Opinion: Avril Lavigne’s “Hello Kitty:” Where is She?

Avril Lavigne released a Japanese-themed music video for “Hello Kitty” earlier this week on VEVO. Originally intended to be an Asia-Exclusive release for her latest self-titled album, the video has stirred controversy for reinforcing negative stereotypes against Asian women.

Avril Lavigne “Hello Kitty” Music Video:

Lavigne posted a tweet Wednesday laughing off the racist allegations to her video:

“RACIST??? LOLOLOL!!! I love Japanese culture and I spend half of my time in Japan. I flew to Tokyo to shoot this video…specifically for my Japanese fans, WITH my Japanese label, Japanese choreographers AND a Japanese director IN Japan.”

“Hello Kitty” has been compared to Gwen Stefani’s Harajuku Girls who appeared as backup dancers in several of her videos during her solo career and for her usage of “Kawaii” (cute) and “Arigato” (thanks).

While many are focusing on the negative aspects of the video such as her saturated in a pink cupcake skirt and consuming Saki and sushi while a group of robotic-looking Japanese women stand behind her (I don’t find this video offensive nor feel she’s mocking J-Pop or Japanese Culture), why aren’t they asking the most important question: Why don’t any of the Hello Kitty Products appear in the video?

“I love Hello Kitty. I have an obsession so I wrote a song called ‘Hello Kitty.’ It’s really fun [and] it’s about a slumber party and loving the kitty,” Lavigne told Yahoo! Music Canada last June.

The more I saw the video and attempt to understand what was going through Avril’s head when she wrote a track so far out from her comfort zone, the more I focused on the lack of those cute Hello Kitty dolls. Was Hello Kitty the most Americanized title she could think of to pay homage for J-Pop or did she wanted to downsize her apparent fetish of Hello Kitty dolls to avoid alienating her Asian fans?

When it comes to cultural sensitivity, why is “Hello Kitty” considered racist when other artists, more recently Katy Perry, dressed up in a Cleopatra costume in her attempt to depict ancient Egyptian culture for her music video “Dark Horse?” Where is Perry’s immediate backlash? 

To finish this off, all I can say is if Avril Circa 2002 witnessed Avril 2014 experimenting with Electropop and Dubstep and singing about Hello Kitty, she’d probably grab a skateboard and hit present Avril in the face and skate off to delve into her previous fetish for skater boys.