A new ice cream shop's controversial logo is forcing management to consider making its cartoon cow mascot "more fun and less sexy," a manager wrote in a Facebook post.

The newly opened Dairy Air Ice Cream Co., located at 521 Bloomfield Ave. in Montclair, began receiving complaints Monday after Amy Tingle, a local business owner in Montclair, wrote an open letter on Facebook to Dairy Air, asking them to reconsider the logo, of a "sexualized" female cartoon cow, and remove it from the storefront, packaging and elsewhere.

"It is offensive and sickening," Tingle wrote. "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."

Tingle wrote that the logo is not offensive to just women, but also men "who are trying to raise strong young women in a culture that continuously sexualizes them rather than treating them equally, with dignity and respect.

"Instead of making girls and women feel safe and authentic, we are made to feel - by ads and logos like yours - as if we are things for someone else's sexual use," she continued.

In a Facebook post on Tuesday, Tingle invited community members to her store, Creativity Caravan (28 S. Fullerton Ave.), Saturday at noon to further discuss the issue. She also said on Facebook that she spoke personally with Anthony Tortoriello, one of the owners of Dairy Air, and while they disagree on the nature of the logo, "he apologized for it and is willing to continue the dialogue together."

Attempts to reach Dairy Air management for comment were unsuccessful, though a manager responded to the complaints on Facebook, saying they planned to tone down the logo.

"We have heard the complaints," Natalie DeRosa, manager of Dairy Air in Montclair, wrote this week. "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."

Other community members took to Tingle's Facebook post to rail on Dairy Air, which is a play on the French word "derriere," meaning buttocks, and their newly minted logo.

"Totally disgusting and repulsive. Good for you for calling them out on it," Facebook user Tina Tierson wrote.

"Misguided branding that is shocking in this day and age!!," Leslie Billera wrote.

According to Montclair Local, Dairy Air is a liquid nitrogen ice cream shop that consists of a pun-filled menu.

The weekly newpaper said items inlcude: Backside Banana Split, Keister Key Lime and Coconut, Peanut Butt'r Booty, Oprah's Favorite Fanny, Backend Bourbon Blues, Bumm Rush, Sweet Cheeks and Chocolate, Devil's Derriere, Spankin' Strawberry Moon, Mexican Waffle Wedgie and the Muffin-Top Money Maker.

Joe Atmonavage may be reached at jatmonavage@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @jatmonavageNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook