WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.379 Welcome to the Deep Dive, where we take a stack 00:00:02.379 --> 00:00:05.639 of sources, articles and research and really 00:00:05.639 --> 00:00:07.440 just distill them into the nuggets of knowledge 00:00:07.440 --> 00:00:09.800 you need to be truly well -informed. Today, we 00:00:09.800 --> 00:00:12.160 are undertaking a deep dive into an artist whose 00:00:12.160 --> 00:00:15.380 name is just, you know, synonymous with multi 00:00:15.380 --> 00:00:18.480 -decade success. A singular force, really. Someone 00:00:18.480 --> 00:00:20.780 who didn't just adapt to the entertainment industry, 00:00:21.019 --> 00:00:23.559 she fundamentally forced the industry to adapt 00:00:23.559 --> 00:00:27.039 to her. We're examining Barbra Streisand, a true... 00:00:28.130 --> 00:00:30.710 polymath of performance. We're talking six decades 00:00:30.710 --> 00:00:33.789 across singing, acting, directing, producing, 00:00:33.869 --> 00:00:36.109 and writing. The whole nine yards. And the architecture 00:00:36.109 --> 00:00:38.590 of her career is, well, it's a case study in 00:00:38.590 --> 00:00:41.289 artistic autonomy. Our mission today is understand 00:00:41.289 --> 00:00:44.350 how her relentless, uncompromising pursuit of 00:00:44.350 --> 00:00:46.990 creative and contractual control defined her 00:00:46.990 --> 00:00:49.310 groundbreaking achievements. And why those fights 00:00:49.310 --> 00:00:52.070 for control continue to shape her cultural legacy 00:00:52.070 --> 00:00:54.770 for you, the learner, even today. When you just 00:00:54.770 --> 00:00:57.649 list her achievements. Multiple competitive Oscars, 00:00:57.649 --> 00:00:59.789 Emmys, Grammys, that special Tony, the Presidential 00:00:59.789 --> 00:01:02.590 Medal of Freedom. It's just... It's staggering. 00:01:02.750 --> 00:01:04.650 You realize you're looking at a force of nature, 00:01:04.849 --> 00:01:07.689 but forces of nature are shaped by their origins, 00:01:07.930 --> 00:01:10.030 right? Exactly. So we aren't starting with the 00:01:10.030 --> 00:01:12.409 legend of the diva. We are starting right where 00:01:12.409 --> 00:01:16.890 she began, Brooklyn, New York, 1942, with a determined 00:01:16.890 --> 00:01:21.069 girl named Barbara Jones Streisand. Let's trace 00:01:21.069 --> 00:01:24.579 those roots. To understand the iron will that 00:01:24.579 --> 00:01:27.200 defined her landmark contractual deals later 00:01:27.200 --> 00:01:30.359 in life, we absolutely have to look at her beginnings. 00:01:30.760 --> 00:01:34.000 Her childhood was marked by some pretty deep 00:01:34.000 --> 00:01:36.799 instability and loss. You can pinpoint the initial 00:01:36.799 --> 00:01:39.000 source of that instability right away. She was 00:01:39.000 --> 00:01:42.319 born in 1942, and her father, Emmanuel Streisand, 00:01:42.379 --> 00:01:44.579 a high school teacher, died. She was so young. 00:01:44.780 --> 00:01:47.049 Just over one year old. He died from complications 00:01:47.049 --> 00:01:50.189 of an epileptic seizure. He was only 34. This 00:01:50.189 --> 00:01:53.469 immediate, profound loss plunged the family into 00:01:53.469 --> 00:01:56.590 what our sources describe as near poverty. That 00:01:56.590 --> 00:01:59.030 event just shaped everything. She grew up with 00:01:59.030 --> 00:02:01.310 this deep -seated feeling of being an outcast. 00:02:01.430 --> 00:02:04.450 And she often referenced that feeling of difference. 00:02:04.590 --> 00:02:06.950 Everybody else's father came home from work at 00:02:06.950 --> 00:02:08.650 the end of the day. Mine didn't. That sense of 00:02:08.650 --> 00:02:13.469 loss and economic precarity. It seems to have 00:02:13.469 --> 00:02:16.469 created this fiercely self -reliant and ambitious 00:02:16.469 --> 00:02:19.469 core personality. And that yearning was complicated 00:02:19.469 --> 00:02:22.189 by her relationship with her mother, Diana. Oh, 00:02:22.250 --> 00:02:24.710 very complicated. Her mother, a school secretary, 00:02:25.050 --> 00:02:28.050 was herself a frustrated artist, a soprano who 00:02:28.050 --> 00:02:30.129 had considered a career in music and possessed 00:02:30.129 --> 00:02:33.330 what was called a great voice. So you have that 00:02:33.330 --> 00:02:35.870 dynamic. Streisand often said she sought love 00:02:35.870 --> 00:02:37.569 and affirmation from her mother, but she recalled 00:02:37.569 --> 00:02:40.300 receiving food instead. It's a classic story, 00:02:40.379 --> 00:02:43.300 isn't it? The parents' unfulfilled dreams intersecting 00:02:43.300 --> 00:02:45.699 with the child's talent. And while her mother 00:02:45.699 --> 00:02:48.360 was often intensely critical of Streisand's ambitions. 00:02:48.680 --> 00:02:50.780 She called her lifestyle gypsy -like. Right. 00:02:51.500 --> 00:02:54.379 Unstable. Exactly. But she also recognized the 00:02:54.379 --> 00:02:56.800 talent. We know Diana eventually helped Streisand 00:02:56.800 --> 00:02:58.759 make a four -song demo tape by the time she was 00:02:58.759 --> 00:03:01.020 13. So it was a real push -pull. A total push 00:03:01.020 --> 00:03:03.319 -pull relationship that ultimately provided immense 00:03:03.319 --> 00:03:06.560 motivation. So you have this young woman. Driven 00:03:06.560 --> 00:03:10.000 not just by ambition, but by this powerful external 00:03:10.000 --> 00:03:12.939 need to prove herself, specifically to her mother. 00:03:13.379 --> 00:03:16.439 She actually said she wanted to prove I could 00:03:16.439 --> 00:03:19.939 be a star. And what's so interesting is the starting 00:03:19.939 --> 00:03:21.719 point for that drive, which is often overlooked. 00:03:21.879 --> 00:03:24.259 Her main aspiration wasn't initially singing. 