"SNL" vs. Hawaii

Kind of ironic how we just happened to return from Hawaii and because we weren't watching TV there, happened to miss all the controversy about Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's Hawaii sketch until we were back on the mainland. In case you were also on vacation and don't know what all the fuss was about, Hawaii's lieutenant governor said the sketch, which featured Johnson and Fred Armisen as hostile, ukelele-playing entertainers in a restaurant filled with tourists, "went too far in its negative depiction of Hawaii's native people and tourism industry."

Here in the San Francisco area, you can't swing a lei without hitting an ad from the Hawaii tourism board. And no wonder; due to the recession, fewer visitors are coming to the islands. Even though some locals may grumble about the pasty white tourists, it's clearly a love/hate relationship -- when people don't vacation in Hawaii, unemployment soars, and it's currently at its highest level in 25 years.

For the record, Talk Show News had a great time on the West Coast of the Big Island, and there are plenty of bargains to be had there right now. No crowds, no high-rise hotels, and a dramatic setting (lots of lava!). Come with an attitude of respect for the land and the culture, and the locals will be happy to share their island with you.