#cultural relevance

[thepastisalreadywritten]

Subtle evolution

While Hello Kitty’s key features remained largely unchanged, Yamaguchi (who previously told Time magazine that the character doesn’t have a mouth “so that people who look at her can project their own feelings onto her face”) placed her in different scenarios, broadening her appeal.

“She’s good at sports, and she looks cute and chic too,” she explained.

“I think of her as a blank canvas that you can transform into all sorts of things. There’s not much that doesn’t suit her… I think that when everyone talks to Hello Kitty, she probably answers them in some way.”

Sales of Hello Kitty products flourished in Japan between the 1980s and mid-1990s.

Much of the company’s earlier merchandise was aimed at young girls, including school supplies and personal care items like toothbrushes.

But, even then, illustrator Yamaguchi knew the character would need to evolve and grow with her fans.

It’s a realization the illustrator traces back to a letter she received from a fan in 1987:

“She was a big fan of Hello Kitty but, in the letter, she wrote that her friends and parents had told her that it is a children’s character, and that she should have outgrown it.

But she didn’t want to, so she asked me to make products for high school students like her.”

Inspired by the trends she saw in Tokyo’s Harajuku fashion district at the time, Yamaguchi began incorporating contemporary style into her designs, in the hope of appealing to older fans.  

In 1999, Sanrio told the New York Times that the character was appearing on 12,000 new product lines a year, spanning almost every category imaginable, from clothing to board games, greeting cards to lunchboxes.

The company also began using Hello Kitty on more adult items, like electronics and kitchen appliances, as it became clear that nostalgia was becoming a major selling point.

As a result, some of today’s biggest Hello Kitty fans are those who grew up with her in the 1980s and ‘90s.

Among them is Asako Kanda, who started collecting Sanrio products in third grade and now owns over 10,000 items adorned with the character’s expressionless face.

“My mother gave me Hello Kitty stationery and school supplies like pencil cases and plastic boards.

When I saw them, I thought they were so cute, and they quickly became my favorite. That’s where it started,” she said, showing CNN around a dedicated Hello Kitty room in her Tokyo home.

“Once I began buying things for myself, I could get items for the kitchen, bathroom and other daily necessities. I wanted to unify everything with Hello Kitty from that point on."

After more than 36 years of collecting, Kanda still buys around two Hello Kitty items every month.

Sanrio releases new products on a weekly basis, and she scans them looking for anything that is “memorable or cute.”

“As life goes on, there are times when you face unpleasant or sad experiences,” she said, “During those times, looking at Hello Kitty goods have brought me comfort and solace.”

Going global

As Japan’s economy stagnated in the 1990s, Sanrio expanded its international presence.

In Hello Kitty’s early years, the company had sold products door-to-door in the US, before setting up the first overseas branch of its retail store, Gift Gate, in San Jose in 1976.

But following an explosion of Western interest in Japanese culture — from “Dragon Ball Z” to Tamagotchis and Beyblade — she captured the imagination of American consumers around the turn of the millennium, according to Atsuo Nakayama, a Japanese sociologist specializing in the entertainment industry.

“Just after 9/11, the world was changing,” he told CNN. “And I think that the Japanese ‘kawaii’ culture was an alternative fit for America, somehow.”

Much of Hello Kitty’s commercial success has been achieved through licensing.

She has spawned books, video games and animated TV series, like the long-running “Hello Kitty and Friends,” which helped further develop her character.

(Although, despite being raised in London, she was given a North American accent in English dubbed versions.)

She has also been part of deals with major consumer and luxury brands, and has appeared on an EVA Air plane, Fender Stratocaster guitars and Swarovski jewelry.

And while Sanrio’s declining fortunes at the turn of the 2010s sparked fears that Hello Kitty’s cultural relevance was fading, the company’s share price has rocketed in the last two years.

It now stands over 10 times its Covid-era low.

According to Atsuo, nostalgia is once again a key driving force — at home in Japan and abroad.

“Hello Kitty is on the rise again in America, and I think that this is because the first generation have now become parents and passed (their interests) on to their children,” Atsuo said, adding:  

“(Her popularity) has risen and fallen many times like this, and it creates a regular opportunity for people who were captivated by Hello Kitty to remember it and want to collect it again.”

Sanrio’s recent successes are also, in part, due to it diversifying away from Hello Kitty.

The character now only accounts for around 30% of Sanrio’s gross profit in product sales and licensing, down from 76% a decade earlier, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Recent creations like Gudetama (a lazy egg yolk) and Aggressive Retsuko (an introverted death-metal-loving red panda) have both featured in their own Netflix series.

