Yesterday, Mattel announced the results of an online poll asking Twitter followers and Facebook fans to decide Barbie’s 125th and 126th career paths. Among architect, surgeon, and environmentalist were the two winning categories, news anchor and… get this… computer scientist?
Maybe the “social-media-loving-Barbie-fans” pool of voters was a little bias. Was Cyberpunk Barbie only a few votes behind as a write-in? Nevertheless, Mattel worked with the Society of Women Engineers and the National Academy of Engineering to develop an “authentic look” complete with wardrobe and accessories for the new geek goddess. Hoping to promote young women’s interest in science and technology, President of SWE Nora Lin commented,
“All the girls who imagine their futures through Barbie will learn that engineers – like girls – are free to explore infinite possibilities, limited only by their imagination.”
“As a computer engineer, Barbie will show girls that women can turn their ideas into realities that have a direct and positive impact on people’s everyday lives in this exciting and rewarding career.”
Which, on paper, sounds like a great idea. All until you get a glimpse of the new “geek chic” look Barbie has been given.
Yes… she is wearing sparkly leggings and a binary emblazoned t-shirt, her shiny pink laptop repeats the code for “Barbie” over and over 0′s and 1′s, and she’s wearing a bluetooth headset. As both a woman and an engineering student, I can’t help but be amused and insulted at the same time. Couldn’t Barbie shop at ThinkGeek like the rest of us? Maybe get one of those iconic and snide “I will not fix your computer” t-shirts. We can only hope that the promise of pink square-rimmed glasses and a graphic tee with an early 90′s era computer mouse will inspire more young women to the engineering trade. Yet somehow, I feel like this is one step forward and two giant steps back.
But the final question still stands, is it just me, or do you want to ask Barbie more about her stance on the free software movement?
