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- PRESS RELEASE: HACKER BARBIE
-
- (LA, California) Mattel announces their new line of Barbie products, the
- "Hacker Barbie." These new dolls will be released next month. The aim of these
- dolls is to negate the stereotype that women are numerophobic,
- computer-illiterate, and academically challenged.
-
- This new line of Barbie dolls comes equipped with Barbie's very own X-terminal
- and UNIX documentation as well as ORA's "In a Nutshell" series. The Barbie
- clothing includes a dirty button-up shirt and a pair of well-worn jeans.
- Accessories include a Casio all-purpose watch, and glasses with lenses thick
- enough to set ants on fire. (Pocket protectors and HP calculators optional.)
-
- The new Barbie has the incredible ability to stare at the screen without
- blinking her eyes and to go without eating or drinking for 16 hours straight.
- Her vocabulary mainly consists of technical terms such as "What's you're
- Internet address?", "I like TCP/IP!", "Bummer! Your kernel must have gotten
- trashed," "Can't you grep that file?", and "DEC's Alpha AXP is awesome!"
-
- "We are very excited about this product," said Ken Olsen, Marketing Executive,
- "and we hope that the Hacker Barbie will offset the damage incurred by the
- mathophobic Barbie." (A year ago, Mattel released Barbie dolls that say, "Math
- is hard," with a condescending companion Ken.) The Hacker Barbie's Ken is an
- incompetent management consultant who frequently asks Barbie for help.
-
- The leading feminists are equally excited about this new line of Barbie dolls.
- Naomi Falodji says, "I believe that these new dolls will finally terminate
- the notion that womyn are inherently inferior when it comes to mathematics
- and the sciences. However, I feel that Ken's hierarchical superiority would
- simply reinforce the patriarchy and oppress the masses." Mattel made no comment.
-
- Parents, however, are worried that they will fall behind the children
- technologically when the Hacker Barbie comes out. "My daughter Jenny plays
- with the prototype Hacker Barbie for two days," says Mrs. Mary Carlson of rural
- Oxford, Mississippi, "and now she pays my credit card bill online. Got no idea
- how she does it, but she surely does it. I just don't wanna be looked upon as
- some dumb mama." Mattel will be offering free training courses for those
- who purchase the Hacker Barbie.
-
- The future Hacker Barbie will include several variations to deal with the
- complex aspects of Barbie. "Hacker Barbie Goes to Jail" will teach computer
- ethics to youngsters, while "BARBIE RITES L1KE BIFF!!!" will serve as an
- introduction to expository writing.
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