BARBIE® DOLL'S 126TH CAREER - COMPUTER ENGINEER

Nevyn

http://www.barbiemedia.com/admin/uploads/ComputerEngineerBarbie.pdf

You voted and we listened! Consumers around the world
voted for Barbie® Doll’s next career and we are pleased
to announce that her 126th career will be Computer
Engineer! The winning careers were announced at New
York Toy Fair on February 12th.
Having Barbie® as an ambassador for female computer
engineers can help inspire a new generation of girls to hone in on
their computer skills and become a part of this growing profession.
“Girls who discover their futures through Barbie will learn that they – just like
engineers – are free to explore infi nite possibilities, and that their dreams can
go as far as their imaginations take them,” said Nora Lin, President, Society of
Women Engineers. “As a computer engineer, Barbie will show girls that women can design products that have an important and positive impact on people’s everyday lives, such as inventing a technology to conserve home energy or programming a newborn monitoring device.”

To ensure the doll accurately refl ects this occupation, Barbie® designers
worked with the Society of Women Engineers and the National Academy of
Engineering to ensure that accessories, clothing and packaging were realistic
and representative of a real computer engineer. Looking geek chic, Computer Engineer Barbie® wears a
t-shirt featuring binary code and computer/keyboard icon along with a pair of black knit skinny pants.
Computer Engineer carries a Barbie® smart phone, fashionable laptop case, fl at watch and Bluetooth
earpiece. With stylish pink-frame glasses and a shiny laptop, she is ready to conquer the day’s
tasks on the go or from her desk.

inventing a technology to conserve home energy or programming a newborn monitoring device.

Seriously? She's a computer engineer but of the house and things to do with babies? Heaven forbid she's works for NASA or encryption or maths modeling of global finical markets. :mad:

Giselle

At least she's got some kind of career. One thing I'll say for Barbie is that at least she was doing something, whether it was vet, flight attendant or olympic equestrian hopeful. She was busty but busy.

Unlike those Cabbage Patch Kids, or even worse Beanie Babies. They never lifted a damn finger.:)

Nervous Wreck

Thus defeating the point that I could tell they were never going to actually make.

Victor

Thaedydal wrote: »

inventing a technology to conserve home energy or programming a newborn monitoring device.

Seriously? She's a computer engineer but of the house and things to do with babies? Heaven forbid she's works for NASA or encryption or maths modeling of global finical markets. :mad:

So children should be fed the expectation of celebrity employment? What is wrong with having an ordinary job that helps people in their every day lives?

Now sure, encourage children to aspire to do their best and indeed to make a difference with their lives, but that doesn't mean they have to have a "better"/"cool" job.

spinandscribble

I think the problem victor is it seems to still involve barbie + home+ baby.

Its as if "ah sure women can't be interested in anything but the home and babies".

When I read it i was a bit shocked at that. Why couldn't it have been something else?

McChubbin

I hate Barbie.
That bitch has everything.

Nervous Wreck

spinandscribble wrote: »

I think the problem victor is it seems to still involve barbie + home+ baby.

Its as if "ah sure women can't be interested in anything but the home and babies".

When I read it i was a bit shocked at that. Why couldn't it have been something else?

Exactly. Why can't Barbie (who's going to be a role-model for young girls) be a computer engineer that say programs anti-virus software or updated iPod software or office-work applications or the millions of other things in the world that aren't about the home or babies. It's not hard to think of something that avoids those clichés....

Crumble Froo

even conserving energy, as opposed to conserving home energy, would have been less offensive really.

feels like two steps forwards, one step back.

edit: and a pic here

Lollipops23

I don't think it's the worst thing they could have picked-at the very least it's branching out in terms of showing girls what they could be,and also they are more realistic than Showgirl Barbie or Film Star Barbie. At least most young girls will have actually met women who work in these professions,and may even have mothers who are computer programmers or engineers.

metrovelvet

She should be a plastic surgeon.

Giselle

Ah, Barbies not the worst out there.

Barbie's not ideal in the values she portrays, but she's a lot better than say a Disney Princess doll who just hangs out waiting for frog kissing to pay off.:)

She's been impressive in one way - she always worked from her first incarnation. Six million years ago, or however old she is, that was a big thing in itself.

As seen in the photo, she also knows how to pull off an outfit.:p

WindSock

When are they bringing out Welfare Barbie with 2 sets of Shopping PJ's?

