Hello! Exploring the Supercute World of Hello Kitty

Cynthia:  How cute is this? The Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles has a Hello Kitty exhibit going on until May 31, 2015.

Marcy:  Not cute – kawaii. Don’t you know your Japanese?

Cynthia:  You’re right –  Hello Kitty is part of the Kawaii culture in Japan. Kawaii meaning… cute.

Marcy:  So how was it?

Cynthia:  Amazing! The exhibit was impressively comprehensive. It covered her entire range of kitty stardom starting with her humble beginnings in 1974 through her global takeover and current reign as queen of the pop culture cats.

Cynthia is 14 apples tall

Cynthia: There were hundreds of Hello Kitty products and toys to view.

Cynthia:  Hello Kitty fashion.

Paris Hilton in a Hello Kitty Dress

Katy Perry Hello Kitty Show Costume

Cynthia:  Original Hello Kitty inspired art.

Hello Kitty Fanatic by Junko Mizuno 2014, Acrylic on Canvas

Cynthia: And tons of anecdotes, history, and analyses of Hello Kitty’s positive but sometimes controversial place in pop culture.

Cynthia:  Remember when we found out the startling news that Hello Kitty is not a cat?

Well, we also learned that Hello Kitty is all about Happiness, Friendship, and Social Communication. No wonder she’s been famous for forty years among women of all ages! She –

Marcy (interrupting):  How can she be about social communication if she doesn’t have a mouth?

Cynthia:  Ah ha. That was one of the controversial subjects addressed by the exhibit.

Apparently, anger over Hello Kitty’s lack of a mouth is an American hang up. The Japanese simply see her as an abstract cartoon in which a lack of a mouth means you can project your own feelings onto her.

Marcy:  I’m going to be as famous as Hello Kitty someday. And I’m not going to let anyone project their own feelings onto me. I’m loud and proud and opinionated.

Cynthia:  Great! Call me when you’ve made your millions.

Marcy:  No.

*If you are in Los Angeles and love cats and/or Japanese kawaii culture, this is a must-see exhibit. Click Hello! Exploring the Supercute World of Hello Kitty at the Japanese American National Museum for more info.

*You Might Also Like:

Did YOU Know That Hello Kitty Is NOT A Cat?

and

Happy 40th Birthday, Hello Kitty: Seven Reasons Why 40 Is Super Duper