The DVD of On A Clear Day is now scheduled for release on February 22, 2005. The following is the cover of the DVD of this 1970 musical:

12/26/04

Meet the Fockers Tops Box Office

Meet the Fockers (MTF) grossed almost $45 million in its first weekend at the American box office. Add Wednesday and Thursday and the total ticket sales are close to $69 million. Needless to say, that's enough to place Meet the Fockers at the top of the American Box Office. Despite the mostly negative reviews, good word of mouth will likely keep tickets selling for the next few weeks. Given that the movie cost $80 million, it seems very likely it will be turning a sizeable profit. On a side note, the $45 million weekend gross of MTF is more than Barbra's The Mirror Has Two Faces did in its entire run in America. In addition, MTF's $69 million gross to date is more than Mirror did in its entire international run. Discuss amongst yourselves!

12/22/04

Meet the Fockers in Wide Release

Meet the Fockers was released today nationwide. I attended an afternoon showing at the Hoffman AMC Theatres in Alexandria, Virginia. It was not packed by any means, but there were a few people. Was it good? Was it bad? If you must know, please click here for my honest review.

12/18/04

The Scotsman Interviews Barbra

An hour late for an interview, Babs still had interesting comments to make to interviewer Mike Goodridge (as reported in The Scotsman). Among those comments are the following:

• We [Jim and I] usually stay in bed Saturdays and never get dressed.
• You [Condoleezza] make such terrible mistakes, you get promoted to Secretary of State.
• I love Roz Focker, but it’s not like I was dying to play her, you know what I mean? I wasn’t passionate about it. It was an experiment."

The Scotsman notes that Barbra is planning a new album with Barry Gibb (who was responsible for Guilty, her most successful album) and is looking for a new film to direct.

12/15/04

The Butt Surgery

Is there any privacy left? Dick Guttman, Barbra's publicist, has informed the media that Barbra had a benign polyp removed from her big butt. To be precise, the polyp was taken from her colon. (And I thought there were only rose petals in there!) Now let's see if that too shows up on Ebay.

12/14/04

All Night Long on DVD

All Night Long was released on DVD today. It has no special features and is mono in sound. I watched it today. It is actually worse than I remember it.

12/14/04

How Annoying Can You Get?

In Esquire's Women You Love Survey, Barbra was voted the third most annoying woman on earth, behind Rosie O'Donnell (a fellow overeater) and Celine Dion (her singing nemesis). On the bright side, at least she is not totally forgotten.

12/7/04

Meet the OVEREATER

The National Enquirer has diagnosed Barbra as an "overeater". According to the fearless tabloid, the once-slender Diva has gained over 30 pounds, mostly from visiting the buffet table at the set of Meet the Fockers. The tabloid also notes that she dropped her trainer, and includes two photos of the Diva (one of her feeding).

I wonder if the 30 pounds also include the fat she's injected in her face (see earlier story) or if that is unaccounted for. Honestly, pictures of late are not very flattering. To think the once thin, big-voiced Diva is now a big, thin-voiced Diva. Who knew it would end up like this? Not even I.

12/7/04

TIME interviews the Meet The Fockers Cast

The cast of Meet the Fockers met with TIME Magazine. Of course, Barbra had her share to say:

• I'm just lazy. It's work when you go do a movie. You've got to get up early in the morning and put on makeup and have costume fittings. It's a pain in the neck.
• It was nice to be wanted. It's happened to me very few times.
• You know I resent this thing about Hollywood and moral values..
• I just can't stand it. What movies are out now that have questionable moral values? You know what I think has questionable moral values? The Cialis commercials.

And so on. A very good interview by a classy magazine. This issue of TIME hits the stands today. Attached is a photo from TIME (great photo, btw, taken by Kwuaku Alston for TIME):

12/04/04

NY POST: Tour? Fat Injections?

