Avril Lavigne Fires Back at Racism Charges in ‘Hello Kitty’ Video

[video=youtube;LiaYDPRedWQ]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LiaYDPRedWQ[/video]

Avril Lavigne is defending her new Hello Kitty video. The single, co-written by husband/Nickelback frontman Chad Kroeger) has come under fire for being bad (Billboard called it an "embarrassment") and for being racist, in comments made on Twitter. The singer took to Twitter to respond to the charges, writing: "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."

Back off haters ... Avril Lavigne's controversial "Hello Kitty" music video is NOT racist, and she's actually being hailed as a cultural hero -- at least according to Japanese officials ... TMZ has learned. The video was posted briefly on YouTube before it was pulled down -- allegedly because it was released early, not because of its content -- but all the same it quickly generated outrage on social media. Peeps at the Japanese Embassy in Wash. D.C. are pretty chill about it though ... telling us they believe Avril "had only good intentions when making the video." The spokesman added ... they "would be happy if the discussions surrounding her song and music video results in more people discovering the beautiful and rich culture of Japan." In other words ... Avril ichiban.

http://www.tmz.com/2014/04/25/japan-embassy-avril-lavigne-music-video-hello-kitty/

We reached out to a few people affiliated with the Japanese Culture Center in Chicago to get their take on the clip. Neither thought it was racist, but one was slightly troubled by the video. "I don't find it racist in any manner," says JCC's Stephen Toyoda, who hadn't seen the clip prior to our inquiry, but viewed it before offering his comments. "It just seems to be her homage to Japanese culture. People may not like the music, but as far as the imagery, I don't find it offensive."

https://music.yahoo.com/blogs/music-news/avril-lavigne-fires-back-racism-charges-hello-kitty-182824214.html

Avril Lavigne's new album has gone straight to Number One in the albums chart in Japan and Lavigne's new single "Hello Kitty" especially targets the Japanese audience and most experts familiar with Japanese culture do not find "Hello Kitty" racist or offensive in any way. The Japanese Embassy in Washington issued a statement saying that Avril only had good intentions of paying something back to her Japanese fans and introducing Japanese culture to a wider audience outside Japan, thus currying favour with the Japanese. Some commentators in the media found expressionless Asian dancers offensive but backup dancers are not supposed to outperform Avril in the video. "Hello Kitty" is a tribute to her large Japanese fanbase and a team of Japanese staffers produced the video clip according to their musical tastes, which makes it hardly racist.

 

I wonder if the people complaining were the same whiny asshats that called Stephen Colbert's clearly tounge in cheek comments racist.

 

[video=youtube;nIWxmbcHX7M]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIWxmbcHX7M[/video]

[video=youtube;2oDXH5F7VkE]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2oDXH5F7VkE[/video]

 

That's it? That's all there was to the video I've been hearing so much about? That was nothing. It was just another video. Liberal America is so unbelievably stupid. It doesn't actually understand what racism is. For the slow and the sensitive, racism is making somebody ride in the back of a bus because they are a certain color. Racism is buying someone like a piece of property and then whipping them for trying to run away and be free. Racism is herding people into gas chambers and murdering them by the millions because of certain ethnic traits. WRITING A SONG ABOUT HELLO KITTY IS NOT RACISM!

 

This sort of thing just makes me mental. I AM a liberal but this is not about liberality it is about absurd culural marxism lookimg for issues that arent there.

By the stupid defintions of the accuser all Rock and roll is racist.

 

1. It's not racist, Tokyo culture actually looks like that. Overly-sensitive white people think everything is racist.
2. She's hot.
3. You can actually hear the Nickleback in here if you listen to the chorus, which is why it's so bad as a chick song.

Edit: Racist-baiting must be getting close to jumping the shark when this and bad Stephen Colbert satire segments are being called racist.

 

What am I missing here, it looks like a typical japanese music video but with a canadian in the lead...

 

and you're over reacting blaming all of "liberal" america for an article in billboard most likely one persons opinion...

 

I call 'em like I see 'em. You know as well as I do who always gets their panties in a twist and place the race card over nothing. You're only getting defensive about what I said because you feel attacked by extension. If it doesn't apply to you, don't wear the shame. It doesn't make the general claim any less true.

 

[video=youtube;jcIOg_m-bp4]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=jcIOg_m-bp4[/video]




Kyary Pamyu Pamyu

Avril Lavigne's music video was probably inspired by this J-pop artist and her Japanese-themed single signifies the Japanese market's increasing importance for the Canadian singer whose popularity in North America is on the wane. Later this month, she comes back to Japan for her sold-out concerts and a summer music festival with Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, while she only toured the US to support the Backstreet Boys.

 

We're talking about a culture, the Japanese, that have previously worn women's underwear vending machines. No sarcasm intended. As an American visiting there, it was a WTF moment.


How can anyone not think they're weird.

 

Awful song.

Awesome costume.

 

Something tells me that this was not a big deal at all, but they seized the chance to sensationalize it. Really, how many people was calling it racist. 10? 50? A 100?

The only offense I see is that this stupid song is actually a tribute to someone...