THIS WEEK, doll manufacturer Mattel was forced to apologise for a book that showed Barbie trying – and pretty much failing – to become a computer programmer.
In the book, called I Can Be A Computer Engineer, Barbie draws puppies and explains that she needs the help of her male friends Steven and Brian to actually code a game.
Mattel said the book “doesn’t reflect” their true vision of Barbie, and has withdrawn it from sale.
“All Barbie titles moving forward will be written to inspire girls’ imaginations and portray an empowered Barbie character,” the company wrote on its Facebook page.
But the internet had already come up with a better solution: Feminist Hacker Barbie, which remixes the books original pages to portray… a rather different message.
In fairness, we’re not sure WHAT Steven is up to here.