According to Cindy Adams, a tour is in the works. Barbra would really have some nerve showing her face again on the concert scene after her many retirements from live performing. According to Cindy, the Diva is tired of watching others and wants the limelight for herself. Also, according to Cindy, the Diva has had FAT INJECTIONS!!!. In her face, that is. Though I could have sworn fat looks like it has been injected in many other areas. Other sources deny the tour rumors, but confirm the Diva-esque behaviours. For example, she arrived over an hour-and-a-half late to a press junket for Meet the Fockers and REFUSED to pose for photographs.

11/30/04

Mother Focker in Orange

If my ears were not playing tricks, I vividly recall Barbra telling Oprah Winfrey that she hated the color orange. Well, someone got her to actually put on some orange for her role as Mother Focker in the upcoming Meet The Parents II.

11/28/04

The Main Event: Babs VS Condoleezza

Politics are never over for Barbra Streisand. Now over the Democrat's electoral defeat, she has started up her website statements. The latest, called "Failing Upwards", is very critical of Bush's selection of Condoleezza Rice as the Secretary of State. Claiming Ms. Rice was negligent in responding to pre-9/11 warnings, she further claims Ms. Rice's promotion was another example of "failing upwards" in the Bush Administration. (Another example provided is John Ashcroft.) And the next four years haven't even started...

11/22/04

Mama Focker a Month Away

The buzz is being heard... Meet the Fockers is supposed to debut in a month and is expected to be the Christmas season's top grossing comedy, although it will definitely not be the years' top (that goes to Shrek 2).

11/3/04

Bush Re-elected

For Barbra Streisand, today it feels like it felt that fateful day she failed to receive a single Oscar nomination for Yentl. George W. Bush has been re-elected to a 2nd term as President of the United States of America. This has major significance in the USA since it marks a clear conservative trend in this country, a trend which has overtaken the Presidency, the Congress, and soon the Supreme Court. Republicans are now completely and totally in charge. The trend has been boosted by one single day in history: September 11, 2001. Without a doubt, the terrorist attack that day has sealed the fate of this country and forever changed the political panorama. Without 9/11, it is doubtful Bush would have managed a second term.

10/30/04

Another "Collection" Released

In what appears to be little more than an effort to squeeze every penny out of die-hard fans who must have everything, Columbia has released a box set of the Funny Girl CD, The Way We Were CD, and the A Star Is Born CD. At first, I thought the purpose of the collection was to capture Barbra's most successful soundtracks. Then I noted that it is the studio album, not the soundtrack, of The Way We Were that is included. I also noted one more thing: It's cheaper to buy each of the individual cds then it is to buy the collection, even though the collection has no bonus features. How tacky can you get?

10/28/04

She's Not the Greatest Star!

The British, like us, are always conducting polls. This time they were trying to find out who the Top 30 Greatest Living Film Stars were. Of course, Barbra failed to even make the list. Ironically, Robert De Niro (the star of Babs' upcoming movie) topped the list. The top female was Sigourney Weaver. One final note: Lauren Bacall, who appeared in Streisand's The Mirror Has Two Faces, was #29.

10/10/04

A Halloween Announcement: All Night Long on DVD

Oh, the horror! And what a better time to announce it than in October, when we celebrate Halloween. All Night Long will be released on DVD on December 14, 2004. Obviously, it has been timed to coincide with the release of Meet the Fockers. Both products have two things in common: (1) they're both comedies and (2) they are the only movies where Barbra was cast in a secondary role. Let's hope they don't have a third and fourth thing in common: All Night Long was panned by the critics and fans when first released, and it was a huge flop. According to some, the All Night Long grossed less than the $4 million paid to Babs to play the blonde, floozy, lavender-clad Cheryl Gibbons. Click here for more on All Night Long.

