This misinterpretation of political messages on social media is thus reflected in the Hello Kitty memes. In fact, this connects back to the rise of infographic activism at its core: its neoliberal nature misconstrues far left-wing and more radical attitudes toward abolition, and instead paints it as more palatable to liberals.

And although the people who shared the “Hello Kitty thinks ACAB” posts definitely did not have the intention of undermining Black struggles, they inadvertently contributed to the romanticization of violence in contemporary media and “woke” culture. Like much of the news and media today, the Hello Kitty memes during BLM glamorized civic disarray by sanitizing the truth. Rather, they could step back and experience the social movement through a warped reality, with a Japanese feline as the face of activism. Reframing the situation through a cute, non-threatening medium like Hello Kitty meant they no longer had to come to terms with the real fear that Black Americans had been and are distressingly continuing to face. The juxtaposition of the cute cartoon cat with a hard-hitting political statement conveyed a message that was much easier to handle than the actual brutality and injustice that the Black community was confronted with.īy aestheticizing brutal violence, both sharers and creators of the posts expressed a level of indifference to the situation. Through infographics like these, Hello Kitty has come to represent the trivialization of serious topics in modern media.

Most popularly seen were pink glittery edits of Hello Kitty surrounded by hearts with the words “ACAB” or “Black Lives Matter.” Although these photos flooded social media timelines and were even reposted on many of my own friends’ stories, one thing was glaringly obvious: Hello Kitty ACAB edits were merely being shared because of their easy consumability and appeal.Īlthough there was a clear and conscious effort to educate the public about these mass uprisings and galvanize change in the policing system, the aestheticization of Hello Kitty in these memes diluted the importance of the information they were supposed to deliver. Interestingly, Hello Kitty made prominent features in these posts. However, in recent years, Hello Kitty has been appropriated by modern media and consumer culture, therefore warping the sentimentality and iconic symbolism that surrounds the character into a tool to aestheticize race, gender, and identity politics.ĭuring the Black Lives Matter protests and riots in mid-2020, Instagram was flooded with infographics advocating for the deconstruction of institutional racism and movement towards unprejudiced public policy. In fact, Hello Kitty has always universally represented “cuteness, agreeableness, and friendship.” Created by Japanese designer Yuko Shimizu for Sanrio in 1974, Hello Kitty has contributed to the propagation of Japanese kawaii culture and left an everlasting impression on youths who grew up with her. To me, she is an emblem of my girlhood as well as principles of peace, harmony, and warmth and many teenagers now can agree with my nostalgic relationship with the endearing fictional cat even if their room didn’t look like Sanrio (the company that produces Hello Kitty) threw up on it. I never really understood why my mother chose to indoctrinate me with a deep-rooted reverence for Hello Kitty, but her presence in my formative years still resonates with me today. She made frequent appearances in my outfits, whether it was through my T-shirt, shoes, backpack, or jewelry. To make matters even more absurd, younger me was basically a walking ad for Hello Kitty merchandise.

My bed had a Hello Kitty comforter accompanied by a multitude of Hello Kitty stuffed animals in different outfits – mermaid, princess, student a Hello Kitty clock hung on the wall a pink Hello Kitty lamp rested on my little bedside table Hello Kitty stickers were plastered all over my drawers and walls. Throughout my childhood, my mom would constantly buy me clothes, toys, accessories and even lunchboxes adorned with Hello Kitty.

Image description: Sanrio character Hello Kitty is balancing on one toe with a sign that says “black lives matter.” She is wearing a pink dress, bow, and ballet shoes and is surrounded by hearts and sparkles.

Hello kitty blm pfp