00:03:24.379 --> 00:03:27.340 It was pure classical acting. Right. She was 00:03:27.340 --> 00:03:30.699 all about the stage. Precisely. She saw the Diary 00:03:30.699 --> 00:03:33.639 of Anne Frank at age 14. and that experience 00:03:33.639 --> 00:03:36.939 just cemented her desire and crucially she wasn't 00:03:36.939 --> 00:03:39.020 just daydreaming about it no she was studying 00:03:39.020 --> 00:03:42.020 she was immersing herself in the craft We see 00:03:42.020 --> 00:03:44.419 her spending hours studying the classical acting 00:03:44.419 --> 00:03:46.860 techniques of Konstantin Stanislavski and Michael 00:03:46.860 --> 00:03:49.580 Chekhov and poring over biographies of great 00:03:49.580 --> 00:03:52.060 stage stars like Sarah Burmark. This indicates 00:03:52.060 --> 00:03:54.400 a really serious commitment to technical mastery 00:03:54.400 --> 00:03:57.120 even before her vocal career had, you know, even 00:03:57.120 --> 00:03:59.419 started. She balanced all that serious artistic 00:03:59.419 --> 00:04:01.900 study while attending Erasmus Hall High School 00:04:01.900 --> 00:04:04.340 in Brooklyn. She was an honor student, which 00:04:04.340 --> 00:04:06.530 again speaks to her discipline. And then you 00:04:06.530 --> 00:04:08.930 have the famous anecdotes, which are just so 00:04:08.930 --> 00:04:11.250 much fun, like singing in the freshman chorus 00:04:11.250 --> 00:04:14.270 and choral club alongside her future superstar 00:04:14.270 --> 00:04:17.189 contemporary, Neil Diamond. Neil Diamond has 00:04:17.189 --> 00:04:19.430 reminisced about that period. He called them 00:04:19.430 --> 00:04:22.110 two poor kids in Brooklyn who used to hang out 00:04:22.110 --> 00:04:24.110 in the front of Erasmus High and smoke cigarettes. 00:04:24.449 --> 00:04:26.790 I love that image. And he noted that even then 00:04:26.790 --> 00:04:28.790 she had this incredible awareness of culture 00:04:28.790 --> 00:04:31.269 of the film showing at the nearby art houses. 00:04:31.740 --> 00:04:33.959 And then there's the delightfully random crush 00:04:33.959 --> 00:04:36.779 on a fellow student who would become the, uh, 00:04:36.819 --> 00:04:40.810 eccentric US chess champion. Bobby Fischer. Such 00:04:40.810 --> 00:04:42.910 a great little footnote that just humanizes the 00:04:42.910 --> 00:04:45.069 sheer drive she demonstrated right out of the 00:04:45.069 --> 00:04:48.069 gate. That early drive culminated in her graduating 00:04:48.069 --> 00:04:52.670 high school early at 16 in January 1959. And 00:04:52.670 --> 00:04:54.610 this is where she really draws the line against 00:04:54.610 --> 00:04:57.449 her mother's wishes. Her mother strongly pleaded 00:04:57.449 --> 00:04:59.970 with her to abandon show business. But Streisand 00:04:59.970 --> 00:05:02.290 viewed that opposition as the exact motivation 00:05:02.290 --> 00:05:04.949 she needed to succeed. That rejection of the 00:05:04.949 --> 00:05:07.370 stable conventional path marks the first major 00:05:07.370 --> 00:05:10.740 assertion of her autonomy. Absolutely. She moved 00:05:10.740 --> 00:05:13.399 to Manhattan, rented a small apartment on 48th 00:05:13.399 --> 00:05:16.100 Street, and started that quintessential New York 00:05:16.100 --> 00:05:19.740 hustle. She took menial jobs, including being 00:05:19.740 --> 00:05:22.000 an usher at the L 'Enfantin Theater. For the 00:05:22.000 --> 00:05:24.480 sound of music, ironically. Right. And the sources 00:05:24.480 --> 00:05:27.339 paint a very vivid, almost Dickensian picture 00:05:27.339 --> 00:05:30.480 of her early struggles. Lacking a permanent address, 00:05:30.800 --> 00:05:33.199 she was often sleeping on an army cot she carried 00:05:33.199 --> 00:05:36.439 to friends' homes. It really was a scrappy, survival 00:05:36.439 --> 00:05:38.939 -based climb up the ladder. And as you mentioned, 00:05:39.040 --> 00:05:42.180 the singing career begins almost by chance. She 00:05:42.180 --> 00:05:44.019 had an unsuccessful audition for The Sounds of 00:05:44.019 --> 00:05:46.699 Music, but was encouraged to list singing on 00:05:46.699 --> 00:05:49.120 her resume. The real revelation, though, came 00:05:49.120 --> 00:05:51.660 from a boyfriend at the time, Barry Denon. Yes. 00:05:51.680 --> 00:05:54.350 He taped her singing. He realized, wait a minute, 00:05:54.490 --> 00:05:57.050 this nutty little cook had one of the most bread 00:05:57.050 --> 00:05:59.649 -taking voices I'd ever heard. And that one moment 00:05:59.649 --> 00:06:02.329 of external validation led her to enter a talent 00:06:02.329 --> 00:06:04.870 contest at The Lion, which was a gay nightclub 00:06:04.870 --> 00:06:06.889 in Greenwich Village. And she won immediately. 00:06:07.670 --> 00:06:10.290 Thunderous applause, the reports say. This was 00:06:10.290 --> 00:06:12.290 the environment where she started synthesizing 00:06:12.290 --> 00:06:14.980 her art. So she started drawing inspiration from 00:06:14.980 --> 00:06:17.720 Denon's extensive record collection, studying 00:06:17.720 --> 00:06:20.779 the styles of Billie Holiday, Mabel Mercer, Ethel 00:06:20.779 --> 00:06:23.720 Waters. And the great French chanteuse, Edith 00:06:23.720 --> 00:06:26.500 Piaf. But she wasn't just imitating. She was 00:06:26.500 --> 00:06:29.379 filtering these influences to hone her own distinctive 00:06:29.379 --> 00:06:32.459 style. The crucial discovery in this period was 00:06:32.459 --> 00:06:35.560 the song Asleep and Be. She saw the lyrics to 00:06:35.560 --> 00:06:38.160 that song as literally providing the three acts 00:06:38.160 --> 00:06:40.459 of a play that I longed for as an actress. And 00:06:40.459 --> 00:06:42.560 that is the key. That's the moment where her 00:06:42.560 --> 00:06:45.560 primary goal acting merged perfectly with her 00:06:45.560 --> 00:06:48.579 emerging undeniable vocal talent. The actor finally 00:06:48.579 --> 00:06:51.240 had a voice. And she wasn't just performing songs. 00:06:51.420 --> 00:06:53.620 She was developing this whole stage persona. 