9/19/04

Barbra at Emmys 2004: Not-so-Pretty in Pink

Barbra attended the low-rated 2004 Emmys with her husband Jim who had received a nomination. Some liked her outfit; others placed her among the worst-dressed. On the bright side, at least she didn't wear black again. On second thought, looking at the photo, maybe I can understand why she always wears black. In this light color, she looks like she just rolled out of bed--bed sheets and all. Enough from me, you be the judge.

Meanwhile, MSN referred to it as "Pity in Pink" and added: " Barbra Streisand looks like Beer Wench #4 from the Renaissance Fair in a wacky front-tie cape with rosette-dotted neckline that deserves praise only because it covers up the far more misguided gown beneath."

9/17/04

Liza, KFC and Barbra

ContactMusic.com has reported that Liza Minelli, daughter of the late Judy Garland and ex-wife of the late Peter Allen, served Kentucky Fried Chicken at her parties. Among those invited were Madonna and Barbra Streisand. Obviously, Madonna didn't touch the deep-fried, calorie-laden treats, but I think Barbra had her share (see picture in next article).

9/17/04

People From Yesterday...

The following appeared in a German Magazine with the caption, "People From Yesterday." (Thanks to Werner.) It's an interesting photo. She went public last year on her plastic surgery, but I honestly don't see the results. Amazingly, people who get great results from plastic surgery frequently deny having had work; yet Barbra, who admitted to the surgery, apparently didn't get any results. Go figure. Actually, no figure.

8/14/04

Mother Focker Scheduled for Her Close-Up

Indeed, no one thought she'd do it. Even her friends advised her not to. But she did anyway. Barbra Streisand will once again appear on the big screen. As with many seventies actresses, Barbra has been relegated to playing the role of the mother-in-law, joining the ranks of Jane Fonda and others who have now become movie mother-in-laws. Is it a fate worse than death? Perhaps, but nothing can keep a one-time superstar from wanting to feel the heat of the spotlight and the eyes of the crew. Just ask Norma Desmond. Speaking of Norma and her unforgettable close-up, Barbra's close-up has been given a release date: December 22, 2004.

Rumor has it that Barbra was once offered the role of the faded leading lady Norma Desmond in the musical version of Sunset Boulevard, but that she declined. With that in mind, that she would accept a secondary role (as Mother Focker!!!)in a light-weight, double-entendre comedy just seems to be another mishap in a movie career that went to hell in a handbasket sometime in the late seventies.

Still, with show business, there is always the element of surprise. The Diva was always strongest in comedy, and perhaps the movie will suit her skills. We shall know in about 4 months. (But don't get your hopes to high, the trailer really didn't set off any fireworks...)

6/24/04

Cash ($5 million) and Kerry: Barbra Sings Live Again

The Diva has done it again. She has performed live, that is (yesterday, June 23). 2000 people were there to witness it. 2000 rich Democrats that is. Speaking of people, Barbra performed her Funny Girl classic for the sell-out crowd. Well, not exactly. She had someone rewrite the words and turn People into an anti-GOP statement. The Diva also dueted with Neil Diamond, who I didn't know was still alive. You learn something new everyday. All in all, it was a good evening for the Democrats who raised $5 million from the concert.

6/23/04

Cash and Kerry: Barbra to sing for Dems...AGAIN

Ever the Democrat, Barbra is using what's left of her voice (and her name) to raise funds for the troubled party. John Kerry (did I get the name right?) is set to run against President Bush, who Barbra hates, in the upcoming November election. Tomorrow night, Barbra and a number of celebrities will attempt to raise some serious cash for the cause (tickets will cost up to $25,000). Reportedly, Barbra will duet with Neil Diamond on You Don't Bring Me Flowers. We know how chatty the Diva becomes when singing (she talks as much as she sings in live performances). What we are all wondering is if she will threaten to leave the U.S. if Bush wins. Wait a minute...didn't she do that four years ago? In that case maybe she will sing, "I'm Still Here".

