Category Archives: News

Goodbye Kitty?

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Recently I had been noting a rash of Sanrio stores closing around the country. Stores are closing in Northern California, Houston Texas and the Dallas store is in Lockout according to friends at Hello Kitty Junkies. In the news another store is closing in St Louis area new story notes January is the time many business end their lease and close down perhaps why the reason for the rash of closings . Update:  a member of hello Kitty Junkies reports her local store in Virginia is closing.  The Even in Portland we are not immune; Sanrio Surprise is closing and merging with the Washington Square Hello Kitty Sore.  While this does not mean Hello Kitty is going away but this will have an impact on Sanrio’s financial numbers and put a damper on Hello Kitty’s 40th anniversary.  Already hedge   investors are responding   as Sanrio is one of the top three stocks being sorted on the Japan’s Topix 500 index.

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Sanrio’s Brony Play

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It been in the new for some time about  Sanrio and the Hub developing a new show based on Kiss X Hello Kitty collaboration.

I know the wild success by the hub of My little Pony Friendship is Magic and the unlikely fan group of male teens and adults better known as bronies. In addition it is not lost on me Sanrio is tiring to make inroads into the men market with the KISS x Hello Kitty and Street Fighter X Hello Kitty collaboration.

10 Questions for Yuko Yamaguchi:
What will Hello Kitty be doing in 10 years?
Catherine G. Pilie, Covington, La.
In 10 years’ time, everybody around the world will know her. Also, the number of male and female fans will be the same. Men who are still reluctant to be seen with Kitty in public today might be wearing Hello Kitty boxers. But they will eventually stop being shy and will show off Kitty proudly.

Read more: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,…

Yuko Yamaguchi carries on as nurturing parent of Hello Kitty:
Asked about her next challenge,

“Yamaguchi said she wants to attract boys.

“I want boys to join the superhero Ichigoman fan club. Unlike other Sanrio characters, Ichigoman is a fighting character. We aim to make it into an anime and ultimately making it a TV series of a story about a hero.””

I see the new series as Sanrio’s brony play, which is not a bad thing. Unlike Hasbro, Sanrio want the Young Men’s market.

Kiss seems to be an odd choice, I would go with rebooting Hello Kitty and Friends in the same way My Little Pony. More telling if this is a brony play if Lauren Faust is brought on as a producer.

Hello Kitty Gets Final Word on Gun Debate

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Ever since  the tragic shooting of a three year old in Greenville, the media anti gun  has frenzy over Pink Guns reach levels  of pure  insanity  as if they are a  clear and present danger  to  children. Noting can be father for the truth. Worst is even Hello Kitty has been unjustly brought into the news as reporters  simply Google the first Hello Kitty gun image without any further research, slapped it to a story, and proclaimed Sanrio is licensing  Hello Kitty  guns. Even the Wall Street Journal a paper I had some but now less respect had jumped on the Hell Kitty gun frenzy. A simple search n call to Sanrio Inc. would prove that Sanrio is licensing   guns is false. Finally Kitty had enough 

 

Statement from Sanrio 3/06/2013

Sanrio®, the owner of the Hello Kitty® property, wishes to correct the gross misconceptions cast by recent media reports suggesting that we are involved in the manufacture or sale of Hello Kitty guns. Sanrio has not and will not authorize the manufacture or sale of any gun or firearm and does not condone the use of our intellectual property for the purposes of marketing such merchandise.

Any firearm and/or image featured in these stories was customized and/or digitally manipulated without authorization to include Sanrio’s Hello Kitty copyrighted images and trademarks. Such actions constitute copyright infringement, trademark infringement and dilution. Sanrio’s attorneys will take appropriate legal action against anyone who is manufacturing, selling or displaying such products.

By the way the Wall Street Journal had issue a correction: “Correction: Sanrio, owner of the Hello Kitty property, has never authorized the use of the Hello Kitty character on firearms or other weapons. In early editions of the March 7 Journal, an op-ed on guns that look like toys mistakenly referred to the Hello Kitty character in that context. “

I wonder I helped thing along and posted a copy of the press release in the WSJ’s Comment section. If so this is my first newspaper paper takedown.

Hello Kitty Gun Used to Spread Gun Story Misinformation

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Hey media do not pin tragedy on Hello Kitty

From my regular blog

In a CNN I report  reports ” “Toy “Hello Kitty”AR-15, results in a 3 year old child’s death”  The problem is the story is a lie.

“In an article dated February 10, 2013 in the Houston Chronicle, states in an instance this month regarding the attached picture of a “Hello Kitty” AR-15 toy Assault Rifle was mistaken for the real thing, as a result, there was a shooting death of a 3 year old child in Greenville, SC.It’s this I-Reporters opinion that this kind of manufacturing of a toy AR-15 crosses the line. Something like this should not be happening, but yet it did. These type of manufacturers should be ashamed of themselves for making such a toy weapon.”

In a popup the story refers to a Greenville story of a three why killed by a gun by his sister who found a pink handgun gun unsecured in her grandmas home not a Hello Kitty AR-15 .

http://www.greenvilleonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2013302040072&nclick_check=1

While sad and tragic, Houston Chronicle had pick up the story for its hit piece on gun ownership Marketing assault: Selling women on guns the original post shows a Pink Hello Kitty AR-15 with the caption “In one instance, a weapon like this ‘Hello Kitty’ AR-15 assault rifle was mistaken for a toy, which resulted in a death.”  This story was picked up by cnn.

The Houston Chronicle story chock full logical fallacies and a propaganda piece for the anti gun crowd. The owner of the Hello Kitty AR-15, David Christian, chimes in, calling Houston Chronicle    on the mat.

“The pink Hello Kitty rifle pictured above is NOT anything like the firearm that was involved in the referenced accidental shooting. I know for a fact because the rifle pictured above belongs to my wife as i built it for her. It is safely in our possession and I am frankly kind of outraged that it it’s image was used to push this inaccurate story!”

Caught in their bold faced lie Houston Chronicle changed the story picture

Now You see itNow You see it

Now you Dont

Now you don’t

Read more: http://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Marketing-assault-Selling-women-on-guns-4265594.php

Furthermore Sanrio forbids licensing of sharp objects, drugs, guns and hard alcohol and cigarettes. Hello Kitty guns are ether fakes, art installations or custom jobs not retail products. As a huge Hello Kitty fan and support of gun rights I find both offensive that the Houston Chronicle sinks so low to defame both.