Xiney

WindSock wrote: »

When are they bringing out Welfare Barbie with 2 sets of Shopping PJ's?

bwuahaha.


Anyway, I don't think it matters very much what barbie does for her career - I don't think kids see her as a role model like some people think they do.

neilthefunkeone

She should be glad to have any job at the moment..

Wish some of the engineers around my job looked like her!!

jellie

aw. I was actually getting impressed until i read the line in bold. if she was a programmer id nearly have bought it

But I just noticed - the quote is from the president of the Society of Women Engineers, not Barbie, so you cant really blame them for that (though you could argue that they did print the quote). I think its Nora Linn that is doing the damage here.

“Girls who discover their futures through Barbie will learn that they – just like engineers – are free to explore infi nite possibilities, and that their dreams can go as far as their imaginations take them,” said Nora Lin, President, Society of Women Engineers. “As a computer engineer, Barbie will show girls that women can design products that have an important and positive impact on people’s everyday lives, such as inventing a technology to conserve home energy or programming a newborn monitoring device.”

pickarooney

Thaedydal wrote: »

Seriously? She's a computer engineer but of the house and things to do with babies? Heaven forbid she's works for NASA or encryption or maths modeling of global finical markets. :mad:

I get what you're saying, and agree with it, mostly. However, NASA technology doesn't really impact on people's everyday lives, whereas everyone* lives in a home and has children, both things which are more important than frivolities such as iPods and anti-virus software (Barbie owns a Mac and has never had a virus).



*not everyone

sorrywhat

^^ Yea but why cant she design something thats not to do with the household or a child?

pickarooney

sorrywhat wrote: »

^^ Yea but why cant she design something thats not to do with the household or a child?

I'm sure she could, but for the fun of it make a list of genuinely useful inventions that are in no way related to the house or children. I tried and my list wasn't very long.

metrovelvet

sorrywhat wrote: »

^^ Yea but why cant she design something thats not to do with the household or a child?

Well its great she's taking on a man's tasks so long as she doesnt forget how to be a woman right?

That's been the line for years now, maybe 30 years or so.

panda100

Crumble Froo wrote: »

edit: and a pic here

Ah your not serious,they gave her glasses to make her appear more 'intelligent'..... And their pink glasses.... Major Facepalm.

That reminds me, yesterday I was in AIB waiting to speak to the bank manager (eeeek!) and I picked up their 'Buisness and Leadership guide 2010'. 50 glossy packages packed with pictures of buisnessmen and not one women!I couldnt believe it.

mashling

Her heads a funny shape too. Why is computer engineer Barbie not as pretty as the other Barbies?

lizardfudge

Is Sindy still going?

She was the doll that helped develop acceptance for sufferers of hydrocephalus.

spinandscribble

she doesn't look like she works in a office but this is a doll for little girls not grown women. When i was 5 all i wanted want pink glasses.

everyday things outside the home/baby.

the environment- something we're all equally related to.
Education- the new online systems and video tutorials maybe
Internet
music
Medical devises for say organ transplant or organ creation or life saving measures.
transport- planes, cars, trains.
Banking

I'm not in IT or involved in computers but here are some things as a lay person I thought of, all as big a part of everyday world as babies and the home but not tainted with female stereotype. I certainly wouldn't have instantly considered new baby monitors. or willed the ideas barbie might have come up with to conserve energy to the home, it could have been widened to buildings ect.

lizardfudge

Of course her and Ken have in the past been FBI agents...



I actually have this set kept mint in the box...

pickarooney

spinandscribble wrote: »

she doesn't look like she works in a office but this is a doll for little girls not grown women. When i was 5 all i wanted want pink glasses.

everyday things outside the home/baby.

the environment- something we're all equally related to.
Education- the new online systems and video tutorials maybe
Internet
music
Medical devises for say organ transplant or organ creation or life saving measures.
transport- planes, cars, trains.
Banking

I'm not in IT or involved in computers but here are some things as a lay person I thought of, all as big a part of everyday world as babies and the home but not tainted with female stereotype. I certainly wouldn't have instantly considered new baby monitors. or willed the ideas barbie might have come up with to conserve energy to the home, it could have been widened to buildings ect.

Yeah, similar to my list, although whatever way you polish it, banking is never going to appeal to a child. I read 'baby monitoring device' to be a medical instrument for measuring contractions etc. but maybe it meant those walkie-talkie things, which would be fairly lame.