6/2/04

Playing Second Fiddle

It's a done deal. Barbra is Mother Focker in Ben Stiller's upcoming sequel to Meet the Parents. Clearly not the star of the movie, many are wondering what the Diva's billing will be. With other stars like Robert De Niro and Dustin Hoffman, the question is whose name will be second (after Ben's) and whose will be last.

This will be Barbra's first role in a feature film since The Mirror has Two Faces (which was quite some time ago.) It will also be her second supporting role (the first was All Night Long).

6/2/04

Barbra Forced to Pay Legal Fees

Remember last year when Babs sued Ken Adelman about a photo of her coastline residence? Remember that she wanted $10 million dollars for her suffering? If you do, you might remember that the court deemed the Diva's lawsuit frivolous and ordered her to pay Adelman's legal fees. Stubborn 'til the end, the Diva had not been cooperating with Adelman to pay the fees. Consequently, Adelman took Barbra to court again. The Judge awarded $177,000 in legal fees and ordered the Diva again to pay. This time, the Judge gave her a DEADLINE. According to reports, Barbra submitted her payment by the time ordered by the Judge (i.e., May 28). I wonder if she learned her lesson. Or did she even realize there was a lesson to be learned?

5/12/04

LaToya London Ousted on American Idol

Tonight, LaToya London sang Streisand classic Don't Rain On My Parade on AI. It was a brilliant performance. And it will be her last on the popular show. Tonight it was announced that LaToya had gotten the fewest votes from the AI viewers. Judge Randy was angry; Paula Abdul was in tears. But nonetheless, LaToya was voted off. It was an amazing twist for LaToya who without a doubt was the best singer of the competition. With an amazing voice and the ability to sing anything, LaToya should be able to find a recording company. Record companies of the world: There are many of us who are waiting to buy a LaToya CD.

In the meantime, the shocker has left many asking, "What is the point of this show?" Let's recap. The final dozen included at least 5 horrible singers (Matt, Camille, JPL, John Stevens and Leah Labelle). It also included 4 great voices that have all been voted off (George Huff, Amy Adams, Jennifer Hudson, and LaToya London). What's left? Three arguably very good, but arguably not spectacular voices. Jasmine, Diana and Fantasia are good, but clearly not the best of this competition. Fantasia, the judges' darling, has had a number of squeeky performances (literally). Last night, she was really mediocre. Her version of Knock on Wood didn't even come close to Amii Stewarts'. Nor did her version of Holding Out For A Hero even come close to Bonnie Tyler's. Still, the judges praised her (I guess they don't hear the squeeks as well as we do). However, in all fairness, Diana Digarmo's version of Enough is Enough (another Streisand tune) was smashing. Diana gave the performance of her life singing both parts of the song (Donna's and Barbra's--those who remember will know this song was a duet featuring Summers and Streisand). Still, Digarmo has not been as consistent as London.

America, what were you thinking? Does talent really not matter anymore?

4/24/04

Barbra Turns 62

Hard to believe, but it's true. Barbra Streisand has turned 62. No word on how the Diva celebrated the occassion, or if she celebrated at all. At this time, it appears her singing career is on hold. Surprisingly, it does appear she will return to the big screen as Mother Focker (how appropriate) in Ben Stiller's upcoming Meet the Parents Part II (Meet the Fockers).

4/23/04

More controversy: Movie Album Certified Platinum

The voting on American Idol is not the only tally that has raised more than a few eyebrows. The RIAA has announced that The Movie Album was certified platinum (sales to retailers, etc., of 1 million or more copies). It's hard to believe that retailers and other businesses (RIAA does not track sales to consumers) would buy one million copies of this dreadful CD just to have it stuck in a warehouse. Soundscan, which tracks sells to consumers and is used to prepare Billboard charts, showed a dismal performance of the dismal CD. 'Tis a certified mystery.

4/22/04

American Idol or American JOKE?

