Avril Lavigne is causing a bit of a stir with one of her recent music videos. Called Hello Kitty, the song features the singer performing with a group of Asian dancers as she drinks sake. Some people have deemed the video racist and embarrassing.

Other people take the song’s lyrics to be suggestive–meaning that the intent behind the title--Hello Kitty–is a double entendre. Others find the expressionless Asian dancers to be no different than using Tokyo as a prop.

In a recent interview, Avril tried explaining the video and the title away. She said that although it is “flirtatious and somewhat sexual” it is “genuinely about my love for Hello Kitty as well!”

Well, that might very well be the case, but it doesn’t make the production of the music video anywhere near to being politically correct.

Avril is chucking colourful cupcakes, candy & fun at you in new #HelloKittyMusicVideo! KAWAII! http://t.co/ovbj4jf9xG pic.twitter.com/oPsZ2hrEWf

— Avril-L.org, Melissa (@AvrilLorg) April 22, 2014

The Complicated singer released the new Hello Kitty video just two days ago and since then it has been removed from YouTube.

#Avrilracist started trending on Twitter shortly after the video’s release.

Oh Avril, this is literally the worst music I have ever heard. And then you had to go and make it kinda racist. Why. http://t.co/CDWNOpY9mt

— Rachel Zarrell (@rachelzarrell) April 22, 2014

Diehard fans defended her, however.

Avril Lavigne is not racist, she just done something different, she's 29 not 17 @AvrilLavigne #avrilracist AVRIL IS THE BEST!!!

— Kane Rowland (@KaneTheTwiglet) April 23, 2014

Hahaha #AvrilLavigneHelloKitty #avrilracist of her best songs. LOL

— Kirsten Tames (@kiirstenjane) April 23, 2014

Others found more fault with Lavigne’s performance than with Hello Kitty as a blatantly racist piece of video.

“Folks shouldn’t be mad at Avril for a (not really) racist video,” a source says. “They should be mad such a crappy song was produced in the 1st place.”

Although you can’t watch Hello Kitty on YouTube any longer, it is still available for viewing on Avril Lavigne’s web site. Check it out and see whether you think the video and its content are offensive.

Image via Wikimedia Commons