Bamboo in Popular Culture
Tiki
Although loosely inspired by Polynesian culture, the tiki style is an American invention through and through. When Hawaii was acquired as a state, fascination with the South Pacific reached its peak and tiki-style bars, restaurants, and dance clubs exploded. Bamboo figures heavily into the decor we associate with tiki; bamboo bars, torches, fences, and even drinking cups are prerequisites for any tiki party. Authentic or no, this decorating style doesn't seem to be going anywhere.
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Hands down, the most memorable scene in Ang Lee's award-winning film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon takes place in what is known as The Bamboo Forest. Our heroes fight it out while perched atop delicate bamboo stalks, defying gravity and creating a strange sort of dance out of their battle. The real life location of the Bamboo Forest, the waterfall-strewn Bamboo Sea in Sichuan Province, China, has now become a huge tourist attraction thanks to the film's popularity and its undeniable natural beauty.
Chopstick Art
Chopsticks have many functions, from eating utensil to impromptu hair accessory, but perhaps the most interesting use of them lately has been Chopstick Art. These disposable utensils, a great percentage of which are made from bamboo, are thrown away by the millions all over the world every year, and some artists and craftsmen are seeing the potential in this mostly-untapped resource. Designer Bryan Parks founded Chopstick Art with this in mind, and since pitching his business idea on TV's "Shark's Tank" in August, his innovative home accessories and furniture have been getting a lot of attention. His collapsible baskets are particularly ingenious. And, yes, he cleans the chopsticks first.
Vaudeville Cane
Bamboo canes (including the long hooked type that was used to pull untalented performers off stage), along with straw boater hat, were once the recognized symbols of the vaudeville performer. These cheap imitations of the fancier top hat and cane gave even the scrappiest song and dance man a bit of theatrical authority.
Pandas
Whether you're shopping for a kid's t-shirt or checking out the zoo gift shop, it won't be too long before you come across a picture of a panda eating bamboo. Just like bears and honey or goats and tin cans, the panda is forever associated with a single food item. Sure, that's most of what they eat, but pandas still probably consider it a stereotype.
Bamboo flutes
Some modern bands are turning away from the digital music age and seeking out forgotten ways of making music. In their quest to add obscure instruments to their liner notes, some of these musicians have reached way back to the ancient times and taken up the bamboo flute. Bands like Macha, Yoshimi & Yuka, and Moving Pictures are finding new ways to use this time-honored instrument, proving that music really is a timeless language.