Nevyn

pickarooney wrote: »

I get what you're saying, and agree with it, mostly. However, NASA technology doesn't really impact on people's everyday lives, whereas everyone* lives in a home and has children, both things which are more important than frivolities such as iPods and anti-virus software (Barbie owns a Mac and has never had a virus).


*not everyone

Really so the development of printed circuit boards and all the advances in electronics that followed after doesn't really have an impact on people's every day lives....?

pickarooney wrote: »

Yeah, similar to my list, although whatever way you polish it, banking is never going to appeal to a child. I read 'baby monitoring device' to be a medical instrument for measuring contractions etc. but maybe it meant those walkie-talkie things, which would be fairly lame.

Yep those walky talkies, and totally lame.

spinandscribble

pickarooney wrote: »

Yeah, similar to my list, although whatever way you polish it, banking is never going to appeal to a child. I read 'baby monitoring device' to be a medical instrument for measuring contractions etc. but maybe it meant those walkie-talkie things, which would be fairly lame.

When i was a child transport, organ devises, music would have been of much more interest then home energy conservation. i'd have considered the latter boring, I don't think i was a particularly different little girl.

actually any women here that would have found any of that list more interesting as a child then what was said in the original publication?

banking seems to me about as exciting as the home thing.

pickarooney

Thaedydal wrote: »

Really so the development of printed circuit boards and all the advances in electronics that followed after doesn't really have an impact on people's every day lives....?

I thought they just made rockets and blew stuff up.

bronte

They cannot actually be serious. :rolleyes:

metrovelvet

When we were in fourth grade we learned how the stock market worked, how to invest in and follow stocks, how to compound interest, learned about government bonds, etc. It really was kind of fun.

Nevyn

pickarooney wrote: »

I thought they just made rockets and blew stuff up.

Well in order to get the rockets to go into space and the electronics to work and with stand the shaking wire warped circuits were not not enough, so printed circuit boards were invented, also Velcro and a range of other tech from medical to all manner or sensors and then there is solar panels...
Have a look at the number of patents NASA holds, you'll be surprised.

I have asked my 91/2 year old daughter who does like her pink and does have pink glasses and a pink DS, (she's not a huge barbie fan) what would a computer engineer do and invent.

Her answered ranged from hardware, building new computers and fixing them and changing parts and inventing new parts which are better then the ones we have now, to tracking and stopping computer virus on people's home pc or on the internet or on the big networks in work to inventing new smarter software and prgrams and computer brains for robots big ones and really tiny nano ones (she saw astroboy at the weekend).

I asked what she thought about Barbies outfit she said it was cool but it was a shame couldn't see more of her shoes and boots maybe better with that outfit. As for the very pink laptop, she said it' cool that Barbie has one even as an engineer as if that is Barbie's favourite colour then it's good she can still have a pink one and the other engineer not think she is less of an engineer cos she likes pink.

jellie

Thaedydal wrote: »

Her answered ranged from hardware, building new computers and fixing them and changing parts and inventing new parts which are better then the ones we have now, to tracking and stopping computer virus on people's home pc or on the internet or on the big networks in work to inventing new smarter software and prgrams and computer brains for robots big ones and really tiny nano ones (she saw astroboy at the weekend).

I asked what she thought about Barbies outfit she said it was cool but it was a shame couldn't see more of her shoes and boots maybe better with that outfit. As for the very pink laptop, she said it' cool that Barbie has one even as an engineer as if that is Barbie's favourite colour then it's good she can still have a pink one and the other engineer not think she is less of an engineer cos she likes pink.

wow your daughter is pretty intelligent though i find it pretty sad that even at age 9 girls are aware that they would be thought less intelligent for having a pink accessory.

Raze_them_all

126 careers? Jesus pick a career and stick with it, she'll never have a decent pension at this rate

Wibbs

Thaedydal wrote: »

Well in order to get the rockets to go into space and the electronics to work and with stand the shaking wire warped circuits were not not enough, so printed circuit boards were invented, also Velcro and a range of other tech from medical to all manner or sensors and then there is solar panels...
Have a look at the number of patents NASA holds, you'll be surprised.