00:06:53.839 --> 00:06:56.220 She started using her natural Brooklyn -bred 00:06:56.220 --> 00:06:58.800 humor and conversational ability to charm and 00:06:58.800 --> 00:07:00.639 connect with the audience between songs. Which 00:07:00.639 --> 00:07:02.439 was a massive professional asset. It made her 00:07:02.439 --> 00:07:05.189 accessible and unique. Critics immediately recognized 00:07:05.189 --> 00:07:08.730 this power. Robert Ruark, very early on, predicted 00:07:08.730 --> 00:07:10.889 she would rewrite the record books. And right 00:07:10.889 --> 00:07:13.170 around this pivotal moment, she made that subtle 00:07:13.170 --> 00:07:16.029 but highly symbolic branding decision, changing 00:07:16.029 --> 00:07:18.949 Barbara to Barbara. She said she hated the name 00:07:18.949 --> 00:07:21.589 but refused to fully change it because that felt 00:07:21.589 --> 00:07:25.529 too false. By simply dropping the single A, she 00:07:25.529 --> 00:07:27.689 kept the essence but immediately made her name 00:07:27.689 --> 00:07:30.709 unique. Singular and professionally proprietary. 00:07:31.310 --> 00:07:34.170 It's fascinating how that small adjustment reflects 00:07:34.170 --> 00:07:37.149 her entire career philosophy. It's about leveraging 00:07:37.149 --> 00:07:41.069 the original organic talent, the Brooklyn voice, 00:07:41.290 --> 00:07:44.329 the untrained theatrical instincts, but ensuring 00:07:44.329 --> 00:07:47.370 the final product is entirely unique and under 00:07:47.370 --> 00:07:50.189 her own command. And that early drive for distinction 00:07:50.189 --> 00:07:52.850 and control laid the psychological groundwork 00:07:52.850 --> 00:07:55.730 for the massive career -defining contractual 00:07:55.730 --> 00:07:57.889 decisions that were just around the corner. The 00:07:57.889 --> 00:08:00.250 move from scrappy nightclub singer to Broadway 00:08:00.250 --> 00:08:03.610 star happened with incredible speed. Her first 00:08:03.610 --> 00:08:05.649 professional engagement was opening for Phyllis 00:08:05.649 --> 00:08:07.769 Diller at the Bonsoir. And Diller immediately 00:08:07.769 --> 00:08:10.589 recognized her genius, right? She called her 00:08:10.589 --> 00:08:12.730 one of the great singing talents in the world. 00:08:12.870 --> 00:08:15.589 She had a tiny momentary stumble with her first 00:08:15.589 --> 00:08:18.709 actual New York stage role in a satirical comedy 00:08:18.709 --> 00:08:21.050 called Another Evening with Harry Stones. Right, 00:08:21.129 --> 00:08:22.949 I read that. The reviews were so terrible the 00:08:22.949 --> 00:08:24.930 show closed the next day. But that's just New 00:08:24.930 --> 00:08:27.680 York theater. It barely registered as a blip 00:08:27.680 --> 00:08:29.819 on her trajectory. Because her major breakthrough 00:08:29.819 --> 00:08:33.580 came almost immediately afterward. In 1962, she 00:08:33.580 --> 00:08:36.480 was cast in I Can Get It For You Wholesale, playing 00:08:36.480 --> 00:08:39.379 a secretary. And it was on this set, starring 00:08:39.379 --> 00:08:41.820 opposite Elliot Gould, that they fell in love 00:08:41.820 --> 00:08:44.179 during rehearsals and eventually married in Carson 00:08:44.179 --> 00:08:47.639 City, Nevada in September of 63. Her performance 00:08:47.639 --> 00:08:50.480 in Wholesale was a sensation. The sources noted 00:08:50.480 --> 00:08:53.850 she stopped the show cold. It earned her a Tony 00:08:53.850 --> 00:08:56.309 Award nomination and the New York Drama Critics 00:08:56.309 --> 00:08:59.269 Prize for Best Supporting Actress. The critical 00:08:59.269 --> 00:09:01.809 acclaim was just overwhelming. Gratcho Marx, 00:09:02.070 --> 00:09:04.769 observing her career at the time, commented on 00:09:04.769 --> 00:09:07.730 how remarkably young she was, just 20 to achieve 00:09:07.730 --> 00:09:10.139 that kind of success on Broadway. And that success 00:09:10.139 --> 00:09:12.580 became the obvious precursor to the signature 00:09:12.580 --> 00:09:15.580 role that elevated her to national fame, Fanny 00:09:15.580 --> 00:09:17.720 Bryce in Funny Girl at the Winter Garden Theater 00:09:17.720 --> 00:09:20.700 in 1964. The show that became the platform for 00:09:20.700 --> 00:09:24.100 two of her most recognized songs, People, and 00:09:24.100 --> 00:09:26.519 Don't Rain on My Parade. This put her on the 00:09:26.519 --> 00:09:28.799 cover of Time magazine. It just cemented her 00:09:28.799 --> 00:09:31.460 status as a cultural phenomenon. To go from sleeping 00:09:31.460 --> 00:09:35.080 on an army cot to the cover of Time in five years 00:09:35.080 --> 00:09:38.259 is just breathtaking. But here is the genuine 00:09:38.259 --> 00:09:40.460 pivot point. This is the big one. This is the 00:09:40.460 --> 00:09:43.399 moment where she secured the rights to the Barbra 00:09:43.399 --> 00:09:46.200 Streisand creative brand for the next 60 years. 00:09:46.860 --> 00:09:49.120 We are talking about the Columbia Records contract 00:09:49.120 --> 00:09:52.500 she signed in 1963 when she was just 21 years 00:09:52.500 --> 00:09:55.299 old. Okay, this is the architectural detail that 00:09:55.299 --> 00:09:58.080 matters most for you, the learner. We know she 00:09:58.080 --> 00:10:01.580 was immensely talented, but tell us, why was 00:10:01.580 --> 00:10:04.779 this contract deal so revolutionary in 1963? 00:10:05.200 --> 00:10:07.820 What was the industry standard she was defying? 00:10:08.019 --> 00:10:10.000 Well, the standard recording contract in that 00:10:10.000 --> 00:10:13.019 era and... frankly, for decades afterward, gave 00:10:13.019 --> 00:10:15.740 the label almost total power. The A &R department, 00:10:16.059 --> 00:10:18.299 artists, and repertoire, they dictated everything. 00:10:18.539 --> 00:10:21.259 The song choices, the production style. The album 00:10:21.259 --> 00:10:23.799 title, even the session musicians. Artists were, 00:10:23.860 --> 00:10:25.559 I mean, they were just cogs in a commercial machine. 