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Podcast: New Books in Art
Episode: Christine Yano, âPink Globalization: Hello Kittyâs Trek across the Pacificâ (Duke UP, 2013)
Description: This cat has a complicated history. In addition to filling stationery stores across the globe with cute objects festooned with little whiskers and bowties, Hello Kitty has inspired tributes from Lisa Loeb and Lady Gaga, and artistic renderings from Hello Kitty Nativity to Hello (Sex) Kitty: Mad Asian Bitch on Wheels. In Pink Globalization: Hello Kittyâs Trek across the Pacific (Duke University Press, 2013), Christine Yano offers a fascinating study of Hello Kitty as a global commodity and âworld idol.â Focusing on the period from 1998-present, the book considers the iconic spread and transformation of Sanrioâs character in the context of...