[Prudence]

If I had to guess...

In the early cold war, the future was scary and Tiki was a safe, warm place apart from civilization. It had the exotic appeal of "primitive" culture untouched by the trappings of the scientific age (which was increasingly scary.) In "Tiki-land," there's a culture of hospitality. The sun shines, the fruity drinks flow freely, and obligations disappear. In Tiki-land, people do not blow things up.

Now, we've been to the future and, for some people, it wasn't an improvement. They'd give anything to go back to a time when they didn't yet have a clear picture of what they feared. Now nuclear weaponry is old hat. We've given up the illusion of bomb shelter drills. That guy next to you on the subway could detonate a dirty bomb at any moment. Today we just have to face up to fear and danger and go on with our lives. Sometimes it's better when you don't actually get a look at the monster under the bed.

So why Tiki? Why not reach back to the last time things seemed fun and safe? It's recent enough that people either remember it (particularly through the nostaligic lens of childhood) or grew up hearing about from relatives and seeing the dusty torches in the attic. In Tiki there are no worries. In Tiki you visit another world where the good in human nature is magnified and the negative is banished. In Tiki, all you need is the sun overhead, the sand at your feet, the sound of surf in your ears, the scent of flowers around your neck, and a fruity umbrella drink in hand and you have reached nirvana.