00:10:25.779 --> 00:10:27.740 And Streisand refused to be a cog. Absolutely 00:10:27.740 --> 00:10:30.100 refused. The sources confirmed she accepted lower 00:10:30.100 --> 00:10:32.759 pay, specifically lower royalty rates, in exchange 00:10:32.759 --> 00:10:35.080 for securing two fundamental rights. Okay, what 00:10:35.080 --> 00:10:36.879 were they? The right to choose her own material 00:10:36.879 --> 00:10:39.679 and the right to maintain full creative control 00:10:39.679 --> 00:10:42.700 over the output. It was a massive financial gamble, 00:10:42.759 --> 00:10:45.360 but a strategic masterstroke of autonomy. She 00:10:45.360 --> 00:10:48.220 was betting that her unique artistic vision was 00:10:48.220 --> 00:10:51.120 worth more than the standard upfront cash and 00:10:51.120 --> 00:10:54.019 higher royalty rate the label was offering. She 00:10:54.019 --> 00:10:56.500 valued her artistic integrity, you know, the 00:10:56.500 --> 00:11:00.419 ability to choose a complex theatrical song over 00:11:00.419 --> 00:11:02.960 a simple pop hit more than the immediate profits. 00:11:03.419 --> 00:11:05.500 This wasn't just a contract. It was a philosophical 00:11:05.500 --> 00:11:07.919 declaration about the role of the artist. And 00:11:07.919 --> 00:11:10.539 we see her immediately flexing this muscle. The 00:11:10.539 --> 00:11:13.600 label, Columbia, wanted to title her debut album 00:11:13.600 --> 00:11:16.200 Sweet and Saucy Streisand. Which sounds like 00:11:16.200 --> 00:11:20.419 a typical packaged 1960s female singer. Very 00:11:20.419 --> 00:11:23.419 generic. Completely. And she leveraged her contractual 00:11:23.419 --> 00:11:26.159 power to overrule them, insisting on the simple 00:11:26.159 --> 00:11:28.490 commanding title. the Barbra Streisand album. 00:11:28.649 --> 00:11:30.610 Her reasoning was pure self -branding savvy. 00:11:30.870 --> 00:11:32.850 She said, if you saw me on TV, you can just go 00:11:32.850 --> 00:11:34.970 to the record shop and ask for the Barbra Streisand 00:11:34.970 --> 00:11:37.269 album. It forced the consumer and the industry 00:11:37.269 --> 00:11:40.309 to recognize her, the individual, as the brand. 00:11:40.529 --> 00:11:43.769 And the result validates the risk. The Barbra 00:11:43.769 --> 00:11:45.970 Streisand album reached the top 10 on the Billboard 00:11:45.970 --> 00:11:49.409 chart. It secured three Grammy Awards. And it 00:11:49.409 --> 00:11:52.230 established her as the best -selling female vocalist 00:11:52.230 --> 00:11:55.309 in the country by the end of 1963. The subsequent 00:11:55.309 --> 00:11:58.169 albums only cemented this success. Critics were 00:11:58.169 --> 00:12:00.110 calling her the most exciting new personality 00:12:00.110 --> 00:12:02.710 since Elvis Presley. That's some high praise. 00:12:03.110 --> 00:12:05.669 It's so important to link this control back to 00:12:05.669 --> 00:12:08.389 her personal narrative. We know she grew up with 00:12:08.389 --> 00:12:10.909 constant self -doubt and criticism, including 00:12:10.909 --> 00:12:13.649 advice that she was too ugly to be a star and 00:12:13.649 --> 00:12:17.009 needed a nose job. That creative contract acted 00:12:17.009 --> 00:12:20.029 as a shield. It protected her not just from bad 00:12:20.029 --> 00:12:22.389 songs, but from bad commercial advice and the 00:12:22.389 --> 00:12:24.750 industry pressure to surgically alter her face 00:12:24.750 --> 00:12:27.409 and conform to a specific Hollywood mold. She 00:12:27.409 --> 00:12:30.029 was able to say no, and the label had no recourse. 00:12:30.149 --> 00:12:32.590 Exactly. And she introduced this powerful brand 00:12:32.590 --> 00:12:35.110 to America via television long before her films. 00:12:35.250 --> 00:12:38.190 Her first TV appearance in April 1961 on The 00:12:38.190 --> 00:12:41.080 Tonight Show led to Phyllis Diller. also a guest, 00:12:41.279 --> 00:12:43.320 immediately calling her one of the greatest singing 00:12:43.320 --> 00:12:46.240 talents. But the truly defining early TV moment 00:12:46.240 --> 00:12:50.379 came on The Gary Moore Show in May 1962. She 00:12:50.379 --> 00:12:53.860 performed her sad, slow, deeply pensive version 00:12:53.860 --> 00:12:56.299 of Happy Days Are Here Again. A song that was, 00:12:56.340 --> 00:13:00.120 you know, the upbeat, jaunty 1930s Democratic 00:13:00.120 --> 00:13:02.480 Party theme song. So what's the significance 00:13:02.480 --> 00:13:05.159 of that, of slowing down a song that was fundamentally 00:13:05.159 --> 00:13:08.879 a political march? Well, it completely redefined 00:13:08.879 --> 00:13:11.940 the song. and her persona. The original was pure 00:13:11.940 --> 00:13:14.879 optimism. Her version introduced this layer of 00:13:14.879 --> 00:13:17.659 theatrical complexity, yearning and melancholy. 00:13:17.740 --> 00:13:19.899 It became her signature song in that initial 00:13:19.899 --> 00:13:22.460 phase. It showed audiences that she was going 00:13:22.460 --> 00:13:24.879 to take material and mold it to her own artistic 00:13:24.879 --> 00:13:27.259 needs, regardless of its original context. It 00:13:27.259 --> 00:13:29.279 was another early application of that creative 00:13:29.279 --> 00:13:32.240 control principle. That exposure led to her becoming 00:13:32.240 --> 00:13:34.480 a fixture on television, including multiple appearances 00:13:34.480 --> 00:13:36.860 on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. We also 00:13:36.860 --> 00:13:39.419 see the West Coast introduction. Liberace. Liberace, 00:13:39.500 --> 00:13:41.559 an immediate fan, invited her to perform as his 00:13:41.559 --> 00:13:43.759 opening act at the Riviera Hotel in Las Vegas. 