Does Barbra have implants? Only she, and James Brolin, and so on, know for sure.
Years ago, I myself would have refuted this rumor. Back then, Barbra was close friends with
exercise mistress Jane Fonda, who believed that breast implants were the worst thing that happened to
the female population. Back then, Jane was quoted as saying, "you can tell they're fake from miles away." Since then, Jane
seems to have wisened up. After all, they cost less than $5,000, and can help you make $$$ billions.
These days, Jane spends her life with her very own (and large) implants and billionaire husband Ted Turner. As for Barbra, though she does
seem bigger, the change just doesn't seem as dramatic as Jane's. So, who knows?
By now, you have all read the amazing National Enquirer story about BABS and her 2003 facelift. One detail of this story caught my attention. According to the infamous tabloid, the 2003 facelift was the first time Barbra had cosmetic surgery. According to rumor (and I do stress rumor for those who did not see the title of this page), this is not Barbra's first instance of plastic surgery. According to one source, Barbra had minor cosmetic surgery in the 1990's to reduce the tip of her nose. As any doctor would tell you, both your ears and your nose continue to grow as you get older. Barbra's nasal surgery was to correct this continuous growth on her already oversized snout. According to others, Barbra has also had work on her eyes and on a number of wrinkles on her face. Remember the deep smile lines visible in the late 1970's? They have disappeared along the way. And yes, it was rumored that she had a facelift in the late 1980's. Only her hairdresser knows for sure.
Finally, Barbra almost had a nose job in the 1960s. According to rumor, Barbra was going to have her nose fixed by a plastic surgeon called "Jack Diamond". She had checked into the hospital for the procedure. At the last minute, she insisted that "Jack" sign a statement affirming that the surgery would not affect her voice. "Jack" refused to sign the statement and Babs checked out -- without the surgery.
Barbra married James Brolin in mid-1998. Of course, many fans viewed it as
the ultimate Love Story wedding for Barbra, who after her split with Jon Peters in the early 1980's,
just didn't seem to have a steady man in her life. And who can forget the interview with the
other Barbara (Walters), where the Diva almost jumped off the screen when asked
if she was seeing someone. "WHY do you ALWAYS ask me this?" spouted the Diva in response to
Ms. Walter's seemingly routine question. (Talk about being in low spirits.)
Anyway, the Streisand 98 Wedding seemed dreamy enough -- almost a dream sequence from
On a Clear Day (well, with the reported $1 million dollar price tag, what wouldn't?) Of course,
after the dream, we woke up to the nightmare of the cheesy tabloid stories. I mean,
who buys those things, anyway? Just days after the wedding, it was reported that Mr. and Mrs. Streisand had signed
a hefty pre-nuptial agreement, that required Streisand to pay off his (considerable) debt to the IRS, and
to pay him an annual fee if they divorced. In addition, the contract required her to pay him a lump
sum of $10 million if the marriage lasted 10 years (one reporter called it "combat pay").
Other even less dignified sources focused on the non-monetary aspects of the relationship,
claiming that Barbra showed up on the set of his "hit" TV show wearing nothing
but a trench coat and high heels, and that the couple recently had joined the "Mile High
Club" (thank goodness there was no turbulence). And remember the age-old rumors that
Streisand worked in XXX films before becoming a mecha-star? rumors that Barbra has denied, claiming she has seen
the proof that it isn't her? (I'll just take her word for it). Well, it appears that the same rumors
are surfacing about Jim. Is it true? Who knows. (Now, I wonder if Babs and Jim had
actually met a long, long time ago...)
A lot has been said about Streisand, but no single rumor incites the ire of obsessed fans more than this one.
According to many sources, Streisand starred in a porn film back in the early sixties when she was an unemployed, starving
artist.
Before we discuss this rumor, it is important to contrast the XXX world of today to the XXX world of yesterday. Today, female porn
stars are known for their physical beauty, their silicon implants, and their decent paychecks. Being a female porn star today is not something all women can aspire to be. However, back in
the 60's, most women (and men, for that matter) would not get caught dead in these sleazy flicks. Consequently, XXX producers looked for "stars" among
those who were desperate for work and on the verge of starvation. And even starving, some refused to perform these vile acts before a camera. Producers could not be picky, and as a result, the leading lady generally looked more like a character actress than a sex symbol.