Either America has lost its taste for Divas with big voices or something is just plain wrong with the show that calls itself American Idol. This week the contestants were asked to perform Barry Manilow songs. LaToya London and Jennifer Hudson, the two biggest voices ever on this show, performed extremely well and far better than the other contestants (LaToya nailed All the Time; Hudson belted Weekend in New England). The other diva on the show, Fantasia, did “It’s a Miracle.” Though I don’t like Fantasia’s squeaky voice, I do admit she sang well and was probably the third best performance that evening. Without a doubt, the worst performance that night was John “Red” Stevens. For that matter, John has gotten worse every week. John’s only talent is that he can sing in tune (well, most of the time). Other than that, John is really not a great singer. His voice is too thin; his phrasing is mechanical; he sometimes forgets the words; and at times, he is flat or off key. His rendition of Mandy shows why he doesn’t work on his phrasing. He tried to add some emotion to his voice and sounded absolutely ridiculous. At best, John Stevens belongs in the chorus. You can argue he is only 16, but two other contestants (Jasmine Trias and Diana Digarmo) are also 16 and much better than John.

Of course, “America” votes for its favorites and the one with the lowest number of votes is sent home. Shockingly, the three lowest scores were, from highest to lowest, LaToya London, Fantasia, and Jennifer Hudson. Jennifer was sent home. Fantasia learned that she survived by the smallest margin ever on the show. The audience was shocked, and the judges were struggling for words. It might have been my imagination, but I detected a look of panic in the judges’ eyes. The last time three exceptionally talented singers ended up on the bottom of the list (when Amy Adams was sent home—see earlier story), American Idol lost about 3 million viewers. Also, in the past, there have been rumors that voting is rigged.

Already, a controversy is brewing since all three lowest scores were African-American. In addition, a number of people are claiming that they attempted to vote and could not get through for LaToya, Fantasia or Jennifer. Reportedly, even Barry Manilow was shocked by Jennifer’s loss that night.

Controversy or not, something is clearly wrong when the biggest talents get the lowest number of votes. We can only hope the best for singers like LaToya who is best described as a composite of Whitney Houston and Barbra Streisand. Those who saw the show several weeks ago will never forget LaToya London’s renditions of Somewhere, one of Barbra’s signature songs. As good as Barbra’s version was LaToya clearly owns this song. As for Jennifer Hudson, wherever you are, I hope we hear more from you.

3/31/04

Amy Adams Eliminated From American Idol

She thought her voice had a little Barbra Streisand in it, but that didn’t help. Today, March 31, 2004, Amy Adams was voted off from American Idol. Today’s voting results were a big shock in general. Tonight’s three lowest scores were (in order from high to low): LaToya London, Jennifer Hudson, and Amy Adams. They all have one thing in common: BIG voices. LaToya stunned audiences in her first appearance weeks ago with a Celine-like rendition of All By Myself and has had perfect performances since. Jennifer has been struggling with her hair, wardrobe and some over-singing, but is still VERY good. Amy placed second on her first night with a powerful rendition of The Power of Love, then followed that with a safe performance on soul night, a dazzling performance on country night, and a safe performance two nights ago on Motown night. Amy’s beautiful voice never missed a note and never cracked, but still, judges criticized her for playing safe. And America voted her off. And LaToya and Jennifer may be next. Does America hate big voices?

In the meantime, the not-so-talented Camille Velasco has survived three dreadful performances and is still in the running. Johnny Red, or should I say Johnny-can-only-sing-one-note, is also still in the running. Red has the distinction of singing everything (from R&B to country to Motown to Pop) in the exact same monotone. He varied the monotone two nights ago by adding off-key and off-pitch. Still, he has never made the bottom three. And what’s with Jon Peter Lewis? He can’t dance, he is a mediocre singer, he hogs the camera, and yet someone is voting for him. And don’t get me started with Fantasia. The woman is a female Steve Urkell. That’s whom she sounds like and that’s whom she looks like.

American Idol? Indeed.

