Barbie as computer engineer
Ninety percent of girls between the ages of 3 and 10 own at least one Barbie doll, so make no mistake about the power of this uber-popular plastic doll. As Tonic previously reported, Barbie is marshalling support for an online petition aimed at collecting 1 million signatures in order to ask President Obama and Congress to consider the needs of girls when passing legislation.
On other Barbie fronts, Mattel, maker of Barbie and her fabulous pink world, for the first time invited the public to vote on the doll’s next career on Facebook, Twitter and online as part of its “I can be…” campaign. And for the first time ever, the girls overwhelmingly voted for News Anchor Barbie while in a Betty White-style Facebook initiative, the popular vote lobbied convincingly for Computer Engineer Barbie, so both new Barbies were launched.
In a pioneering search of authenticity, Mattel consulted with female techies to get their take on how Barbie should be outfitted. Dr. Erin Fitzgerald, an American Association for the Advancement of Science fellow, was one of those asked for her opinion about what Barbie would look like if she was a computer engineer. Fitzgerald, in turn, surveyed her science-minded buds, who suggested dressing Barbie up in a bright fun “bunny suit” for chip fabrication (like you see in Intel commercials — not the other kind of bunny suit) or packing Barbie up with a mini-Rubik’s cube. Although Fitzgerald said not all the ideas made it to the final prototype of Computer Engineer Barbie, she had fun being part of the process.
“It might seem silly to get excited about a new Barbie doll. But, to me, she will help reinforce in math-loving little girls that they, like Barbie can grow up to be computer engineers,” says Fitzgerald. “It has been well documented that in recent years far fewer women are pursuing computer science degrees, so such role models are very important. What Computer Engineer Barbie will do, I think, is broaden the realm of not only what is possible, but what feels accessible — being smart, confident, and tech-savvy without sacrificing femininity or fun.”
The way Tonic sees it is: today’s plaything, tomorrow’s player.
Computer Engineer Barbie Inspires Geek Chic
Who wears a tight little binary code-styled t-shirt, Bluetooth headset and has her own pink laptop? Why Computer Engineer Barbie, of course!
That gal of all get-ups has always been a style-setter whose many occupations have inspired legions of little girls. Over the years, we’ve known her as an astronaut, ballroom dancer, snowboarder and even as CEO Barbie and during the past 50 years. This 11.5 inch doll has undoubtedly inspired more role playing than any other.Ninety percent of girls between the ages of 3 and 10 own at least one Barbie doll, so make no mistake about the power of this uber-popular plastic doll. As Tonic previously reported, Barbie is marshalling support for an online petition aimed at collecting 1 million signatures in order to ask President Obama and Congress to consider the needs of girls when passing legislation.
On other Barbie fronts, Mattel, maker of Barbie and her fabulous pink world, for the first time invited the public to vote on the doll’s next career on Facebook, Twitter and online as part of its “I can be…” campaign. And for the first time ever, the girls overwhelmingly voted for News Anchor Barbie while in a Betty White-style Facebook initiative, the popular vote lobbied convincingly for Computer Engineer Barbie, so both new Barbies were launched.
In a pioneering search of authenticity, Mattel consulted with female techies to get their take on how Barbie should be outfitted. Dr. Erin Fitzgerald, an American Association for the Advancement of Science fellow, was one of those asked for her opinion about what Barbie would look like if she was a computer engineer. Fitzgerald, in turn, surveyed her science-minded buds, who suggested dressing Barbie up in a bright fun “bunny suit” for chip fabrication (like you see in Intel commercials — not the other kind of bunny suit) or packing Barbie up with a mini-Rubik’s cube. Although Fitzgerald said not all the ideas made it to the final prototype of Computer Engineer Barbie, she had fun being part of the process.
“It might seem silly to get excited about a new Barbie doll. But, to me, she will help reinforce in math-loving little girls that they, like Barbie can grow up to be computer engineers,” says Fitzgerald. “It has been well documented that in recent years far fewer women are pursuing computer science degrees, so such role models are very important. What Computer Engineer Barbie will do, I think, is broaden the realm of not only what is possible, but what feels accessible — being smart, confident, and tech-savvy without sacrificing femininity or fun.”
The way Tonic sees it is: today’s plaything, tomorrow’s player.
No comments:
Post a Comment