In a few days, in response to one of the best letters I have yet received from a reader, I expect to write on one gay Republican dilemma — whether or not if I still lived in the Buckeye State I would vote for Ken Blackwell. Tonight, I confronted another, possibly more significant dilemma for gay Republicans — how to respond to Barbra Streisand.
This talented singer and actress has become such an icon among gay men that one supposedly giveaway sign of Howard Brackett’s (Kevin Kline) homosexuality in the 1997 comedy In & Out was his love for her music. I just watched The Way We Were, one of my three favorite (along with Funny Girl and What’s Up, Doc?) Streisand flicks. And unlike the movie I watched last night, this one really holds up. Anyone with strong emotions and deep convictions which he (or she) can’t seem to help expressing can easily relate to Streisand’s Katie Morosky. While some parts of the film have become clunky after repeated viewings, Streisand’s performance continues to stand out, an authentic portrayal of a passionate outsider.
And yet despite Streisand’s beautiful voice and powerful performances in a number of films (not limited to the three listed above), her politics have become increasingly unhinged over the years. As gay men, we respond favorably to her screen presence and vocal talents. As Republicans, we’re repulsed by her politics. I guess that as far as her politics goes, when we watch her movies and hear her sing, what’s too painful to consider, we’ll simply choose to forget.
-Dan (AKA GayPatriotWest): GayPatriotWest@aol.com
I hate her singing. She sccops. I hate that.
I think she is one of the most overrated artists of our time. In her prime, she could knock a tune out of the park. However, in the past ten years or so, she is all style and no substance. She sounds like a half-dozen cats on a backyard fence.
I will give her one thing — she is a damn good comedic actress.
Julie the Jarhead
Once I learned of her political rants and raves any appreciation of her as an ‘artist’ went by the wayside. When ‘stars’ push their politics on me, they go into a permanent ignore file.
I have never understood the fanscination with BS. I cringe everytime my boyfriend pulls out one of her movies. I pray God will show him the light or should I just melt them and blame it on an act of God?
Dan, I gotta give you points for voicing admiration for Babs’ work as an actor but for me, her movies are all alike –it’s that shmaltzy, Broadway-styled, comedy via vauldville, overplayed New Jersey whiner. TWWW is the tops of shmaltz –only deferring to Love Story in megashmaltz… dramatic, sentimental and corny. Besides, she’s the only actor I know who looks better when styled by professional drag queens. Well, Babs and the fomer Queen Mother (dec) and current Queen E, that is.
Her self-produced films are even worse. The majority of gays guys love the dramatic, the sentimental, the shmaltzy and over-the-top acting in their own lives, it makes sense they’d like the same on the screen. Me, I’ll take action, thriller, and mystery films anyday –and now, as a Dad, smart kid-centered animation.
When I began to pay attention to her political views, pro-left anti
Republican I turned her off. When I read how she hate W and blames him for her weight gain (because everytime she sees him on tv she gets mad and goes to the frig to pig out) I tossed her records in the garbage.
Roberto, by her logic Susan Sarandon should weigh a metric ton by now.
Like her artistry, leave the politics out of it.
Just because you happen to enjoy someone’s ability or body of work doesn’t mean you have to like them or their opinion.
I agree with #3 above. Ditto that to the Dixie Chicks, Susan Sarandon, Pink, Neil Young and Tim Robbins.
I would have included Alec Baldwin, but I have known for years that not only is he devoid of talent, but he comes across as a bigoted know-it-all a la Tom Cruise. Plus, HE’S NOT THAT CUTE, GIRLS.
Now, give me those hunks on “Desperate Housewives,” and let’s talk beefcake!
PS – Has anyone noticed that they’ve included a gay story line in the above? I saw it last night – hilarious as always! And they do it without “threatening” the audience or insulting our intelligence. Bravo!
Regards,
Peter H.
I would really question as to whether she remains or ever was much of an “Icon” to gay men. I suppose she was in the 70’s, but sadly very little of that generation of gay men are around anymore. Unless I missed a Barbara worship revival or something, she really has no impact on gay “culture”, unless as its as material for a ocaisionaly bad drag performance.
I don’t think she ever had as much stature among gay men as say Judy Garland or Joan Crawford, or other more classy acts. You can still find gay men around that can quote word for word lines spoken by Garland or Crawford, but when is the last time you heard someone quote Barbara at a party or something? I probably could, but I certainly don’t.
You could say that Madonna and Cher are more modern gay icons but in truth, we don’t really need “gay icons” as much anymore, at least in the same way as it was.
