She works hard for the money: Barbie's career timeline


Girls across the country have spoken: News Anchor is the job to have. At least if you're Barbie. The toy's maker, Mattel, asked fans to vote for the blond bombshell's next career. Choosing between jobs like pizza chef and babysitter ("helps lil sis get to the potty," reads her tagline), voters overwhelmingly wanted to see Barbie conquer the headlines. Dressed in pink duds, holding a hand-held microphone, however, she seems more equipped for "Extra" than the nightly News. What happened to 1999's working woman Barbie outfit (at right), a more sophisticated approach to corporate fashion--even for a doll?

There's no question she's come a long way since her days as a flight attendant in the '60s. But she has gone back a few notches since her gig in the 90s as a pediatrician. If it weren't for the engineering post she recently had, one could argue, Barbie's lost sight of what's important. She's gone from paratrooper to Paris Hilton-esque camera hog. Then again, that's just the life of Barbie: one day you're flying to the moon, the next your flipping burgers. Check out the rise and fall of the working woman.