Mattel's marketing of Share-a-Smile Becky, a wheelchair-bound friend of the Barbie doll character, has hit a snag. Barbie's Dream House, an accessory of the collection, has doors and an elevator column into which Barbie can fit, but Becky and her wheelchair cannot. A future Dream House design will correct this problem.

Another addition to the growing Barbie community is "Billy," an anatomically correct 13-inch doll who, according to his manufacturer, is "the world's first out and proud gay doll." Billy "has arms like a football linebacker and legs like a weightlifter," and comes with a trim sailor's suit, among other outfits.

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