I think a great deal of past icons popularity is because they were often very strong women who crossed traditional gender lines of what a woman could do with her life. And they often were punished on film and in real life for doing so. Yet still they were those whom society regarded as weak and even perverse, but they still made their own way without falling back into old stereotypes.
There was a lot for gay men to identify with. Especially since the most damaging and homophobic thing that our society still tell gay men is that they are fundamentally “weak”. That image of gay men is what we all have carried around at one time or another.
But for each generation of gay men going forward, that bad programming gets staler.
NDXXX writes “Like her artistry, leave the politics out of it….”
I dunno, NDXXX, seems like if we’re going to boycott cheap Mexican beer, food and other things Mexican to demonstrate anger over the illegals in our country, if we’re going to stop buying French wine, cheez and rename French Fries to protest France’s support of pre-war Saddam and all things corrupt in the Middle East… why can’t people choose to spend their hard-earned money on entertainment stars who conform to the individual consumer’s political sensitivities? I appreciate you didn’t say they couldn’t and that you don’t, in this case.
Boycott Babs, Baldwin, Saradon and even rap stars who glorify the ghetto gangster mindsets for the middle class. Boycott corporations’ products until they provide same sex benefits. Elect officials based on single issues… it all seems the same to me. Entertainment dollars, choice in news sources, heck, everything’s game.
Seems like extending preferential consumer spending to reward or punish actors, musicians, directors, etc isn’t all that bad. Think what we could have been spared if conservatives and patroits had just stood tall when Ollie Stone made his first film… or Michael Moore… I think a lot.
And I’m told you can’t go to a Babs concert these days (post 1990 that is) without her ranting on in the liberal, feminist claptrap mode between songs. Her outspoken criticism of my values make her a no-choice for me… and that leaves aside the question of her “talent”.
For someone with such good comic timing, in real life she has no sense of humor whatsoever.
There’s no dilemna in this gay household; Babs just doesn’t hold any special magic over me, politically or culturally. She is just another limousine Liberal in my book spouting hypocritical polemics while her entourage does the complete reverse of her “official” position. Her singing style has always left me cold; and while occasionally she has good films, most are odious or just boring.
Oh, and did I mention that she’s down-right annoying?
Solution when you like an artists’ sound and don’t want to support them with a dime: download their music. 😉
Thanks, I’ll take Bevery Sills, or any number of real singers over Babs sliding around the scale like a drunk any day.
My favorite performance of hers was “Nuts” because that kinda abuse was more significant to my life. . . . .
Anyways, I’m Conservative, I don’t always vote republican, but I can’t think of an instance where I will ever vote Democrat. That said. I LOVE the Dead Kennedies, but Jello Biafra isn’t in my lexicon of legal minds, and political leaders.
Love the art, but make fun of them for thinking that their art makes them scholars of history and geopolitics.
The fact of the matter is I love Barbra. I would say she is the ultimate diva as she never self-destructed. As I’ve said before, I don’t care what political persuasion an entertainer is. As long as they entertain me, I’ll be fine.
If she says something I agree with, I’ll give her credit; if not, I’ll just say we have opposing views.
She is a legend and deserves to be. If being difficult means that you win the Album of the Year Grammy Award for your first album, an Emmy and Peabody Award for your first television special, and an Oscar for Best Actress for your first time on the silver screen, I think a lot of people, no matter what their polotics are , would take being difficult as a badge of honor.
Agree with #’s 8 and 12.
At one time I considered not buying albums or tickets to movies or concerts featuring artistic nut-jobs, but realized that would mean becoming a virtual entertainment hermit. Artists are, for the most part, neurotic by nature. If it isn’t revealed in their politics, left or right, there are probably other parts of their lives that are screwey that I thank God I don’t know about.
PS. As far as worrying about contributing to their pocket book, I don’t ,because the big stars usually make their money up front and get little from the back end ticket sales.
I find her neither funny nor talented. She takes herself way too seriously (check out her deep pontifications on her blog with all her misspellings and grammatical errors). Also, every few years, she has a “farewell” tour where she charges gazillions of dollars per ticket. Each time, she promises she will be appearing for the last time. If only it was true. Please, enough screeching already, Babs! Put a fork in it!
I never liked her music, never liked her movies long before I knew how warped her political views are. I’ve always considered her to have an obnoxious personality.
