14 DAY TRIAL // When she traveled to Japan to shoot her new video, for the single “Hello Kitty,” Avril Lavigne probably didn’t think it would upset as many people as it has. The video is now back online after being pulled from all video sharing sites, and Avril is speaking up against the haters / critics.
You can find the “Hello Kitty” video embedded below. A brief description of it would probably read something like this: April dances in front of a stone-faced troupe of Japanese dancers, she eats sushi, she takes pictures, she waves to fans, all against candy-colored and themed backgrounds.
The song itself isn’t really much, but it’s got that earworm quality that probably does well in certain parts of the globe, like in Japan. Fans and the media in the US (and not only) find it simply too annoying to be any good, a repetitive, Autotuned mess.
However, it’s not the quality of “Hello Kitty” that’s upset so many people but rather the fact that the video comes across as racist for the appropriation of a culture that’s so immensely rich and beautiful, but is instead stereotyped and misrepresented.
Avril begs to differ. On her Twitter, she says the video is actually a tribute, so all those saying otherwise are obviously wrong.
“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,” she writes.
She doesn’t say anything more on the topic, neither to go into details nor to address critics saying that, racist or not, her latest release isn’t really that good. In fact, it’s been deemed quite horrible actually. She does, however, post more links to materials promoting it, including some behind the scenes footage.
Because the video is now back up online after the initial wave of complaints, our guess is Avril’s people worked overtime to get it done ASAP. However, it could use a warmer reception from fans so, for the time being, it looks like Avril’s “explanation” didn’t help calm spirits down.
The video embedded below, for instance, has plenty of dislikes and negative comments. Versions of it posted to unofficial Avril Lavigne channels actually rake up more dislikes than likes. Granted, YouTube isn’t very reliable in terms of getting a proper feel of a situation, but it does serve to show that people are still talking about and, more importantly, still hating the video.
Check it out and, if you feel very strongly about it, one way or another, do drop us a line in the comments section below with your thoughts on it.