00:13:44.000 --> 00:13:47.159 That move signaled her ascent beyond the confines 00:13:47.159 --> 00:13:50.559 of the New York theater world. This period, early 00:13:50.559 --> 00:13:53.620 60s Broadway stardom, the defining contract and 00:13:53.620 --> 00:13:56.360 critical television exposure gave her the foundation 00:13:56.360 --> 00:13:59.399 of commercial and artistic independence that 00:13:59.399 --> 00:14:02.639 few artists, let alone women artists, possessed 00:14:02.639 --> 00:14:05.200 at that time. And armed with that creative control, 00:14:05.539 --> 00:14:08.460 Streisand transitioned seamlessly into film, 00:14:08.580 --> 00:14:11.100 turning stage triumphs into cinematic milestones. 00:14:11.539 --> 00:14:13.519 Her first film role was a direct translation 00:14:13.519 --> 00:14:16.799 of her Broadway fame, right? The 1968 adaptation 00:14:16.799 --> 00:14:20.029 of Funny Girl. The film was a triumph, both critically 00:14:20.029 --> 00:14:22.429 and commercially. It led to her winning the Academy 00:14:22.429 --> 00:14:25.149 Award for Best Actress. And here's that fantastic 00:14:25.149 --> 00:14:27.889 piece of Oscar trivia. The tie. She shared the 00:14:27.889 --> 00:14:29.789 award in a famous tie with Katharine Hepburn, 00:14:29.889 --> 00:14:32.389 who won for The Lion in Winter, who remains the 00:14:32.389 --> 00:14:34.210 only time that has ever happened in that specific 00:14:34.210 --> 00:14:36.909 category. What an entry into Hollywood. She followed 00:14:36.909 --> 00:14:39.110 that up by becoming a genuine box office star 00:14:39.110 --> 00:14:42.070 throughout the 1970s, crossing genres effortlessly. 00:14:42.250 --> 00:14:45.360 We see the extravagant musical Hello Dolly. In 00:14:45.360 --> 00:14:48.120 1969, the classic screwball comedy What's Up 00:14:48.120 --> 00:14:52.799 Doc? In 72. And the sweeping romantic drama The 00:14:52.799 --> 00:14:56.120 Way We Were in 1973, which earned her another 00:14:56.120 --> 00:14:58.679 Best Actress nomination. She was a financial 00:14:58.679 --> 00:15:01.860 engine. The sources show that between 1969 and 00:15:01.860 --> 00:15:05.159 1980, Streisand appeared in the top 10 money 00:15:05.159 --> 00:15:08.039 -making stars poll a total of 10 times. That 00:15:08.039 --> 00:15:10.399 times. And to put that in perspective, she was 00:15:10.399 --> 00:15:12.840 consistently ranking alongside names like Clint 00:15:12.840 --> 00:15:15.820 Eastwood and Burt Reynolds, and often she was 00:15:15.820 --> 00:15:18.190 the only woman on that list. That just... Speaks 00:15:18.190 --> 00:15:21.070 to immense sustained commercial appeal. And she 00:15:21.070 --> 00:15:23.570 didn't just capitalize on that appeal. She demanded 00:15:23.570 --> 00:15:25.809 a cut of the infrastructure. She was already 00:15:25.809 --> 00:15:28.149 moving into the producer's chair. She co -founded 00:15:28.149 --> 00:15:30.929 the first artist production company in 1969 with 00:15:30.929 --> 00:15:33.049 heavy hitters like Paul Newman and Sidney Poitier. 00:15:33.129 --> 00:15:35.909 This wasn't about vanity. It was explicitly about 00:15:35.909 --> 00:15:38.450 securing projects and exercising creative oversight. 00:15:38.710 --> 00:15:41.450 And that desire for control manifested in another 00:15:41.450 --> 00:15:44.389 surprising Oscar win in 1976. Right. For best 00:15:44.389 --> 00:15:46.710 original song for Evergreen, the love theme from 00:15:46.710 --> 00:15:49.049 A Star is Born. This achievement is a monumental 00:15:49.049 --> 00:15:51.970 historical marker. She became the first woman 00:15:51.970 --> 00:15:54.210 in history to be honored by the Academy as a 00:15:54.210 --> 00:15:56.610 composer. She co -wrote the lyrics with Paul 00:15:56.610 --> 00:15:59.169 Williams. The ultimate expression of her need 00:15:59.169 --> 00:16:01.409 for creative sovereignty, however, came with 00:16:01.409 --> 00:16:04.529 her directorial debut. She established her own 00:16:04.529 --> 00:16:08.850 production company, Barwood Films, in 1972, specifically 00:16:08.850 --> 00:16:10.889 to control the kind of material she developed. 00:16:11.320 --> 00:16:14.000 But it took over a decade of grinding effort 00:16:14.000 --> 00:16:17.159 to bring her passion project, Yentl, to life 00:16:17.159 --> 00:16:20.220 in 1983. And this is a perfect example of her 00:16:20.220 --> 00:16:23.440 uncompromising nature. Yentl was a story she 00:16:23.440 --> 00:16:25.960 deeply believed in, based on a short story by 00:16:25.960 --> 00:16:28.419 Isaac Bashevis Singer, and she struggled for 00:16:28.419 --> 00:16:30.840 years to get it made. The sources indicate she 00:16:30.840 --> 00:16:32.779 was turned down by virtually every Hollywood 00:16:32.779 --> 00:16:36.399 studio at least once. She fought for five agonizing 00:16:36.399 --> 00:16:38.559 years, not just for the money, but for the right 00:16:38.559 --> 00:16:40.970 to direct it herself. despite having no prior 00:16:40.970 --> 00:16:43.330 experience and when she finally secured the 14 00:16:43.330 --> 00:16:46.009 million dollar budget from orion pictures the 00:16:46.009 --> 00:16:48.710 resulting achievement was just staggering streisand 00:16:48.710 --> 00:16:51.350 became the first woman to write produce direct 00:16:51.350 --> 00:16:54.730 and star in a major studio film the sheer logistical 00:16:54.730 --> 00:16:57.049 and political capital required to achieve that 00:16:57.049 --> 00:17:00.269 is immense and the industry response was revealing 00:17:00.269 --> 00:17:02.830 the film was successful it won the oscar for 00:17:02.830 --> 00:17:06.000 best original score But more importantly, Streisand 00:17:06.000 --> 00:17:08.339 won the Golden Globe Award for Best Director. 00:17:08.519 --> 00:17:10.680 And she was the first woman ever to win that 00:17:10.680 --> 00:17:13.940 award. For 37 years. She remained the only woman 00:17:13.940 --> 00:17:16.920 to hold that award for 37 years. That number 00:17:16.920 --> 00:17:20.279 alone tells you everything about the deeply entrenched 00:17:20.279 --> 00:17:22.740 resistance and the glass ceiling she shattered. 