It is during these times that Streisand allegedly appeared in one of these films.
In the late 70's, someone found the film in question and re-released it, claiming the leading lady was "Barbara Steesand".
Reportedly, Streisand, perturbed by this, went as far as to obtain her own copy of the film to determine if it was her (I guess she wanted to rule out
the possibility of amnesia). According to sources, the actress (and I am using the term loosely) in the film in question bares a striking resemblance to Barbra -- except in the hands. Streisand has gleefully pointed out that
the fingers of the hands that grab the leading actor's manhood are short and stubby. As we all know, Streisand's fingers are very long and very bony.
Back in 1993, The Buffalo News (could someone suggest they find a new title, please?) reported the following: "The grainy quality of the footage -- taken at a time when miniskirsts were in fashion -- doesn't help solve the mystery...The actress' face is not visible all the time, partly because of the filmmaker's obsession with other parts of her body... While it is not the sharpest film ever shot... it's someone who looks like Streisand, and actresses with noses that could be mistaken for hers are not common in blue movies."
Not having seen the film, nor having the intent to do so, it is impossible for me to confirm or deny this rumor. However, it is only fair to point out that no one has adamantly refuted Streisand's claims nor her body of evidence. READERS: if you have seen this film, let me know...
Does our President ever rest? I can't imagine how he finds time to lead the USA (and
the world) and to, well, "pursue" other interests. The subject of this "pursuit"? None
other than our very own Barbra. According to not-very-reliable sources, Barbra was staying in the White House as
a guest of the President. So it was only a matter of time before
our Fearless Leader's roving eye roved its way onto Barbra (sometime after dinner). Dignified to the end, Barbra
ran for her life (and virtue). The chase concluded around the White House grand piano, where Slick Willie, panting, gave up. (Even in her
stilleto heels, the aerobically-ready Barbra was able to outrun Mr. President. After all, how
far can you run on a MacDonald's-based diet?)
No, that wasn't the end of the story. It appears that Independent Counsel Starr, who has spent over $50 million
investigating every aspect and detail of the President's Life, got wind of the Presidential Chase. Being so short on evidence (if any
of what he has can be called evidence), it appears that Starr came close to issuing a subpoena to
Streisand. However, his staff warned him: if she gave another Oscar-winning performance (this time before the grand jury), it could turn the already
bored and restless jurors against him. So, rather than take the risk, Starr figured, "Who needs evidence anyway?"
Back in 1997, Celine Dion and Barbra Streisand recorded the duet "Tell Him". Though Columbia decided not
to release it as a single (early dismal radio airplay indicated the single would fail), the publicity surrounding the duet undoubtedly contributed to the
huge success of Streisand's Higher Ground (triple platinum) and the even more impressive success of Celine's Let's Talk About Love (8X platinum).
According to sources, the deal to make the duet happen required at least one public performance of the song by the two divas. As we all remember, weeks before the 1998 Grammy Awards Show, we were flooded
with ads promoting the show. These ads all focused on what was being billed as the duel of the Divas. It was the moment everyone was waiting for: after decades of her reign as America's
undisputed First Voice, Streisand was set to publicly sing with the one singer who has begun to challenge her and even replace her. Though other singers have caught America's attention, none were quite like Celine. For
example, neither Whitney Houston nor Mariah Carey have been able to perform live as well as they do on cd. Celine is a different story: she has gone as far as to duet live with Luciano Pavarotti (arguably the greatest tenor
of the latter half of the 20th Century) and Andrea Bocelli.
As the moment of truth approached, it seems that Barbra was bitten by a bug. According to her publicist, she had come down with the flu. Of course, this announcement generated even
more publicity than the ads promoting the duet. For four days straight we were kept posted as to Streisand's health crisis, until finally two days before the show, when it was confirmed she
would not be there. Brave to the end, Celine showed up alone singing her mega-hit, My Heart Will Go On.