3/05/04

BARBRA IN FINAL NEGOTIATIONS TO BE MOTHER FOCKER

After an eight year absence, Barbra is about to return to the Big Screen in the comedy Meet the Parents II/Meet the Fockers. According to Reuters, the Diva and former screen star is in final negotiations to play the role of Gaylord Focker's mother (Gaylord is played by Ben Stiller) in the sequel to the hit movie. If the negotiations go final (and we know how difficult she can be), it would be the second supporting role of her career (the first was the forgettable All Night Long). While Barbra is too old for the part, she does look like Ben Stiller (nose, etc.). So with plenty of lighting and softening techniques she might look right for the part. Of course, since it's a comedy, whatever she looks like should do.

This will also be the first movie that Barbra appears in in almost 20 years that she has not directed. The question remains can Jay Roach, the director of MTF, control the detail and control obsessed Diva. And BTW, does anyone know if she can still act?

3/05/04

BARBRA REFUSING TO PAY COURT-ORDERED LEGAL FEES

Refresher: In 2003, Barbra sued Ken Adelman for $10 million for posting pictures of her home on his environmental website. The wise judge ruled that her lawsuit was frivolous and ordered the Diva to pay Adelman his legal fees which exceeded $200,000. Well, guess what? According to AP, Adelman has sued Barbra Streisand for refusing to pay the bill. And let me take another guess... When the court orders her AGAIN to pay up, she will blame some nameless accounting clerk for the "oversight". So predictable.

2/20/04

BARBRA AMONG THE POOR AT TRAVOLTA B-DAY

John Travolta just turned 50 and it took two days to celebrate. Among the guests were: Oprah, Lisa Marie Presley, Tom Cruise and Silvester Stallone. And yes, Barbra was also there. But compared to that crowd, Barbra is among the poor. Oprah is worth several billion while John and Tom make more per movie than Babs did for all her movies. So, it was only right that Barbra sang Happy Birthday.

2/8/04

BARBRA LOSES GRAMMY

I really hope this does _NOT_ come as a surprise to anyone. Barbra Streisand did NOT win a Grammy for the The Movie Album at the 46th Grammy ceremony. The real surprise is that this album, the worst album of the year, was actually nominated for something. Predictably, she lost to Tony Bennett whose joint effort with KD Lang won for Best Traditional Pop Album.

On a high note, the Grammys had a rare performance by Celine Dion who sang a song for Luther Vandross. The Canadian songbird again proved her quality as a performer by overcoming a bad microphone and non-functioning ear feed to deliver a moving rendition of Dance with my father again. It was quite disappointing that the Grammys had a faux paus with the microphone. On the TV you could hear instructions being delivered to someone to take Celine a new microphone. During her performance, Celine removed the ear equipment. Earlier, Beyonce had to deal with a drooping microphone during her duet with Prince. Come on, Grammys!

1/31/04

J.GO AMONGST MOST ELIGIBLE GAY BACHELORS

The Advocate, America's gay and lesbian news magazine, has named Jason Gould, Barbra's son, as the 7th most eligible "out" bachelor. The magazine referred to him as "J.Go" and the sole heir to divadom (and a megafortune). (Alright, readers, I _AM_ desperate for news items...)

1/25/04

BARBRA AT THE GOLDEN GLOBES

In a FUR COAT, Barbra arrived with her husband Jim at the 2004 Golden Globes. What was with the fur coat? No one else had one. Many of the ladies present had only their gowns and some barely that (yes, I mean you, Nicole Kidman). I heard it was chilly, but that coat could have kept you warm in the Antartica. Could she be that cold-blooded? BTW, Jim lost to Al Pacino in the category of actor in a mini-series. Jim was nominated for his controversial role as Ronald Reagan. Finally, was that my ears playing tricks or did I hear Joan Rivers saying Barbra looked liked the "Pillsbury Doughboy" in that get-up?

