My little daughter is currently semi-obsessed with all things "Hello Kitty." For that matter, so is my wife. Maybe it's an Asian thing. Maybe it's a girl thing. Anyway, to appease the little apple of my eye, we spent some today Googling anything and everything related to "Hello Kitty." And holy crap, you would not believe the stuff we found online!
The biggest surprise was the disturbingly extensive biography that Sanrio, the company behind "Hello Kitty" has crafted. Do you know she has Type-A blood? Or that her favorite snack is apple pie with honey vanilla ice cream and cookie crunch on top?
And apparently I also missed Eva Air's launch of Hello Kitty Airlines, which happened in October of 2005 (which is like a million years ago in internet time.) The Hello Kitty aircraft, which is used primarily on Taipei-Japan routes, is an interesting study in cross-promotion. Both Sanrio and Eva Air went to incredible lengths to make the entire experience wholly devoted to Hello Kitty. This ain't no Hooters Air. The Hello Kitty has spared no expense and has created customized versions of everything from the boarding passes to the seat cushions to the inflight meal. Check out some of the amazing images here.
All I've got to say is that I hope my wife and daughter aren't reading this. I can only guess how they'll vote when it's time for the next family vacation!
About MetroDad
I'm a French-named, speed-reading, former public policy analyst now trapped in the body of a Asian-American fashion executive. I've ridden elephants in Sri Lanka, imbibed snake venom in China, skiied the Italian Dolomites, eaten barbecue in Pakistan, travelled to every state except North Dakota, visited 28 out of 32 major league ballparks, worshipped at the altar of Graceland 5 times and have shut down most of the nightclubs in Paris. That being said, I still get lost every time I go through the Lincoln Tunnel.
It's safe to say that we'd probably get along if you can truly appreciate the real beauty in...a good Peking duck, Sunday's NYT crossword, nice manners, Scrabble, Law & Order, spontaneous travel, Otoro, Jim Jarmusch, Tabasco sauce, Morrissey, Haruki Murakami, Peets coffee, Radiohead, listening to baseball games on the radio, Thievery Corporation, X-Men comics, fresh powder, Southern BBQ, Christopher Hitchens, bloomin' onions, mid-century design, the warmth of a good scotch, a great day spent fishing where you didn't catch a damn thing...
On a related note, I'd like to believe that I probably have absolutely nothing in common with another human being who really loves any of the following: pro bass fishing on tv, NASCAR, low carb Cabernet, Kathey Griffin, Microsoft, the Olsens, Applebees, Jessica Simpson, romance novels, tofu bacon, Pamela Anderson, ballet, "Survivor" or HUMMERs. Similarly, I could also never be friends with someone who mixes up "they're", "there", and "their". I will give you a smidge of credit if you know the difference between "if" and "whether". But if you leave any participles dangling, we're breaking up.
In conclusion, let me just say...
Lex clavatoris designati rescindenda est.
(The Designater Hitter Rule has got to go)