Yep and the smoke detector in your house, the ultrasound scanner used in medicine, communications, countless new materials, enriched babay food(and TV dinners ), wear glasses? the scratch resistant coating and even the material itself. Fly by wire tech in airliners that made that crash landing in the Hudson possible. When Neil Armstrong left NASA he worked for aerospace and they were thinking about fly by wire, but hadnt a small enough computer, so Neil suggests the one from the lunar lander. A phonecall later and he had one sent over. Well it was Neil so who was gonna say no....
Long list as Thaedydal said. Here's a better list http://www.thespaceplace.com/nasa/spinoffs.html

Lots of women involved in all aspects of it too. One of the major black spots against NASA was that they didnt put women into space in the early days. Many of these women outperformed the men(better at G loading, ate less food, consumed less O2, many were better pilots and mathematicians too. The aforementioned Mr Armstrong(and others) was a bit WTF? about that to his credit. Women engineers were involved with the building of the stuff. Especially on the computer side. Then when they needed the spacesuits made, they went to highly experienced women seamstresses to actually make them. An incredibly precise task. One stitch wrong out of thousands and curtains for the astronauts. Not one single failure either. They suggested changes that the engineers hadnt thought off. The gentle nickname for the suit manufacture was LOL engineering. Little Old Lady engineering. Ditto with the memory programming which was rope memory. Women wove them too, a very precise and difficult task. It was called LOL memory too.

That was then. Nowadays women are involved in all levels of the space industry. From engineers to women astronaut commanders. Rare enough a shuttle goes up without at least one woman.

As for the very pink laptop, she said it' cool that Barbie has one even as an engineer as if that is Barbie's favourite colour then it's good she can still have a pink one and the other engineer not think she is less of an engineer cos she likes pink.

Damn good point too.

WindSock

But look what's happening to Ken :eek:




It's called 'Sugar Daddy Ken'

minidazzler

WindSock wrote: »

But look what's happening to Ken :eek:




It's called 'Sugar Daddy Ken'

The divorce was hard on him!

Nevyn

Hang on.

There is a difference between the run of the mill ordinary Barbie (& Ken) ranges for children and the adult collectors lines.

Stheno

Here's the bbc's take on it
When I first saw the new Barbie she reminded me of one of my female colleagues!

pickarooney

Is there a WAG Barbie?

lizardfudge

Thaedydal wrote: »

Hang on.

There is a difference between the run of the mill ordinary Barbie (& Ken) ranges for children and the adult collectors lines.

I was at a Barbie museum once....

My personal favourites were the Dr. Zaius and Cornelius dolls.



Anyone remember Barbie Liberation Organisation? It was one of the guys from the Yes Men behind it... the voiceboxes of talking Barbie and GI Joe dolls were swapped, and the dolls then returned to the shop shelves. So you ended up with Barbie dolls that said things like 'Dead men tell no tales!' The Simpsons even referenced it in the Malibou Stacy episode.

Agent Smith

Thaedydal wrote: »

http://www.barbiemedia.com/admin/uploads/ComputerEngineerBarbie.pdf




inventing a technology to conserve home energy or programming a newborn monitoring device.

Seriously? She's a computer engineer but of the house and things to do with babies? Heaven forbid she's works for NASA or encryption or maths modeling of global finical markets. :mad:

she's a lump of plastic.



serriously.

spinandscribble

Agent Smith wrote: »

she's a lump of plastic.



serriously.

:rolleyes:

A lump of plastic that is given to young girls.

I still remember thinking of jobs in terms of what barbie did.

entropi

spinandscribble wrote: »

is it seems to still involve barbie + home+ baby.

Its as if "ah sure women can't be interested in anything but the home and babies".

When I read it i was a bit shocked at that. Why couldn't it have been something else?

+1 You would think they MIGHT have a bit of a clue about how things actually work...the designers of the doll are still stuck in that 1950's era!

I am quite sure there are alot of people here thinking the same thing, and well its a damn shame that product placement and stereotype encouragement/enforcement is still in marketing practice today. I am also willing to bet that many of this forum's regular female posters are far more qualified in skills and life itself than the tools that come up with those design ideas.

Agent Smith

spinandscribble wrote: »

:rolleyes:

A lump of plastic that is given to young girls.

I still remember thinking of jobs in terms of what barbie did.

I had a GI-Joe.


I'm certainly not protecting america's oil interests overseas :pac:

hobochris

They could have made it more accurate.. they didn't manage to capture the 'my sole is destroyed and I'm about one bad cup of coffee away from going postal' facial expression that most computer programmers have.

Bottle_of_Smoke

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Mw1ARQc7vw