--- title: Mattel Explains Sexist Barbie: I Can Be a Computer Engineer Book description: The sexist picture book has been slammed online canonical: https://time.com/3595106/mattel-apologizes-for-making-barbie-look-incompetent-in-barbie-i-can-be-a-computer-engineer/ author: Laura Stampler article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2014-11-19T19:53:07.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:48:38.701Z og:title: Mattel Explains That 'Barbie: I Can Be a Computer Engineer' Picture Book That Makes Barbie Look Totally Incompetent og:description: The sexist picture book has been slammed online og:url: https://time.com/3595106/mattel-apologizes-for-making-barbie-look-incompetent-in-barbie-i-can-be-a-computer-engineer/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt748cf1fbb8a3bf62/698769a3e53aba6b7e4d6015/screen-shot-2014-11-19-at-1-33-04-pm.png?branch=production&width=449&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 449 og:image:height: 253 og:image:alt: Screen Shot 2014-11-19 at 1.33.04 PM og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Mattel Explains That 'Barbie: I Can Be a Computer Engineer' Picture Book That Makes Barbie Look Totally Incompetent twitter:description: The sexist picture book has been slammed online twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt748cf1fbb8a3bf62/698769a3e53aba6b7e4d6015/screen-shot-2014-11-19-at-1-33-04-pm.png?branch=production&width=449&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Mattel Apologizes for Making Barbie Look Incompetent in _Barbie: I Can Be a Computer Engineer_ > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: September 2026. ## TIME Newsletters: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition TIME publishes seven free email newsletters, written and edited by TIME journalists, reaching more than 1.1 million engaged readers. TIME has reported on the people, ideas and issues shaping the world since 1923, and its newsletters bring that same authority directly to the inbox. 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Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=74e11fe9-5339-4f01-971e-32b07a63919d&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Second Graders React to Lammily and Other Fashion Dolls [Watch (HLS stream): Second Graders React to Lammily and Other Fashion Dolls](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/cWh4h3Zv.m3u8) (5:45)  _Published 2014-11-18. Second Graders React to Lammily and Other Fashion Dolls_ by [Laura Stampler](https://time.com/author/laura-stampler/) ## Laura Stampler Nov 19, 2014 7:53 PM UTC  Barbie by [Laura Stampler](https://time.com/author/laura-stampler/) ## Laura Stampler Nov 19, 2014 7:53 PM UTC One of Barbie’s future careers should be in damage control. Mattel and Random House found themselves at the center of an online firestorm this week when the Internet [lampooned](http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2014/11/19/computer-barbie-help-technology-sexist/19264459/) a book called [_Barbie: I Can be a Computer Engineer_](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CNQ9L5E)_._ A more accurate title would be _Barbie: I Can be a Computer Engineer… If the Boys Do All the Work For Me_. Although Amazon lists the book as being published in July 2013, VP of Barbie’s Global Brand Marketing Lori Pantel told TIME that it came was published in 2010 and that “since that time we have reworked our Barbie books.” On Monday, comedian Pamela Ribbon found the book at a friends house and [ripped it to shreds on her blog](http://pamie.com/2014/11/barbie-fucks-it-up-again/), inspiring major backlash. So what did the Twitterverse get in a tizzy about? Although the book’s title would indicate that its fights stereotypes against the [tech industry’s gender gap](http://qz.com/143967/the-tech-industrys-woman-problem-statistics-show-its-worse-than-you-think/), readers only need only get it to the second page to find out that Barbie is completely incompetent. While she’s capable of conceptualizing a game about a cute robot puppy (gender cliche, but we were ready to go with it — who _doesn’t_ like robot puppies?), Barbie needs boys to actually do the computer programing for her. When Skipper asks if she can see the program, “Barbie says, laughing, ‘I’ll need Steven’s and Brian’s help to turn it into a real game!'” Silly Skipper and your high expectations! > [](https://twitter.com/TimBledsoe/status/535099419239383040) The rest of the book involves Barbie crashing her computer (duh), passing a virus to Skipper (a pillow fight ensues… I mean, really), ignoring her female computer teacher’s advice on how to fix the virus (because if we’ve learned one thing, it’s that ladies should not be trusted with such things), and finally letting _brogrammers_ come to her rescue. While Steve and Brian seem like nice enough guys, they don’t even teach Barbie what to do on her hot pink laptop. > [](https://twitter.com/sarazarr/status/534784994716024832) “The portrayal of Barbie in this specific story doesn’t reflect the Brand’s vision for what Barbie stands for,” says Pantel. “We