Yet, even as Sanrio’s business model changes, Yamaguchi believes Hello Kitty will endure.

“Of course, there are many characters in the world that have been around longer than Hello Kitty,” the illustrator said, adding:

“I hope she continues working hard so she can celebrate her 100th anniversary in 50 years’ time.”

[ahb-writes]

"The worst thing that can happen to someone who gets famous is that they believe that they deserve it."

Adam Savage Q&A (12 January 2024)

[transcriptioncity]

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[zenosanalytic]

That scene has SUCH Tokusatsu Doctor Who vibes for some reason I can't articulate u_u u_u u_u

It's that time of year when Tumblr celebrates Easter by posting pictures of crucified anime characters, and inevitably somebody in the notes will pop up to helpfully explain that crucifixion imagery has no cultural significance in Japanese media because Japan is only about 1% Christian, which bugs me because it's completely wrong.

It's true that in the majority of cases, crucifixion in Japanese cartoons isn't meant to be conveying any specific theological message, but something Western audiences are likely to miss is that a large portion of those random crucifixion scenes are referencing Ultraman.

Ultraman's creator was a devout Roman Catholic who explicitly intended the titular hero to read as a Christ figure, and consequently, various Ultramen have been crucified on multiple unconnected occasions throughout the franchise's history. Crucifixion scenes in Japanese cartoons are often directly name-checking particular crucifixion incidents from Ultraman, right down to emulating the compositions and camera angles of specific shots. It's like an especially morbid version of the Akira slide.

The upshot is that, while it's true that the inclusion of gratuitous crucifixion scenes in Japanese cartoons typically has no (intentional) theological message, stating that they have no cultural significance is incorrect. A large chunk of the Japanese viewing audience are going to see them and immediately go "hey, that's an Ultraman reference".

Anyway, as an image tax, have a shot of four crucified Ultramen miraculously resurrecting a fifth Ultraman by shooting laser beams out of their hearts:

[trendynewsnow]

The Unconventional Success of 'English Teacher' Through Memes

The Launch of a New TV Show: A Balancing Act The premiere of a new television show is often a nerve-wracking experience for its creators and cast members. Countless hours of effort have gone into bringing the project to life, yet the time frame to capture the attention of viewers is alarmingly short. When you factor in a fragmented media landscape and the overshadowing presence of a high-stakes…

[selkies-world]

OK, OK SO I WAS JUST THINking

In my religion, we don't use our Gods' names to swear or cuss, because mentioning our Gods by name usually equates to invoking or summoning them. So if I said "FUCKING [NAME]" or "[Name], [Name], [Name]" (ala "Mary, Jesus & Joseph" in frustration, exasperation, exaltation or surprise, it's the equivalent of butt-dialing them while shouting.

BUT in my native language, there isn't a direct translation of "JFC", because most of it predates Jesus (yk when Cleopatra & Ceaser were having their Thing & Brutus was sharpening his knife??? We were speaking our language then, and for the most part, it hasn't really changed since) & the modern additions to it just. Did not like him, I guess? Like, we can incorporate his name into stuff, but it's a lot of effort when we have other stuff we can say instead. WHICH IS WHEN I REALISED that instead of cursing / cussing a God (ala saying their name in vane), we have 2 main options: either repeat the negative / positive of the statement, which is literally translated as you saying "No, NO, you did NOT say that you DID NOT" / "Yes, YES, you DID JUST say that YOU DID" but which is understood as the equivalent of "oh jfc" with a sigh / "jfc" with a small laugh, OR we can just use the name of the person we're talking to (it gets more complicated if you're talking to 1 person but about another) and you literally say "Do NOT, DO NOT say that, Mark" / "Mark, say that, SAY THAT" but is understood as the equivalent of "jfc!" / "jfc!"

And it just... idk, it got me thinking. Is there sayings / phrases the equivalent of "Jesus FUCKING Christ" in reference to Allah / any other Gods, or is that considered butt-dialing them, or is it like slapping a but of paper to your back which reads "SMITE ME" ??????? And if there ISN'T an acceptable name in your religion to use in this context, what's your native language's equivalent??? Do they cross over (ie: JFC is a mostly western saying, and the west is culturally Christian, AND predominantly* Anglo-sized & English-speaking)???? Or are they totally separate????

*I know not every single person in every single country speaks English, but chances are if you're wandering around Europe or the Americas, you'll find someone who can partially understand English SOONER / EASIER than you will if you're outside of Europe / Americas.