1/25/04

THE CABIN FEVER CONNECTION

In the 1970s, Barbra recorded a song called Cabin Fever (quit a dreadful song which she butchered). Little did she know at the time that Eli Roth would, 25 years later, create a movie by the same name. Eli’s Cabin Fever, which is about a group of trapped teens who are terrorized by a flesh-eating germ, became an instant horror classic during 2003. Now where does Babs fit in, you ask? In turns out that Eli, before his big break, worked as an extra in a number of films. One of those films was another "horror" movie by the name of The Mirror has Two Faces. In Barbra’s Mirror, Eli is one of the "Puccini Boys". If you recall, Rose Morgan (Barbra’s character in Mirror) discusses love in her class and mentions Puccini. Several students nod in approval. These students later appear in a Christmas concert scene. Eli appears in both scenes. BTW, congratulations to Eli for creating a movie a la par with The Evil Dead, Night of the Living Dead, and Yentl.

1/22/04

BARBRA A FOCKER???

Reportedly, Ben Stiller wants Barbra to play his mother in Meet the Parents II: Meet the Fockers. Those who remember Part I will remember that Ben played the role of Gaylord Focker, the groom-to-be who had quite an experience meeting his future in-laws. In part two, the tables are turned as the bride-to-be will have to meet Gaylord's parents, the Fockers. Dustin Hoffman has been cast to play Mr. Focker. Mrs. Focker has not been cast, but Zoolander Stiller wants Babs.

While both Ben and Babs have funny noses and look related, Babs really does look more like his grandmother than mother. But given this is a comedy, maybe it will still work. Personally, I think Babs should take part given she really doesn't have much else to do, and playing roles that were too young for her was never a problem for her in the past. Also, Robert De Niro has been cast to reprise his role as Ben's future father-in-law. It's time 70's stars De Niro and Streisand joined forces on a set.

1/18/04

RAY STARK DEAD

The man who made Barbra a superstar is now dead. Ray Stark, husband of Fanny Brice's daughter, believed in Barbra before any other producer would even take notice. Despite his wife's wishes, he cast Barbra as Fanny Brice on the Broadway stage. He also gave Barbra the opportunity to take that role to the big screen. Ray is responsible for Barbra's two most acclaimed acting performances: the roles of Fanny Brice (which earned her an Oscar for Funny Girl) and Katie (which earned her an Oscar nomination for The Way We Were). Ray also produced Funny Lady and The Owl and the Pussycat. Clearly, Ray knew how to cast Barbra and was the producer with whom she had most success. The legendary Stark was 88 when he passed away.

1/10/04

SLOW START FOR BABS IN 2004

To date, there has been no news on Barbra Streisand. Nothing. Nada.

Perhaps the once popular Diva has decided to keep a low profile after a brutal and disappointing 2003. For starters, the National Enquirer spilled the beans on very personal items: her son's HIV status and her plastic surgery. Barbra ignored the Enquirer, but in a bold move sued Ken Adelman for $10 million for a picture of her house on his California coastline website. In the end, the court ruled against the Diva in the worst possible manner by dismissing her lawsuit and her request for injunction, and by ordering her to pay Adelman's substantial legal fees. The negative publicity, which showcased the Diva as hypocritical and egocentric, did little to help the sales of her latest cd, The Movie Album, which after just 11 weeks is at 99 on the Billboard charts and virtually absent from overseas charts. The album is, to put it plainly, a commercial failure. Although she can will flowers to change colors (or so she said on Oprah), she can't convince anyone to buy her records. BTW, Movie was also named one of the worst albums by a key publication. For all the juicy details, see The 2003 News Page.

So, in the scheme of things, perhaps a little quiet time will be good for Barbra. But if the final song of the Movie Album has any significance, you're gonna hear from her!

NAVIGATION

The Irreverent Guide to Barbra Streisand wishes to thank the following sources of inspiration for this web page... On second thought, maybe not.

Special Thanks to Jacksonville Mikey for the cursor effect.

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 © 2004. 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?