00:17:22.980 --> 00:17:25.839 It was a victory not just for her, but for every 00:17:25.839 --> 00:17:28.950 aspiring female filmmaker. and she continued 00:17:28.950 --> 00:17:31.789 to assert that directorial command despite the 00:17:31.789 --> 00:17:33.869 immense challenges and scrutiny. She directed 00:17:33.869 --> 00:17:36.569 The Prince of Tides in 1991, which was nominated 00:17:36.569 --> 00:17:39.349 for seven Oscars, and The Mirror has two faces 00:17:39.349 --> 00:17:42.670 in 1996. And Pat Conroy, the screenwriter for 00:17:42.670 --> 00:17:45.230 The Prince of Tides, called her a goddess who 00:17:45.230 --> 00:17:47.529 walks upon the earth, highlighting the intensity 00:17:47.529 --> 00:17:49.690 and meticulousness she brought to the set. Now 00:17:49.690 --> 00:17:51.849 let's pivot back to the music, because her creative 00:17:51.849 --> 00:17:54.529 independence, established by that 1963 contract, 00:17:54.869 --> 00:17:57.569 is the single most important factor in her success. 00:17:57.609 --> 00:18:00.029 decades of chart dominance, nearly all of it 00:18:00.029 --> 00:18:02.990 spent with Columbia Records. That longevity with 00:18:02.990 --> 00:18:05.569 a single label is highly unusual, and it only 00:18:05.569 --> 00:18:08.049 worked because she had the freedom to pivot artistically. 00:18:08.390 --> 00:18:11.170 In the 1970s, the sources note she successfully 00:18:11.170 --> 00:18:13.789 shifted toward contemporary pop and ballads, 00:18:13.869 --> 00:18:17.680 starting with Stoney End in 1971. And that flexibility 00:18:17.680 --> 00:18:20.220 allowed her to remain commercially relevant while 00:18:20.220 --> 00:18:23.119 many of her peers just faded. The 1970s gave 00:18:23.119 --> 00:18:25.619 us those blockbuster singles. She topped the 00:18:25.619 --> 00:18:28.539 US Billboard Hot 100 with five of them, including. 00:18:28.990 --> 00:18:31.269 The way we were evergreen. And the explosive, 00:18:31.390 --> 00:18:34.609 iconic disco duet No More Tears, Enough is Enough 00:18:34.609 --> 00:18:37.190 with Donna Summer. That duet was reportedly the 00:18:37.190 --> 00:18:39.250 most commercially successful duet as late as 00:18:39.250 --> 00:18:42.089 2010. And we cannot overlook the massive commercial 00:18:42.089 --> 00:18:44.750 success of Guilty in 1980, produced by Barry 00:18:44.750 --> 00:18:47.369 Gibb, which produced the colossal hits Woman 00:18:47.369 --> 00:18:50.140 in Love and Guilty. By the end of the 1970s, 00:18:50.140 --> 00:18:52.180 she was arguably the most successful female singer 00:18:52.180 --> 00:18:54.180 in the U .S. in terms of sales. Surpassed only 00:18:54.180 --> 00:18:56.140 by Elvis and the Beatles. Right. But the real 00:18:56.140 --> 00:18:58.000 testament to the power of that original contract 00:18:58.000 --> 00:19:01.099 comes in the mid -80s. After years of pop success, 00:19:01.400 --> 00:19:03.480 she wanted to return to her theatrical roots 00:19:03.480 --> 00:19:06.619 with the Broadway album in 1985. And the label, 00:19:06.759 --> 00:19:10.279 focused on chart hits, objected vehemently. They 00:19:10.279 --> 00:19:13.420 wanted pop. She wanted Sondheim. The label was 00:19:13.420 --> 00:19:16.079 operating under typical commercial logic, fearing 00:19:16.079 --> 00:19:18.930 the album would bomb. That's when Streisand drew 00:19:18.930 --> 00:19:20.950 on her original autonomy, reminding Columbia, 00:19:21.190 --> 00:19:23.150 I've always had the right to sing what I want. 00:19:23.250 --> 00:19:25.470 She used the leverage she had secured two decades 00:19:25.470 --> 00:19:28.210 earlier, even forcing the label to market the 00:19:28.210 --> 00:19:30.349 album the way she wanted. It wasn't just a win 00:19:30.349 --> 00:19:32.569 for control. It was a commercial and critical 00:19:32.569 --> 00:19:35.390 triumph. The Broadway album was unexpectedly 00:19:35.390 --> 00:19:37.970 successful, holding the number one Billboard 00:19:37.970 --> 00:19:40.970 position for three weeks, going quadruple platinum. 00:19:41.170 --> 00:19:44.190 And winning immense critical acclaim. It proved 00:19:44.190 --> 00:19:46.309 her artistic choices were often smarter than 00:19:46.309 --> 00:19:48.470 the market analysis. And that artistic freedom 00:19:48.470 --> 00:19:51.369 is the secret to her longevity. She is the only 00:19:51.369 --> 00:19:54.609 artist to top the U .S. Billboard 200 chart in 00:19:54.609 --> 00:19:57.069 six consecutive decades. An absolutely insane 00:19:57.069 --> 00:20:00.130 record, confirmed by her 2014 Partners album 00:20:00.130 --> 00:20:03.500 and the 2016 Encore album. Sales figures are 00:20:03.500 --> 00:20:06.480 staggering, over 150 million records worldwide. 00:20:07.240 --> 00:20:10.200 She holds the record for the most gold and platinum 00:20:10.200 --> 00:20:13.740 albums among female artists. That level of sustained 00:20:13.740 --> 00:20:16.799 commercial dominance, driven by an uncompromising 00:20:16.799 --> 00:20:19.980 artistic vision, is virtually unique. We've spent 00:20:19.980 --> 00:20:21.920 a lot of time on the architecture of her career, 00:20:22.039 --> 00:20:24.619 the contracts and the directing, but let's shift 00:20:24.619 --> 00:20:26.799 to the instrument that made all that control 00:20:26.799 --> 00:20:30.539 possible, the voice. Critics have struggled for 00:20:30.539 --> 00:20:33.359 decades to capture its technical magic. Technically, 00:20:33.500 --> 00:20:36.519 she possesses a mezzo -soprano vocal range that 00:20:36.519 --> 00:20:39.019 is often described as peerless in its technical 00:20:39.019 --> 00:20:41.700 capacity. But it's the application of that range 00:20:41.700 --> 00:20:44.539 that truly distinguishes her. How so? Well, critics 00:20:44.539 --> 00:20:47.099 point to her shrewd dynamics, which means the 00:20:47.099 --> 00:20:49.079 ability to shift volume instantly and dramatically. 