*There's also the fact we can more or less guess at some words because even though the languages are different, they overlap enough that we can recognise "oh, that word looks / sounds kinda like [word]" and use that as a starting point for finding translation help. Whereas if we go East or South (or some areas to the North), we don't have that.

[langernameohnebedeutung]

ngl, I'm beginning to take issue with how in conversations about anti-intellectualism almost automatically, the face of girls and women will be slapped on the problem.

[spirk-trek]

she is to me what leia's gold bikini was to straight boys

[touchlikethesun]

you’re telling me people are doubting the cultural relevancy of destiel, THEE destiel??? the first and the last Great American Queerbait??? that destiel???

[jennycalendar]

finally. the ads understand what we want

[serpentface]

Faiza performing the Kagnoma Odo (pretty literally 'lion dance'), a weapons dance and one of the more important ritual duties of Odonii priestesses. A relatively new addition to this traditional dance involves the musket as the primary weapon, which is fired mid-twirl into the ground at the climax of the dance. Faiza is experiencing an 'oh fuck' moment because her shot is more than ideally diagonal, but she’s being so cool with it.

This is a wholly ceremonial performance at the onset of the pilgrimage, performed in full regalia and lion skin (of the small, semi-domesticated strain) but no armor. It’s also distinctly a display of political allegiance between the powerful and beloved Odonii priesthood (and its loyal military) with the increasingly reviled and destabilized imperial family, with Faiza prominently wearing a bracelet of the royal serpent, which was gifted (along with the musket) by the usoma Stavis Amanti himself (Usoma is the Wardi word for king, which has been retained in the context of emperors).

The Kagnoma Odo is the ultimate demonstration of the Odonii as an embodiment of the Lion Face of God and living vessel of military might and sovereignty, demonstrating her fitness and proficiency with weapons and as a spiritual unifier for soldiers. It is accompanied by drumming and occurs in stages, running through the three keymost weapons used in war- the spear, the sword, and the musket. The musket is of the most significance, given the weapon has developed a particular esteem as the ultimate embodiment of might and superiority. Assistants (almost always other priestesses, occasionally high ranking soldiers) load and prime the musket to be fired at the climax of the dance, where it is shot into the ground as the priestess leaps out of range of the shot. The firing signals the end of the dance and the rite itself.

While not the utmost exemplar of trigger discipline, only fully inducted and senior (and therefore very thoroughly trained) Odonii are permitted to perform the dance, and injuries during actual performances are quite rare (though are known to occur during training, more than a few Odonii have burns and wounds on their feet).

The most important renditions of this dance are performed upon declarations of war and before battles (in this case, generally done in full armor along with the lion pelt). It is also done during some trainings (while a dance, it is carefully choreographed to include naturalistic maneuvers of the weapons involved and helps soldiers limber up and learn to move their weapons). It is regarded as an impressive and motivating sight and a morale booster, and, seen at a distance, potentially intimidating to enemies.

A special variant of this dance is performed as means of fully incarnating the Odomache, which is done in full nudity with the body covered in the blood of the freshly sacrificed lion and cloaked in its raw pelt (the lion has become the corpse of Odomache in the moment of death, as part of its recreation of God's sacrifice). Her public, full nude appearance once (and only once) in this act is what allows the Lion Face of God to incarnate within her. Those in attendance see the spiritually vulnerable, naked human body obscured with the sanctified and deified blood and cloaked in the sanctified and deified skin. It is a merger of the contradictions of mortality and divinity, the boundaries between the two indistinct in flickering firelight and the flash of musketfire. She is witnessed by her people, dangling in between humanity and divinity and leading them in dance, and and is thus transformed.

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[will-pilled]

Cringe culture ruined being a kid.

I keep seeing the idea that teen members of Gen Z are the last generation to experience an actual childhood and honestly? I agree.

We as a society have made being a child so hostile, so miserable, that kids aren't interested in being young anymore.

How children are constantly told to grow up, how the color has been sucked out of the world, how because of cringe culture children will be fucking torn apart by grown adults all over the internet, how children are experiencing crisis after crisis. Children are shamed for their interests and hobbies and style by grown ass adults and teens who are far too old to be doing this. How kids aren't allowed to be anywhere without being made fun of by adults who are miserable.

Being a child is fucking hostile now, and I don't blame this generation of kids for trying too hard to be mature/grown. Because people treat children like shit, so who would want to be one?

[saturnniidae]

Big fan of Hiccup got kissed by his long time crush and was just kinda like 'well that just happened' Haddock and the idea of Astrid being the one getting kind of flustered bc she's not used to such open displays of affection and really took a leap with Hiccup

[sualne]

some reintroduction & lore!

part 2, ...