for changing his name to Donn Beach. An adventurer from New Orleans, he set off to explore the world at the age of 19. Starting in the Caribbean, he made his way to the South Pacific where he soaked up the culture that was largely unknown in the U.S.

In the 1930s, after a rumored stint of bootlegging, he moved to Hollywood and opened a restaurant with his wife called Don’s Beachcomber. He decorated it in the Polynesian style, and though he called the food “Polynesian,” it was actually more of the style of Canton, China—and Americanized at that.

Still, it was a new thing for a city of new things, and when Don added stiff, unusual drinks, the business flourished, with his wife Sunny Sund getting much of the credit. During World War II while Donn was serving in Europe, she expanded the restaurant to sixteen locations.

Of course, with success comes competition, and Victor Bergeron decided to have a go at this new type of restaurant. He opened Trader Vics in San Francisco, and the two men had a friendly rivalry over the years. Both chains were so successful, that the trend moved East, and after World War II where serviceman were exposed to Polynesian culture and Hawaii was about to be come a state, Tiki culture blossomed. Elaborate themed-restaurants and bars were built, and the culture, which at this point was completely distinct from any authenticity, took on a life of its own. The Pupu Platter, Mai Tai, Rum Runner, Navy Grog, Zombie and host of other drinks, all served in coconut or tiki-shaped cups, were created from this culture. Restaurants were decorated with fishing nets, carved tikis, and real puffer fish blown up with lights in them.

After reaching its peak in the 1970s, the trend declined, and today there are only a few of the historic Tiki palaces left. One of these is the Mai-Kai in Fort Lauderdale, where the College of Curiosity has taken field trips on a few occasions.

Gilligan’s Island

Partially to take advantage of the interest in pseud0-Polynesian culture, Gilligan’s Island was created in 1964 for prime time television. It featured a wacky crew of tourists who left on a three hour tour from Hawaii and ended up on an uncharted island. Through nearly 100 episodes, the gang was almost rescued dozens of times, only to be foiled by some comedic element, usually Gilligan’s misunderstanding of some simple concept.

Though the opening songs lyrics spoke of “no phone, no lights, no motorcars, not a single luxury…” the tourists managed to create a tropical paradise of sorts out of bamboo, palm fronds, coconuts, and what must have been several dozen trunks of luggage belonging to Ginger and the Howells.

Elaborate huts, furniture and even a car where constructed out of these basic materials, usually under the professor’s direction. Watching the show, one wonders why they’re in such a hurry to get off the island, or why they have the ability to make explosives and glue, but can’t find a way to patch the rather straightforward hole in their boat, the S.S. Minnow.

A mystery never revealed during the series, was Gilligan’s actual name. Throughout the series, he’s only called “Gilligan” or “Little Buddy” by “the Skipper,” who we learn is actually Jonas Grumby. Bob Denver, the actor who played Gilligan commented that “Gilligan” was actually his whole name, Gil Egan. He was always being yelled at so when it was said quickly, it ran together into one word. As charming as that is, the real answer was revealed by the show’s creator, Sherwood Schwartz: his name is Willy Gilligan; they just never found a reason to mention it.

IMDB: Gilligan’s Island

The S.S. Minnow

While the most enduring mystery of the S. S. Minnow was why it was so impossible to repair, there are others. First off, the “S. S.” designation on a ship stands for “steamship,” and it’s clear that the Minnow is not powered by steam. As such, she should be called “MV” for “Motor Vessel” or MY for “Motor Yacht.” But even then there is a mystery. In one episode, gasoline from the engine is used to resolve some plot element. In another, glue malfunctions and removes all the planks from a large portion of the hull, where can be seen a diesel engine.

While a “minnow” is indeed a small, fish, the boat was named for a person, Newton Minow head of the FCC, who coined the phrase “vast wasteland” to describe television. Sherwood Schwartz credited him with ruining television, so it seemed fitting to name the doomed vessel after him.

The vessel shown in the opening credits was formerly known as the Bluejacket, and is still afloat today. She was purchased as a wreck by Scotty Taylor and refitted and is available for viewing today, not in Hawaii, but in Vancouver, BC. Scotty verified that she is #3 of 4 Minnows, and rechristened her as the S.S. Minnow, despite the fact that she’s a diesel.

After you view the Minnow and take a picture of her signature life preserver, you should head over to the Shameful Tiki, Vancouver’s newest and apparently only Tiki Bar. If the Minnow can be saved, perhaps Tiki culture can too.