Hello Kitty: Bad on women, even worse on men

I never understood the fascination with the "Hello Kitty" products put out by Sanrio Co., from Japan. Sure, the cat is kind of cute if you're about six years old, but I'm not so sure that it's really an "adult" sort of thing. Nonetheless, grown women around the world are sporting Hello Kitty fashions and accessories.

And Sanrio is convinced that men want to wear their kitty cartoons too. So they've come out with t-shirts, bags, watches, and more for fashionable young men everywhere. They say men see Hello Kitty as a fashion statement. Really? Ick.

The Hello Kitty picture is made to look more "rugged" for the men's products. Except I think that the bow in the hair of the kitty still makes it a little too femme. Products will first be available in Japan, and then other countries will be added.

It was bad enough seeing adult women with Hello Kitty pencil cases and cell phone covers. If men are getting in on this kiddy cartoon, we're in big trouble.

Tracy L. Coenen, CPA, MBA, CFE performs fraud examinations and financial investigations for her company Sequence Inc. Forensic Accounting, and is the author of Essentials of Corporate Fraud.