Sgt. Hello Kitty
Japan, eager to shed its rampaging samurai-sword-wielding Nanking-raping Tojo image as it cautiously projects its power out into the world, promotes the SDF with cuddly cartoon characters. Meet Prince Pickles:
Perky cartoon character Prince Pickles — with saucer eyes, big dimples and tiny, booted feet — poses in front of tanks, rappels from helicopters and shakes hands with smiling Iraqis.
The cutesy icon hardly calls to mind the Japanese military that conquered and pillaged its way across Asia in the first half of the 20th century, and that is just the way the country’s leaders want it.
The people who brought you Hello Kitty are only a generation removed from the people who brought you Pearl Harbor, but it’s pretty evident at this point Japan learned its lesson.
Sadder commentary is what happened to us. Back in World War II, Bugs Bunny was an American hero. Bugs Bunny kicked Tojo’s ass. Bugs wouldn’t survive in today’s PC world. Though the South Park crew has gamely stepped up to meet the animation needs of a nation at war.
Topics: Hello Kitty, Japan, military
Posted by Jules Crittenden at 12:33 am on Thursday, February 22, 2007
4 Responses to “Sgt. Hello Kitty”
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February 22nd, 2007 at 1:04 am
We trained with Japanese troops when I was at the cold weather high altitude training station at Mt. Fuji. Tough, very disciplined and well trained soldiers.
The Japanese were monsters during their expansionistic/colonial days but not much worse than the French all during their Indochina and Algeria colonial periods.
The difference now is that the Japanese have well and truly learned to channel their aggressive instincts into marketing/industry and business. The French are still just the same nasty bunch of murderous colonialists whenever given the chance to express themselves while away from home.
February 22nd, 2007 at 1:32 am
Betcha Prince Pickle will still make China constipated, since Japan seems amenable is more to the counter ‘glowy stuff’, considering their neighborhood.
Hey Jong Il…catch Prince Pickle….he-he-he.
February 22nd, 2007 at 2:45 am
A spoon full of sugar helps the medicine go down…
the medicine go down…
the medicine go down….
March 20th, 2008 at 7:55 am
[...] Which one do you think has a little dignity, is going to know which fork to use at a state dinner? It’s a pretty ridiculous situation. Don’t forget, there’s also a more rugged Hello Kitty for men. Though the slightly more robust side of Japan’s foreign cartoon policy is currently being handled by Prince Pickles. [...]