Was Avril Lavignes Hello Kittyvideo Yanked From Youtube
If you blinked you might have missed it. Avril Lavigne released the official video for her latest single, 'Hello Kitty,' on Tuesday, but a short time later it was nowhere to be found on YouTube.
Why? At press time a spokesperson for the singer said the video was never officially posted on YouTube and that it was slated to go live on Wednesday (April 23) afternoon. A representative for YouTube confirmed to MTV News that the video is not currently available for public viewing on the site, though YouTube did not take it down.
Shortly after the Asian-themed video debuted on Tuesday, it quickly drew complaints for what some dubbed its fetishization of Japanese culture.
Billboard called the 'train wreck' video 'unseemly,' 'an embarrassment in any language' and 'gloriously ghastly,' saying that the presence of 'four identical, creepily expressionless Asian women' standing behind Lavigne for much of the clip was offensive to Asian culture.
Entertainment Weekly suggested that there are, 'serious questions about whether it's offensive (expressionless Asian dancers, Tokyo-as-prop) or offensively obvious.' Many drew comparisons to the controversy over No Doubt singer Gwen Stefani's backup dancers, the Harajuku Girls, a quartet of Japanese women who accompanied her on tour and appeared in several videos, including 'Hollaback Girl' and 'Wind It Up.'
You can still watch the video on Lavigne's site, where you'll hear the Skrillex-meets-Kesha brostep-y cute rock anthem about the Kitty you love to love as the singer dances around with her guitar, eats sushi and drinks sake and holds a huge plate of cupcakes while wearing a cupcake skirt and garters.
At one point, Lavigne sings in Japanese while walking down a Tokyo street and waving to unseen fans, clawing at the camera as her dancers pull off robotic moves in the background.
While some media outlets took issue with the content, Lavigne's fans were predictably supportive of her latest creative endeavor. 'Let me explain why she is getting heat for this: SHE DID SOMETHING DIFFERENT!' wrote LavigneStrong on Avril's site. 'Waaaaa .. I almost died watching this video, no words can express how happy I am today,' said another named Aileen.
[Ed. Note: This story was updated to reflect new information about the video's presence on YouTube that was received after the original report was posted.]
