Barbie SHOULD be a Computer Engineer

The Random House Barbie book, "I Can Be a Computer Engineer" must be removed from online stores!

In this insulting book, Barbie, the computer engineer, is really a graphic designer. To fix a computer problem and to actually create a computer game, Barbie needs to enlist her friends Steve and Brian, who apparently ARE computer engineers.

As a computer scientist, I know there are amazing female role models in my field, but Barbie's behavior in this book set us back 30 years! In order to empower children to aspire to be what they want to be, we need a book illustrating what Barbie CAN do, not what she CAN'T do. And, if she is a computer engineer, she should be able to program. She should be shown fixing her computer program, not struggling with a virus that she needs someone else to fix for her.

Mattel has issued a half-hearted apology, but they need to correct the mistake by publishing a new book!

To empower Barbie’s fans, Random House and Mattel need to stop the distribution of this book and update it to show Barbie actually troubleshooting computer problems and fixing them!