I know just how you feel. I couldn’t bear to watch a Ronald Reagan movie after he was elected. His politics became increasingly UNHINGED (Alzheimer’s, they call it) over the years, so it was difficult. And then there was Sonny Bono. I could barely listen to “I got you, babe” because he was so UNHINGED as a Republican politician. And, oh my God, Ben Hur was absolutely wrecked when Charlton Heston became UNHINGED in his rifle-waving performances for wacko conservative gun owners. And Republican mayor Clint Eastwood, didn’t he become UNHINGED when he threatened to kill Michael Moore….
So many UNHINGED Republican Hollywood types…Why can’t they just shut up and make art.
“And Republican mayor Clint Eastwood, didn’t he become UNHINGED when he threatened to kill Michael Moore….
No, That was just common sense! 🙂
Nitpicking, we legt your comments stand because they make us smile. And because they confirm some of our points about our unhinged critics.
I never liked her voice. I never liked her movies. I never understood why anyone did like them.
#19, she seems to have been putting a fork in it quite often of late.
Geesh! Are you guys really that FAGGY to waste time sitting around
and watching a Streisand movie? I never realized what a bunch of
mouthy fags you guys are.
Dan in Baltimore
I have noticed this. Celebrities are hired because of certain entertainment values: mostly their face. It just seems ludicrous to me that we should even take these people seriously when they think they can use their celebrity to prothelytize their viewpoints. Mind you, this is not expression, but prothelytizing. Also, it would be SO much stronger if they actually practiced what they preached…Kind of like how Babs is going on about the environment, but then maintains an opulent ranch with high landscaping costs with major water bills.
No wonder why George Clooney is tanking as well. It’s a shame, he’s a good actor. Too bad he’s a prothelytizer as well.
Well, the ‘Mirror has two faces’ was just about the worst piece of self indulgent, badly acted (Lauren Bacall looked like she was being held hostage!), poorly written & produced dreck Vera has seen since someone convinced Ali McGraw to go into movies.
Babs may sing well (she should stick to the Harold Arlen/Cole Porter songbook), have medicore acting (Nuts? On a clear Day? The owl and the pussycat?) and direct movies like the true diva she is (Yentle? Prince of Tides?) – but her true talent is the stage.
Anyone who saw her in “I can get it for you wholesale” or “Funny Girl” will acknowledge she has a real gift. Unfortunately, her fear of crowds/audiences/people who need people – who vote republican – prevents her from performing publicly – unless it’s the ‘Actor as Citizens’ speech at the Kennedy School of Govt, or a fundraiser for the DNC, or shilling for Hillary, or – well, you get the picture. She’s a ‘site specific performer’. No Vegas for her.
It’s funny; her politics have tracked – almost exactly – the complete melt down of the left plank of the Democratic Party. We should rename it the ‘Streisand Wing’.
What Vera wouldn’t give to see her Norma in ‘Sunset Blvd’ on stage, thou.
ahhh…ahhhh……HUAC !
Bless you.
Thank you.
I have to agree with many others here. Streisand is “overrated” and “annoying”. I’ve never been a fan of hers and I am constantly puzzled by the fascination among some gay men with actresses like her. I can certainly understand admiring the talents of some actress like say Katherine Hepburn, but to turn them into some kind of “gay icon”? I just don’t get it and probably never will.
Dear Lord, Chandler are you STILL lurking around here??? Whatever, Mary.
As for Striesand, let’s face it…she’s a past it. Never held any appeal to me, personally. Now, JUDY…there’s a DIVA worth fawning over!!! I mean, really. Is there any comparison in talent, charisma, looks, charm, and any other category you care to name? ‘Course not, don’t be ridiculous. And Judy was a great Patriot, too! Unlike that America-hating, illiterate ingrate Barbra who wouldn’t lift a fat finger to help her nation through difficult times.
So enough with this Barbra nonsense. There’s no ‘dilemma’ here.
I only like 3 of Babs’ movies: Funny Girl, Hello Dolly, and What’s Up Doc. She used to be a great singer (though not on the same level as a Judy Garland or a Julie Andrews), but even in her supposed heyday she was hellish to work with. She fought with at least one person on every film she’s been on.
Here’s a funny web site I found:
Sorry, it’s here:
http://www.kingweb.net/irrguid.htm
I’ve never bought in to the gay essentialism that says that gay men have to like cheesy divas such as Babs. Sure in a different era torch singers and divas were a significant part of gay culture, such as it was, but when you get right down to it, there’s nothing about being attracted to the same sex that requires any great fondness for the likes of Streisand.