Now why is this on the rumor page? Because it seems no one believes the Streisand flu story. Currently, there are two stories surrounding this episode of Streisand's life, now called "The Duel That Never
Was." The first of these stories (and the most accepted) is that Streisand did not feel she could publicly compete with Celine and knew that a poor
performance would forever taint her reputation as America's Greatest Voice. Furthermore, the thought of publicly being outsung added to the Diva's usual concerns of stage fright. And Barbra had personally witnessed an all-powerful Diva being publicly outsung. It was in the early 1960's when Judy Garland took stage with an up-and-coming 20-year-old star.
Poor Judy. Her years of singing, her guts, her determination weren't enough to conceal the obvious: the 20-year-old girl was better. You all know who I'm talking about. That 20-year-old newcomer was none other than Barbra Streisand. Certainly, though over 35 years have passed since Barbra and Judy dueted live, Barbra had not forgotten how pivotal that performance
was to her career and to Judy's. What's more, Streisand was not eager to relive that experience -- this time perhaps in the shoes of Judy Garland (and I don't mean the ruby red slippers).
The second story is that Streisand found out that she and Celine did not win the Grammy they were nominated for (yes, Grammy winners do know in advance if they win -- contrary to what you've been told). Upset at the loss, and a diva to the end,
Streisand decided to skip the ceremony.
In either case, the Grammy academy has proven unforgiving. For 1999, the Academy did not nominate Streisand for anything, despite the success of Higher Ground. On the other hand, Celine went on to pick up two Grammy's in 1999.
Reportedly, John Kennedy, Jr, (aka, John John) and Caroline have filed
court papers against Barbra Streisand's brother (Sheldon) for purportedly
"using blatant and deceitful self-dealing to cheat them
in a real estate partnership set up by Jackie [Bouvier Kennedy Onassis]
back in 1978". This overwhelmingly complicated matter involves a trust fund, the
Kennedys, Sheldon, and even Sheldon's wife, to whom Sheldon sold part of the
trust assets (according to John John). Barbra's brother has denied the allegations.
So, it remains for the court to decide. Will Barbra be subpoenaed for this one? Probably not.
Update 9/99: As everyone knows, several weeks ago, John Kennedy, Jr., died in plane crash. It is unclear what
effect his unexpected death will have on this case. What is a little more clear, is that John and Barbra did not appear to be getting along. Several months ago, John had printed
a brief editorial about Streisand's support for democrats. This commentary had stunned the democratic community since John was a future candidate for political office and Barbra is one of the party's biggest
fundraisers. Streisand, also upset about the article, wrote a letter to George to set the record straight. The magazine actually printed the letter; however, the two never reconciled and at this point, never will.
The Trench Coat and Other Sordid Details.
Barbra has repeatedly denied the rumors of plastic surgery, stressing that
she hasn't even pierced her ears (she's too squeamish). So how? How does she look
so young? Well, she does not look 56. At least not to some. Anyway, back
to the duct tape. It appears that during the filming of The Mirror Has Two Faces, the star
tried to use softening and lighting techniques to conceal the signs of wear and tear. Someone got carried
away with the softening techniques, and did make Barbra look ever so young. But beauty had it's price: yes the
wrinkles were gone from the picture, but so were her eyes. In an effort to get the eyes back into the picture, and keep the
skin as smooth as a newborn baby's butt, someone suggested reducing the softening techniques and using DUCT TAPE to -- I really can't describe this
accurately. Hmmmm. Well, it seems they stretched and pulled the facial skin as far back
as they could (to remove the wrinkles) and taped it in place in the back of her head. Is it me, or does this sound more painful than plastic surgery? Indeed!
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The Irreverent Guide to Barbra Streisand wishes to thank the following sources of inspiration for this web page... On second thought, maybe not.
Please note that this site is neither maintained nor supported by Barbra Streisand or her management. Furthermore, The Irreverent Guide to Barbra Streisand is not an official or unofficial newsletter or publication related to or endorsed by Barbra Streisand, Barbra Joan Streisand, Barbara Streisand, Babs or her fan clubs.
Original content and design © 1998, 1999, 2000, 2003. The Irreverent Guide to Barbra Streisand is for entertainment value only and/or historical purposes; no financial gain or profit is sought nor has been obtained through this web site. What's more, the site is not intended to reflect the political and/or personal views of the author nor web hosting provider. It's for fun, ok?