New York City Parents Find Nothing Stylish About New Tattooed 'Barbie' Doll

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- The newest Barbie doll to hit store shelves is sparking controversy.

The doll sports several tattoos, and some parents say it's sending the wrong message to their kids, reports CBS 2's Kathryn Brown.

Meet "Tokidoki Barbie," the newest addition to the iconic doll collection.

She's edgy -- with pink hair, sky-high stilettos and a cactus-covered pet named "Bastardino."

But it's her body art that has some parents on edge.

"I don't think it's appropriate for little girls to be having Barbies with tattoos all over," parent Reye Griffith said Thursday.

Tokidoki's upper body is covered with exotic-looking tattoos, including a large flower covering her chest and a tiger curls up her neck.

"I think it sends all the wrong signals for young girls," said Mitti Hansen, mother to a 4-year-old girl.

Tokidoki is not the first Barbie to sport tattoos. In 2009, Mattel unveiled "Totally Stylin' Barbie," but her tattoos were stick-on and removable.

Tokidoki's are inked on.

"Maybe if a little girl sees that she also wants a tattoo and I think it's not good," parent Latifa Zyne said.

But body art is a growing trend. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, 1 in 4 Americans ages 18 to 50 now has at least one tattoo.

Tattoo artist Pablo Jimenez said Tokidoki is just a reflection of a more accepting attitude toward body ink.

"Tattoos, right now, is everywhere. It's just about art. It's nothing bad," Jimenez said.

Tokidoki is considered a "collectible" and retails for $50 -- much more expensive than basic Barbie dolls. Mattel said the doll is marketed more toward adult collectors than to children. Tokidoki is a limited edition doll -- named after the fashion line of the same name. It is sold only on Barbie collector's website.

"You will not find this in any toy store," said Jim Silver, Editor-In-Chief of TimeToPlayMag.com.

Silver said Tokidoki is just the latest in a long line of high-fashion collector items meant for adults, not kids.

"These are high-priced dolls. They make dolls after big-time fashion designers like Bob Mackey, so these are dolls that kids generally don't see," Silver said.

Many parents said they'd like to keep it that way.

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