It's odd how strongly iconic these images can be in a sub tropical economy. Pink flamingos work well here in Brusvegas, as do tiki bars, and inflatable banana Beach Toys.

Yep, I think part of the appeal of the tropical kitsch vs. other types of kitsch is that tropical items have been abstracted into something like "hot weather accessories" and fit into any place that is hot, even if it's in the middle of the desert. Combined with the "escapist" vibe of Vegas, it makes sense why they would seem natural there.

They are because I think it is tied to pineapple plantations of Hawaii. Flamingos beat the heck out of me.

Pineapples are a part of the Queensland Economy too, so maybe you're right: Bananas, Pineapples, Palm trees and .. flamingos? We don't have flamingos. I haven't been in Maui since '94 but a small, very sad herd of flamingo were kept in the hotel pond, we were told they had to be fed beta carotene to keep the colour up, pink salty brine shrimp not being on-hand.

However I've seen pink plastic flamingo on sticks in Brisbane, alongside the inflatables

Yeah no email from me to you website.

Its a soft login-wall. The modal didnt come up again when I refresh the page.

You can just click continue reading without leaving your email.

Must say I don't understand the nature of problems discussed. Of course palm trees, coconuts, pineapples became symbols of vacation in warm, relaxing tropical paradise, no matter if such place exists at all or if flamingos live there. Ideas are disconnected from facts, as the latter are too complicated

Is there an idea of why tropical kitsch took off when it did, around the 1950s in America as I understand it? I always thought it had something to do with WWII Pacific theater veterans coming home and bringing that imagery with them, but maybe it has some other explanation, like air travel to pacific islands being within reach at that point.

Yeah, it's called tiki culture.

There is still a famous bar in SF called the Tiki Lounge that is basically thr OG of this kind of thing

There are lots of youtube videos on it