00:20:49.319 --> 00:20:51.099 One second it's an in -your -ear whisper, the 00:20:51.099 --> 00:20:53.579 next it's a full, elbowing, loud command. And 00:20:53.579 --> 00:20:56.299 what else defines that unique sound? Her bravura 00:20:56.299 --> 00:20:59.279 climbs, which are those incredibly powerful ascensions 00:20:59.279 --> 00:21:01.920 to high notes. The distinctive rolling vibrato, 00:21:01.960 --> 00:21:04.599 which gives her sustained notes their characteristic 00:21:04.599 --> 00:21:08.180 shimmer. And crucially, that unmistakable, organic, 00:21:08.480 --> 00:21:11.000 singular Streisand from Brooklyn nasal quality. 00:21:11.339 --> 00:21:14.319 It's a voice that demands attention and is instantly 00:21:14.319 --> 00:21:17.319 identifiable, regardless of the song genre. What's 00:21:17.319 --> 00:21:20.160 remarkable is her musical instinct. The sources 00:21:20.160 --> 00:21:22.819 note she cannot read or write music, yet she 00:21:22.819 --> 00:21:25.660 possesses such innate compositional talent that 00:21:25.660 --> 00:21:28.160 she creates complete compositions in her head. 00:21:28.359 --> 00:21:30.619 So this gives her a unique ability to absorb 00:21:30.619 --> 00:21:33.319 a melody and then mold a tune that others cannot. 00:21:33.619 --> 00:21:35.740 She can sing in this precise territory between 00:21:35.740 --> 00:21:38.720 formal song and dramatic speech, maintaining 00:21:38.720 --> 00:21:41.000 the emotional rhythm and meaning without being 00:21:41.000 --> 00:21:43.299 constrained by the formal structure of sheet 00:21:43.299 --> 00:21:46.480 music. It's pure intuitive musical genius. A 00:21:46.480 --> 00:21:48.420 fact that impressed even the legendary classical 00:21:48.420 --> 00:21:51.750 pianist. Glenn Gould, who called himself a Streisand 00:21:51.750 --> 00:21:54.710 freak. And even as her voice has inevitably matured, 00:21:54.710 --> 00:21:57.569 it retains its emotional power. Kruwix noted 00:21:57.569 --> 00:22:00.329 around 2010 that her voice had lowered and acquired 00:22:00.329 --> 00:22:03.089 an occasionally husky edge. But the New York 00:22:03.089 --> 00:22:05.269 Times was quick to point out that she still retains 00:22:05.269 --> 00:22:07.769 the gift of conveying a primal human longing 00:22:07.769 --> 00:22:10.269 in a beautiful sound. The technical delivery 00:22:10.269 --> 00:22:13.009 might shift, but the emotional core remains. 00:22:13.750 --> 00:22:16.390 Which brings us to a major paradox of her career. 00:22:16.710 --> 00:22:19.640 The stage fright. Exactly. How does a performer 00:22:19.640 --> 00:22:21.880 with such technical command and commercial power 00:22:21.880 --> 00:22:25.200 simultaneously struggle with profound stage fright? 00:22:25.400 --> 00:22:27.799 It's truly astonishing. She has a well -documented 00:22:27.799 --> 00:22:30.420 history of it, which prompted her to use teleprompters 00:22:30.420 --> 00:22:32.440 during live shows, sometimes not just for the 00:22:32.440 --> 00:22:34.880 lyrics, but even for her spontaneous conversational 00:22:34.880 --> 00:22:38.380 banter. So we have to ask, was this artistic 00:22:38.380 --> 00:22:42.119 vulnerability? Or was it a mechanism that inadvertently 00:22:42.119 --> 00:22:44.940 amplified her commercial power? Because that 00:22:44.940 --> 00:22:48.119 stage fright led to a 27 -year hiatus from public 00:22:48.119 --> 00:22:50.559 concerts. And when she finally returned in 1993, 00:22:50.819 --> 00:22:53.220 the demand was absolutely hysterical. Hysterical 00:22:53.220 --> 00:22:55.960 is the right word. Her 1994 tour tickets sold 00:22:55.960 --> 00:22:58.940 out in less than an hour, with prices skyrocketing 00:22:58.940 --> 00:23:01.519 to $1 ,500 in some markets. Which made her the 00:23:01.519 --> 00:23:03.759 highest paid concert performer at the time. The 00:23:03.759 --> 00:23:05.980 scarcity of her live performances made them must 00:23:05.980 --> 00:23:08.160 -see events, turning her anxiety into record 00:23:08.160 --> 00:23:10.529 -breaking market value. And that commercial leverage 00:23:10.529 --> 00:23:14.089 only grew. The HBO broadcast of Barbra Streisand. 00:23:14.309 --> 00:23:16.690 The concert became the highest rated concert 00:23:16.690 --> 00:23:20.690 special in HBO's 30 -year history. Her 2006 -2007 00:23:20.690 --> 00:23:24.950 tour grossed over $119 million and set house 00:23:24.950 --> 00:23:28.329 records in 14 of the 16 arenas she played. Even 00:23:28.329 --> 00:23:31.369 with ticket prices soaring above $1 ,000, demand 00:23:31.369 --> 00:23:34.130 never waned. It speaks volumes about the enduring 00:23:34.130 --> 00:23:36.869 connections she forged with audiences. And in 00:23:36.869 --> 00:23:38.970 2012, she performed for the first time in her 00:23:38.970 --> 00:23:41.109 home borough, Brooklyn, at the Barclays Center. 00:23:41.250 --> 00:23:44.250 A triumphant, symbolic homecoming decades in 00:23:44.250 --> 00:23:46.430 the making. All of this artistic and commercial 00:23:46.430 --> 00:23:48.910 success has culminated in an unparalleled accumulation 00:23:48.910 --> 00:23:52.230 of awards and honors. She is an ego recipient, 00:23:52.529 --> 00:23:54.569 but we do need to be precise about her status. 00:23:54.710 --> 00:23:56.630 Let's clarify that for the learner. She has the 00:23:56.630 --> 00:23:59.470 Emmy, Grammy, and Oscar, but her Tony is a special 00:23:59.470 --> 00:24:02.509 award. Right, bestowed upon her in 1970 as Star 00:24:02.509 --> 00:24:04.890 of the Decade. This places her among the honorary 00:24:04.890 --> 00:24:07.410 ego recipients. While incredibly prestigious, 00:24:07.789 --> 00:24:09.789 it's distinct from winning all four awards in 00:24:09.789 --> 00:24:12.720 competitive categories. Regardless, her haul 00:24:12.720 --> 00:24:15.940 of competitive trophies is astounding. Two competitive 00:24:15.940 --> 00:24:19.059 Oscars, nine Golden Globes, five Emmys, four 00:24:19.059 --> 00:24:22.200 Peabody Awards. And ten Grammy Awards, including 00:24:22.200 --> 00:24:24.579 the extremely rare Lifetime Achievement and Legend 00:24:24.579 --> 00:24:27.599 Awards, which only 14 other artists have received. 