"a little bit weird" is a pretty low bar to cross. Enough to maybe go "huh okay", but nowhere close to NSFW. Your average news site carries ads more NSFW than this and most people still browse the web without ad blockers.
Why would the gender of the mascot even matter? Would it be better if the mascot was male?
Depends entirely on your definition of “safe”. And yes my very point was that a little bit weird is a low bar to cross, and yet it’s still crossing a bar. That is exactly why the parent said “semi” NSFW. I don’t browse news sites at work for the same reason. Hey if you want your boss and co-workers to see you with “huh okay” stuff on your screen, and have no concern you might slowly lose on promotions or get HR complaints, then knock yourself out. Speaking only personally, I don’t want anyone in my office to feel uncomfortable with what’s on my screen or desk.
The gender doesn’t matter. It would be just as weird if it was an ambiguously young looking male child/teenager with emphasized anatomy under tight clothing. I would definitely also avoid having that on my monitor or desk.
Why would the gender of the mascot even matter? Would it be better if the mascot was male?