Hello Kitty Article: Whatever happened to the REAL Hello Kitty?

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Whatever happened to the REAL Hello Kitty?

posted by ilovehinder

What do you call that? I call that selling out!

When I was little, since my mom was born in Japan, I was raised on Japanese stuff. I ate Japanese food, I took Japanese language classes, I played with Japanese toys. I remember when I would play with my Hello Kitty doll all the time. Hello Kitty started in Japan as a simple Japanese kitty who wore a little dress and had little rodent friends. When I saw Hello Kitty, I saw a red bow, the occasional change of an outfit, sometimes she wore blue, but no matter what, I saw an adorable Japanese icon. Now, when I see Hello Kitty, I see stupid little "Bratz"-style hats, I see hideous overalls, I see stupid little quotes like attitude and princess, I see a bunch of glitter and halos, I see stuff like cherries and hearts where her bow should be, I see ugly jackets, I see America in Hello Kitty. The original Hello kitty was supposed to be happy and sweet, not bratty and mainstream. Has our little Hello Kitty completely sold out to the disgusting "culture" that is modern-day America?

Back in the day......

The REAL Hello Kitty

kimberly1012, brianna91997 and 24 others like this

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Smallville97 Nice message!i hate the meeages they put on the hllo kitty pics!luv your message!

brookiecookie whoa! i never knew that HK had changed soooo much but yeah i think the REAL HK is better than these prissy ones

AKG I never was a fan of barbe but i love Hello Kitty* * *

bubblymushroom So true. She used to be a real icon and it's truly sad that Hello Kitty can be modified so basely.

Spotty_Vision21 I admit, when I was 5, I asked for a barbie. I got one. After about 3 days I tossed it aside. It was boring. But Hello Kitty? Why do they have to ruin these good things?

astroasis I agree with this opinion where it relates to Hello Kitty. I remember the simple kitty I grew up with and I MUCH prefer that style over the current one. Especially now that they've started giving her "real" clothes and a "real" body shape in some styles. Ick. I still like the simple, original kitty best. However, I don't think it's necessary to call American culture "disgusting" and blame everything on that. Sanrio could've easily decided to keep their style based in simplicity and not "sell out". Put the blame where it belongs. America didn't hold a gun to Sanrio's head and say, "Make your Kitty like our Bratz dolls! NOW!" Sanrio made a choice... and you're not alone in disliking it. But America didn't do it - Sanrio did.

hellokitty0109 If you this is ok you are a dum dum.

crazyduds2 I would like to make a few points here. 1. MANY companies have re-made Sanrio merchandise. I was in a store and I saw a Hello Kitty made by MATTEL. 2. Because of China's lead poising, ALL the same products made by Japan and Taiwan were recalled, including harmless, lead-free Sanrio Products. (Those Mattel products were made in China.) 3. You can still buy classic Hello Kitty merchandise online and in stores. If you go to the kiddie stores, you can find old Hello Kitty stuff. So, I agree with you, ilovehinder, but I also agree with astroasis that America didn't do EVERYTHING, because some of the creepy new Kitty stuff was made not by Japan, but by China, Taiwan, and other countries that the US imports from. But Hello Kitty is, and always will be, awesome.

nikkid123 I agree Hello Kitty was turned into this innapropriate thing. Wow, I love the old Hello Kitty WAY more than the new one. I miss the old one...Maybe i'll start a petition...

xxXsk8trXxx omg i soooo agree

HelloMina Hello Kitty became popular/Famous i'm Scene thats why i care any ways things are supposed to change shes bighttp://images.fanpop.com/images/emoticons/kiss.jpg and better now! http://images.fanpop.com/images/emoticons/cake.jpghttp://images.fanpop.com/images/emoticons/wink.jpgsrry!hthttp://images.fanpop.com/images/emohttp://images.fanpop.com/images/emoticons/surprise.jpgticons/smile.jpgtp://images.fanpop.com/images/emoticons/sadhttp://http://images.fanpop.com/images/emoticons/tongue.jpgimages.fanpop.com/images/emoticons/crying.jpg.jpg

HelloMina THE NEW HELLO KITTY ROX!

animalsloveme i so agree hello kitty turned into some inipropriate prissy diva thing that kids will grow up into i used to have and old hello kitty then my mom threw it out and got me a new prissy diva one that pick you posted was inapropriate and demeaning and sexus that is what she turned into

animalsloveme the new hello kitty is bull it sucks big fat eggs got it hellomina

Mizukodomo14 Well, Hello Kitty is appealing to (or trying to) to a wider market, and what ever sells, Sanrio will use. But I don't think she sold out per say- that's the equivalent of saying Barbe sold out. They're both icons of their companies and respective countries, and so with time, they must change. I'm not saying that I'm overly thrilled with some of the changes, but put it in perspective- Hello kitty came out in 1974 so obviously her design has changed since then- I'm not going to guess about your age, but from the pictures you posted, those seem to me to be 80's early 90's vintage (correct me if I'm wrong) so what you grew up with, isn't the original hello kitty either. In another 10 years, there'll be a whole new generation disparaging over the 'iconic' Hello kitty, which, in reality, is another adapted version for that time. Though I respect your argument, I don't fully agree with it. As a pop culture icon, I believe Hello Kitty's look and overall image should be allowed to change with the times whether we like it or not. That is what keeps her fresh for newer generations, and she doesn't die out.

guppygoldfish12 I like hello kitty but yet its like shes growing she has to get prissy and braty cause shes turning into a teenager

shazyrach i think hellokitty is fine.

Minimissfairy00 HK Looks cool nowadays. I know she looked sweet back then and there will always be the old pictures but now a load of girls love HK and to make them like her more she cant carry on wearin the same thing all decade.

Minimissfairy00 OOps wrong face i meant smily

Princess_Kitty Hello Kitty nowadays are OK ,I love it.

29Kitty INAPROPRIATE first of all the sanrio company did this and second Kitty was made for kids you know! Don't blame it on the americans just think, Sanrio wanted Hello Kitty to be a sign of peace and love not an inapropriat kitty with no spirt. there is a knack to the MODERN DAY life of what is now 2011 so you can expect more from sanrio. again you can find the old fashion dolls and all that stuff on line (amazon, and ebay) or you can go to a kiddie store and find this stuff. Again it is not the americans fault-- it was sanrio's choice

Vicki247 I like the simple, original HK ♥

kerry_88 I like them both honestly. you people need to get out of the past and into now! EVERYTHING changes eventually! Even hello kitty! Things change to current consumers taste. Even if is kinda wrong in some degree.

catparade I agree with you, but i think the bratty kitty is to appeal to maybe teenagers. Even though I LOVE HK as a happy sweet kitty and I am almost teen and my mom even loves HK some people don't know. I have videos of hello kitty as a sweet kitty. You can get them on e bay (i bet u can) It's hello kitty videos like pretty kitty, share and care. sounds cute and sweet, it is!

Pollycwog I am 62 and I adore Kitty! She seems pure sweetness to me.