Hello Kitty Culture Jam 

 

      Jakks Pacific released a Toys R Us product that has a Hello Kitty head attached to stuffed Asian cusine. The implications from this toy suggest that Asian people eat cats because a Hello Kitty head is placed on top of sushi.

      There is a widespread stereotype that Asians incorporate cats into their diets, and sushi is a staple in Asian cuisine. Children playing with this toy can use the included chopsticks to pretend to eat the sushi with a cat’s head.

      We altered the product to include the message: ‘Teaching Kids Authentic Asian Stereotypes’ as a part of the packaging. This illustrates how the toy is mixing typical Asian cuisine with a typical stereotype which is then internalized by young consumers. We also added an ‘Authentic Recipe’ list, which includes cat as part of the sushi ingredients.