For fans who've been wondering what Barbra Streisand has been up to of late, the answer came yesterday when Streisand penned a blog on Huffington Post entitled, "Where Is the Fourth Estate When You Need Them?" Of course that's not to say that she isn't also working on a script, putting together a film, selecting songs for an upcoming album or designing another house! Streisand is a multi-tasker of the first order as her prolific 50-year-career reveals. You'd be hard-pressed to find another artist with a biography as illustrious as hers.
But she's also deeply interested in the world in which she lives. Therefore, it's no surprise that Streisand is following the U.S. presidential primary race very closely. She's always had a keen eye on how the government and the people elected serve the citizenry.
Streisand is an unapologetic liberal, a loyal member of the Democratic Party, and a person of strong opinions. She's also unafraid to share her points of view, even though she's been ridiculed, skewered and lambasted for daring to speak out on issues that matter to her.
As she revealed in 1994, during "The Concert," her version of "I'm Still Here" with special lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, her critics don't care for her politicking; "Talent she's got, but those speeches. Why can't she shut up and sing!"
So yesterday's blog was no surprise. It was, however, a well-written and insightful questioning of the current political climate with regard to the Fourth Estate -- the media. Streisand has been watching the Republican primary debates and believes the mainstream media members charged with moderating the forums are not doing their jobs with the kind of specificity and follow up necessary.
Case in point, when Newt Gingrich claimed that under President Obama, more Americans have signed up for federal food assistance, the moderator failed to clarify the reason why so many people are now qualified for food stamps, i.e. the economic recession and "the grossly irresponsible and greedy practices of those on Wall Street, which led to the subsequent crash of the housing market."
Streisand's point is this: a responsible and vigilant representative of the Fourth Estate, in this case Fox News analyst Juan Williams, should have probed Gingrich to elaborate on his half-truth about Obama. Streisand's contention is that the likes of Walter Cronkite or David Brinkley, legendary broadcast journalists, would have felt beholden to ask the tough follow up questions even if the debater didn't like it.
Barbra's not wrong, either. The mainstream media has been neutered to some extent by the collapse of the publishing industry. There are fewer journalists doing original reporting and far more aggregating the news. This results in less and less direct information…and journalists less inclined to have the tools -- the information -- to ask the tough questions. Bravo to her for pointing out this gap in the system with her original column. She made her point; other actors and celebrities have spoken out about issues, too, and more power to them.
By the way, it's interesting to note that in her writing, Barbra tips her hand about where she stands in the upcoming election (as if there was much doubt). She writes, "The truth is, President Obama's leadership on the stimulus, bringing the auto industry back from the brink of collapse, adding nearly 3.7 million private sector jobs in 23 consecutive months of job growth proves that our country is moving in the right direction. Because of the President's policies, our economy is on the road to recovery and it's time we start celebrating the truth."
It remains to be seen if Streisand's support of the President will lead her to campaigning aggressively for him. Will she appear in fundraisers that involve raising her voice to sing -- as well as speak -- for his campaign? I'd say the chances are very good because, just for the record, she's been quite consistent in singing -- i.e. fundraising -- for nearly every Democratic presidential candidate from Johnson to Obama (with the lone exception of Jimmy Carter from what my research reveals). Obama will likely benefit from a Streisand performance in his re-election bid, which is her most tangible way to raise a lot of money to get out the vote.
Finally, it will be fascinating to see what happens in November. That's when the election, Barbra Streisand's passion for politics, and the release of her new film -- "My Mother's Curse" collide.
On Friday, November 2, 2012, Barbra's movie, "My Mother's Curse," her first starring role in a film since "The Mirror Has Two Faces," opens nationwide. Then, on the next Tuesday, November 6, 2012, Americans will go to the polls to either re-elect the President or choose a new Commander-in-Chief.
In the publicity up to the opening of the film, will Streisand be speaking about politics or the movie? It's a given that she'll want people to attend the film. It's a relationship comedy in which she's playing Seth Rogen's mother. Dan Fogelman's semi-autobiographical tale of a mother and son's cross-country car trip from New Jersey to Las Vegas, has already been test screened in Los Angeles and my sources report that the film is excellent.
However, as this HuffPost blog reveals, Barbra Streisand cares too much about the state of our country and the world to not be aware and ready to voice her opinion about who her choice for President should be. If she's asked about the election while doing publicity for "My Mother's Curse," will she demure and ask journalists to stick to the subject of the film -- or will she speak out just days before Americans cast their ballots?
In 1995, Streisand was asked to speak about her political fervor and how it impacts on her work and celebrity. The speech she gave at Harvard on the subject was called "The Artist As Citizen." Among her many salient points, she asserted her defense of the "L" word -- liberal. Then and now, many vilify liberalism, and the accomplishments of liberal lawmakers and Presidents are diminished. However, the words Barbra said twelve years ago still ring true:
"I'm also very proud to be a liberal. Why is that so terrible these days? The liberals were liberators -- they fought slavery, fought for women to have the right to vote, fought against Hitler, Stalin, fought to end segregation, fought to end apartheid. Thanks to liberals we have Social Security, public education, consumer and environmental protection, Medicare and Medicaid, the minimum wage law, unemployment compensation. Liberals put an end to child labor and they even gave us the 5-day workweek! What's to be ashamed of? Such a record should be worn as a badge of honor!"
Streisand will continue to speak out, and if she has a movie reaching theaters at the same time, be prepared to hear about both the election and the picture. Why?
Well, here's what she said in conclusion to her speech back in 1995: "What can I say: I have opinions. No one has to agree. I just like being involved. After many years of self-scrutiny, I've realized that the most satisfying feelings come from things outside myself. And I believe that people from any walk of life, when they stand up for their convictions, can do almost anything -- stop wars, end injustices, and even defeat entrenched powers."
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