believe girls should be empowered to understand that anything is possible and believe they live in a world without limits. We apologize that this book didn’t reflect that belief. All Barbie titles moving forward will be written to inspire girls imaginations and portray an empowered Barbie character.” In case they were in need of inspiration, [people have been tweeting funny rewrites of the text s](http://www.theverge.com/2014/11/19/7245461/feminist-barbie-hacker-engineer-fix)o that it actually empowers women. > [](https://twitter.com/YourAnonNews/status/534953994377244672) Barbie has been derided for a lot of things — her [anatomically impossible figure, for example](http://time.com/3593968/the-new-normal-barbie-comes-with-an-average-womans-proportions-and-cellulite-sticker-extension-packs/) — but her [career goals seemed on track if not admirable.](http://time.com/4597/in-defense-of-barbie-why-she-might-be-a-feminist-doll-after-all/) She has [been to space](http://www.space.com/22247-mars-barbie-doll-nasa-mattel.html) and [business school](http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=43431156&cagpspn=plat%5F19270811&camp=PLAPPCG-%5F-PID19270811:TRUS&eESource=CAPLA%5FDF:43431156:TRUS) But success involves more than just dressing the part. If you pair a doll with a hot pink laptop, she better know how to use it. Maybe we should all just stick to [GoldieBlox](http://time.com/53532/watch-new-goldieblox-ad-is-the-smartest-thing-youll-see-all-day/), a toy that teaches and encourages girls to do engineering themselves. _Read next:_ [_Watch Little Kids React to a Realistic-Looking Barbie Alternative_](http://time.com/3593985/realistic-barbie-alternative-lamm/?xid=time%5Freadnext) ## Transcript [ MUSIC ] How would children respond to a realistically proportioned fashion doll. To find out, I went to St. Edmund's Academy, an independent school in Pittsburgh. There Assistant Head of School, Susan Miller, asked children a series of questions. To see what they think of Lammily in comparison to other dolls. She's so pretty. I like her. I like her. I like her. I like her a lot. Hmm. I like her. So cool, it's cool. She looks like my sister. She looks like my sister. From the side she really looks like her. She kinda looks like my aunt Katie. She's not like other dolls. She, like, isn't, like, very thin. I think she's really pretty. The hair looks like real hair. It feels as soft as mine. Feels soft. The hair feels so soft. Her hair is softer than I thought. Her hair is definitely like hair. She's not like other dolls [ MUSIC ] That I play with. She's really unique cause I don't have other dolls like this. It looks real. It looks more like a real live person. She's like a real person. She looks more like a person. Her belly button looks realistic. She looks like she's just a regular girl going to school. Any activities you think she would do? About every activity I do. I still in gymnastics and dance. I make her run. I make her do gymnastics, too. Like a gymnastics pose. Gymnastics. You can like, pretend she's running. And she could ride some of my toy horses, but this one can't really go her so legs apart. What would you say the career would be of the Lamalee doll? Swimmer. A swimmer. Being a teacher. T shirt. T shirt. Surfing. Like a computer job. A pilot. What do you think the other doll would be? A surfer. A fashion star. LIke a model. A makeup artist. A swimming teacher. A cook. Looks like she would do any job. Which one do you think most seems like you? This one. This one. This one. This one. This, this one. Cuz if she was real she would be able to. Stand more. What do the other one's feet look like? Like she has heel, invisible heels on. These don't really have like the kinda heel things. This have their toes stuck together, and they have like. The high heeled form of the tippy toe, these ones can like, they have separate toes. The toes like, they're not like a bunch of bumps. Cuz me, arms. Are not that like, skinny, all the way. Are they the same? Oh, what is different? She is wider than this one. She is a little bit wider. She is wider. More humanlike and wider. It's a little bit. Bladder. Her belly's so in. Like And this one is like nice and like the perfect size. It's not thin like that. She's not so skinny. This one's like all fashiony and then like, and I think, then she thinks they're bet, she. He's better than everyone else. [ LAUGH ] I used to have, like, as much makeup as she does. She doesn't have a lot of makeup like most of my dolls. But she's smiling. She has a smile on the, her face. And. [ MUSIC ] She looks like she would help somebody if they get hurt. If I were to say to you, you're gonna get one of these dolls as a present ., which one would you like to receive as a present? I have many of these and I would like this one. This one, cuz I already have her. I already have this one. So, I would like get this one. You wouldn't like- Little Emily doll. [ MUSIC ] This one. [ MUSIC ] Little Emily doll. This one. Probably once the boy dolls get out, I'll probably play with them a lot. 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