Alternative Barbie covered with tattoos

If I were a Barbie girl in a Barbie world, then the new Tokidoki Barbie Doll would be the doll for me.

The doll is a new twist on the traditional doll Mattel produces, sporting a pink bob haircut, heart skull and crossbones shirt, hot pink mini, printed logo leggings and silver sparkly platform heels. In addition to the hardcore clothing, the doll's upper body is covered in Asian style tattoos.

Although the lead singer from Aqua sports atattoo on her rightshoulder while singing praises for this anatomically impossible doll, parents are outraged by the latest Barbie to hit the market.

Parents need to stop freaking out about a Barbie with tattoos when the doll's head's circumference is still twice that of her waist. You don't want your kids playing with it? Don't buy them one!

I understand their concerns with the doll, and would agree with them more if I had a daughter, but the doll is targeted toward adult collectors.

I think this is a great step forward for the acceptance of tattoos and reflects the changing mindset surrounding this rising cultural trend.

My problem is not the color of the doll's hair or the large tattoos covering her body, it's the cactus-like pet she's paired with named "Bastardino."

The animal appears to be a small tan and white bulldog in a lime green cactus suit, with a hot pink, rhinestone-studded collar. Going off traditional Japanese-style characters, this one is the perfect mix of cute and perplexing. So why is this adorable pet stuck with such and off-putting name? I'm not a fan of this feature by any means.

This is just more fodder for the parent's argument against the doll.

If there are parents out there who would willingly buy this doll from Mattel for their children, I don't think they would be harming their child's self-image any more than a traditional Barbie would.

The argument against the tattoos is also ridiculous because, according to a study done in 2010 by the Pew Research Center, nearly four in ten Americans between the ages of 18 and 29 have at least one tattoo. Based on that, there is no way you can entirely keep a child from noticing that tattoos exist.

Perhaps you could lock them in the basement until you're legally obligated to release them, but this is a rather frowned upon idea.

The truth of the matter is, tattoos are a large part of the rising culture in this country, and with this trend comes opposition and eventually, widespread acceptance.

As a complete supporter of tattoos, I love that a well-known product like Barbie is now also supporting tattoos and alternative fashion.

Jennifer Waters can be reached by email at waters.record@live.com.