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Let's face it - Avril Lavigne is an easy target. The Canadian-French artist has never received critical acclaim for her particular brand of flimsy pop-rock. "Prolonged exposure to her words could leave a previously healthy adult rocking backwards and forwards in a foetal ball," said the Guardian of Lavigne's second album, Under My Skin.

Recent developments have also seen Lavigne become something of a punchline. Having disappeared from the public eye for a number of years, she returned to the spotlight in 2013 after marrying Chad Kroeger, the frontman of derided cock-rock outfit Nickelback. In March, a video of her screaming and suddenly running off stage during a concert in China went viral.

The industry's palpable disdain for Lavigne has made it easy for her new video for 'Hello Kitty' to come under intense, and rather brutal, scrutiny. The brostep/pop hybrid that is the track itself is indisputably terrible, but it's the accompanying clip that has riled many. Surrounded by a troupe of identikit, dead-eyed, melancholic Asian dancers, Lavigne squeals, claps and giggles her way around Tokyo, presumably lighting up the lives of the locals with every step she takes.

Accusations of racism popped up all over the internet in the time it took for Lavigne's team to swiftly remove the video from her YouTube channel - a move that spoke volumes (the video has now been re-uploaded, another rather questionable decision). Lavigne then decided to address the issue herself - and proved in the process that whilst she may not be racist, she's clearly not that bright.

"RACIST??? LOLOLOL!!! I love Japanese culture and I spend half of my time in Japan. I flew to Tokyo to shoot this video specifically for my Japanese fans," she wrote. "WITH my Japanese label, Japanese choreographers AND a Japanese director IN Japan."

Not only did the statement smack of the old and laughable "I'm not racist because I have black friends!!1" excuse, it showed Lavigne is painfully ignorant of respecting another person's culture - surprising considering her apparent love and enthusiasm for the nation. It's the latest example of blatant cultural appropriation portrayed in a music video, a trend also championed by Katy Perry ('Dark Horse' and various instances of her performing live) and Miley Cyrus (the singer has been accused of using black dancers as props in her video for 'We Can't Stop').

What makes Lavigne's 'Hello Kitty' even more problematic, however, is how depressingly lazy it is. Bright colours, sushi, clapping and squealing, yelps of "arigato!" and "kawaii!" make it insultingly stereotypical, a scant homage to a nation and culture she claims to love and respect. It's like being given a brief to make a French-inspired music video and filling it with baguettes, onions and striped tops.

However, I suspect many aren't furiously taking to their keyboards to condemn Lavigne because of the cultural appropriation issue. It's because it's a shitty video. It's downright embarrassing to watch her try and engage - and be a part of - a culture which she clearly has masses to learn about. Also, I'm an advocate of dressing however the hell you want at whatever age you like, but it's surely not a great career move to insist on dressing EXACTLY the same as you first did when you burst onto the scene 12 years ago.

Lavigne's previous video, 'Let Me Go', saw her sitting mournfully at a piano, bedecked in a ballgown whilst her husband Chad Kroeger lurked into view and rubbed her shoulders. It made me feel as nauseous as 'Hello Kitty' did, but for different reasons (Chad Kroeger). I've never spotted Avril referencing Japanese culture in any of her many, many other music videos, which means this sudden adoption of it is nothing more than something new to try on; a ploy to get everyone talking. And it's worked. Damn it.