Tiki Culture, Cargo Cults, and Mid-Century Escapism - RF135

Visit TheRenegadeFiles.com to get Cool Merch, Patreon Bonus Episodes, and all things Renegade Files in one place. ~~~ Come explore the strange and colorful story of American Tiki Culture, from WWII experiences in the South Pacific and postwar suburban escapism to exotic cocktails, backyard luaus, and the mysterious Cargo Cult phenomenon.
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Topics Covered:
Tiki Culture, Cargo Cults, Mid-Century Escapism, American Tiki History, John Frum Movement, Prince Philip Movement, South Pacific WWII, Polynesian Pop Culture, Tiki Bars, Tiki Cocktails, Backyard Luaus, Exotica Music
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Music and Audio Licensing:
Theme Song: “Steve’s Djembe” by Vani, FMA, licensed: Creative Commons CC BY-SA 4.0 License.
“Rocket Appliance Reversal” by Flow Lab Cult, DV8NOW Records, licensed: Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 License.
Short Audio Clips of “Exotic Sounds of Tiki Gardens” 1967, used here under Fair Use for Editorial and Commentary Purposes.
The audio recording and text transcript of this podcast episode is © 2026 DV8NOW Publishing LLC . The Renegade Files name and the Renegade Files UFO-Pyramid Logo are wholly owned Registered Trademarks of DV8NOW Publishing LLC .
About Fair Use: Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, a "Fair Use" allowance is made for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair Use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use.
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