While she may be a sell-out hit for young girls, I’m guessing the Mars Explorer Barbie released last week won’t be as exciting for the preschool boys-into-Barbie crew. The pink-trimmed space suit, pink helmet and pink oxygen tank are nice touches of Barbara Millicent Robert’s signature color, but they wouldn’t have flown in my son’s Disney Princess Barbie world of yesteryear.

“Barbies can be doctors, too, you know,” I told my Barbie-obsessed four-year-old when I gave him a Dr. Barbie back in 1994.

“I know that,” he said, tearing off her white lab coat.

I watched him dig through his Barbie bin of skirts, dresses and gowns in search of a cuter outfit.

“But doctors still go to balls after work, right?” he asked, pulling out a glittery yellow satin number.

Yes, I suppose they do.”

I walked out of his room satisfied he knew women’s careers extended beyond princesses, fashion models, mermaids and public relations executives.  Mission accomplished.

Now the old Astronaut Barbie, the one with the sparkly pink and silver mini-skirt, may have stayed dressed in her original space outfit a little bit longer on our home planet.

As for the pink stethoscope that came with Dr. Barbie, I saw it later used as a belt.

Image by Chris Rodriguez/Jeremy Lips/SPACE.com