Sanitizing Stereotypes: Marie Kondo and the Dualistic Representation of Asian Women in Popular Media

Purity is a longstanding concept in Christianity and Western culture, often invoked in religious, moral, and social discourse. This paper explores how purity functions metaphorically in U.S. media portrayals of Asian culture, particularly through representations of Asian women and religious practices. Focusing on the Netflix series “Tidying Up with Marie Kondo,” the study uses metaphorical criticism and myth theory to analyze how Shinto and Buddhist traditions are interpreted and commodified for Western audiences. Marie Kondo is framed as a “magical fairy” and savior figure whose Japanese identity and gentle demeanor align with the “model minority” and “magical Asian” stereotypes. Her tidying rituals, rooted in Eastern spirituality, are celebrated as exotic yet palatable tools for personal transformation. This paper argues that purity, as depicted through these representations, marks Asian culture as the “Other”—both revered and decontextualized—thus reinforcing racialized ideologies under the guise of spiritual and aesthetic appreciation.