Locals say New Jersey shop's cartoon cow is too sexualized

Dec. 11 (UPI) -- A New Jersey ice cream shop is under fire from locals who say its cheeky cartoon cow logo is too sexualized for an outside sign.

Amy Tingle, who co-owns Creativity Caravan in Montclair with her romantic partner, Maya Stein, said she was shocked when newly-opened store Dairy Air Ice Cream Co. put out a sign featuring an anthropomorphic cartoon cow provocatively displaying her backside.

"It is offensive and sickening," Tingle last week in an open letter to the business. "A hyper-sexualized, obviously female cow with her ass upended and poking through a circle, tail raised up, waiting for what? I'm not sure, but I do know that I am repulsed and offended."

She said the logo is found on all of the store's furniture, walls and cups. She said it makes women and girls feel "as if we are things for someone else's sexual use."

"This kind of marketing scheme is the reason we currently have a sexual predator in the White House," she continued. "This is offensive, not just to women, but to husbands and fathers and brothers and uncles and grandfathers who are trying to raise strong young women in a culture that continuously sexualizes them rather than treating them equally, with dignity and respect."

Stein said Daily Air owner Anthony Tortoriello stopped by their store Wednesday to discuss the logo.

"The owner said it's not what he intended," Stein told NorthJersey.com. "But there's a responsibility as a business owner that extends beyond your person. OK, it's a funny joke, but now you're making it a business and now all of your signage revolves around this very adolescent communication. Is that what you want? Is that the imprint you want to make on the community? Maybe it is, but it comes at a price of seriously offending people."

Tingle said the owner did not agree that the logo was too sexualized, but he was open to continuing the discussion.

"The long and short of it is that while we don't agree about the nature of the logo, he apologized for it and is willing to continue the dialogue together," she wrote.

Natalie DeRosa, the ice cream store's manager, said the store is working to address the complaints.

"We have heard the complaints. We take them very seriously and we are acting to change the cow to be more fun and less sexy. Our goal was always fun and not sexy," she wrote.