00:24:27.900 --> 00:24:30.279 She also has the Lifetime Industry Recognition, 00:24:30.400 --> 00:24:32.720 the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award, 00:24:32.859 --> 00:24:36.400 and the AFI Life Achievement Award in 2001. And 00:24:36.400 --> 00:24:38.759 her impact on film music is immortalized with 00:24:38.759 --> 00:24:41.720 four of her songs on the AFI. 100 years, 100 00:24:41.720 --> 00:24:44.319 songs list. The Way We Were, Evergreen, People, 00:24:44.539 --> 00:24:47.579 and Don't Rain on My Parade. All classics. But 00:24:47.579 --> 00:24:49.799 the true recognition of her impact goes beyond 00:24:49.799 --> 00:24:51.839 the entertainment industry. The pinnacle of civilian 00:24:51.839 --> 00:24:53.960 recognition came when she received the National 00:24:53.960 --> 00:24:56.779 Medal of Arts in 2000 and later the Presidential 00:24:56.779 --> 00:25:00.079 Medal of Freedom in 2015, presented by President 00:25:00.079 --> 00:25:03.099 Barack Obama. These honors acknowledge her sustained 00:25:03.099 --> 00:25:05.789 influence as an American cultural figure. far 00:25:05.789 --> 00:25:07.809 beyond the confines of show business. And with 00:25:07.809 --> 00:25:10.470 her unparalleled fame and success, Streisand 00:25:10.470 --> 00:25:12.710 has consistently leveraged her visibility to 00:25:12.710 --> 00:25:15.289 influence culture and politics. Initially, the 00:25:15.289 --> 00:25:17.549 sources note, her political interest was limited. 00:25:17.960 --> 00:25:20.019 Right. Maybe focused on causes close to home, 00:25:20.140 --> 00:25:22.660 like participating in the anti -nuclear group 00:25:22.660 --> 00:25:25.359 Women Strike for Peace in the early 60s. But 00:25:25.359 --> 00:25:27.859 her activism increased dramatically as her career 00:25:27.859 --> 00:25:30.720 profile grew. One of the most fascinating political 00:25:30.720 --> 00:25:33.480 footnotes of her life is her inclusion on President 00:25:33.480 --> 00:25:37.019 Richard Nixon's infamous 1971 list of political 00:25:37.019 --> 00:25:40.059 enemies. That's a clear indication that her visibility 00:25:40.059 --> 00:25:42.940 and outspoken nature were already seen as a political 00:25:42.940 --> 00:25:45.400 threat by the White House. She became an active 00:25:45.400 --> 00:25:47.240 and foundational supporter of the Democrats. 00:25:47.279 --> 00:25:51.740 In 1984, she helped establish the Hollywood Women's 00:25:51.740 --> 00:25:55.410 Political Committee, or HWPC. And this organization 00:25:55.410 --> 00:25:57.829 was highly effective. They achieved significant 00:25:57.829 --> 00:26:00.529 political success. They successfully contributed 00:26:00.529 --> 00:26:03.009 to the Democratic Party, gaining majority control 00:26:03.009 --> 00:26:06.009 in the 1986 Senate elections. They also helped 00:26:06.009 --> 00:26:08.529 fund Bill Clinton's presidential election and 00:26:08.529 --> 00:26:11.009 were key in electing more women senators in 1992, 00:26:11.450 --> 00:26:13.670 highlighting her direct involvement in political 00:26:13.670 --> 00:26:16.170 fundraising and strategy. She consistently used 00:26:16.170 --> 00:26:19.740 her platform to advance key liberal causes. She 00:26:19.740 --> 00:26:21.759 delivered a significant address on the role of 00:26:21.759 --> 00:26:24.420 the artist as citizen at Harvard's John F. Kennedy 00:26:24.420 --> 00:26:26.640 School of Government. And she's been a strong 00:26:26.640 --> 00:26:29.400 voice for LGBT rights, famously backing the No 00:26:29.400 --> 00:26:31.799 on 8 campaign in California. She has also been 00:26:31.799 --> 00:26:35.680 outspoken on electoral issues. In 2012, she publicly 00:26:35.680 --> 00:26:39.039 criticized new voter ID laws, calling them regressive 00:26:39.039 --> 00:26:41.619 laws designed to suppress the vote of elderly 00:26:41.619 --> 00:26:44.279 and minority citizens. She labeled them the most 00:26:44.279 --> 00:26:47.180 dangerous voter fraud threatening American democracy, 00:26:47.480 --> 00:26:50.200 framing the conversation around access and civil 00:26:50.200 --> 00:26:53.039 rights. And her global engagement remains potent. 00:26:53.559 --> 00:26:56.299 She's been a longtime supporter of Israel, notably 00:26:56.299 --> 00:26:59.240 performing for Shimon Peres' 90th birthday in 00:26:59.240 --> 00:27:02.759 2013. More recently, in 2022, she was asked by 00:27:02.759 --> 00:27:05.359 Volodymyr Zelensky to become an ambassador for 00:27:05.359 --> 00:27:08.559 Ukraine's United24 platform. And she successfully 00:27:08.559 --> 00:27:13.200 raised $240 ,000 for medical aid. Her philanthropy... 00:27:13.470 --> 00:27:15.089 driven by the Streisand Foundation, established 00:27:15.089 --> 00:27:18.930 in 1986, has funneled over $16 million into causes 00:27:18.930 --> 00:27:21.589 including civil liberties, the environment, and 00:27:21.589 --> 00:27:23.809 women's issues. This aligns directly with her 00:27:23.809 --> 00:27:26.089 political leanings and commitment to social justice. 00:27:26.329 --> 00:27:29.190 The most visible manifestation of her philanthropic 00:27:29.190 --> 00:27:31.430 focus is the Barbara Streisand Women's Heart 00:27:31.430 --> 00:27:34.710 Center at Cedars -Sinai Medical Center. She personally 00:27:34.710 --> 00:27:37.650 contributed $10 million and raised an additional 00:27:37.650 --> 00:27:40.410 $22 million, making it a globally significant 00:27:40.410 --> 00:27:43.740 center. focused on women's cardiovascular research 00:27:43.740 --> 00:27:46.940 and education. She leveraged her commercial power 00:27:46.940 --> 00:27:50.000 and personal wealth for a focused, tangible good. 00:27:50.299 --> 00:27:52.619 Now we must turn to the ultimate irony of her 00:27:52.619 --> 00:27:55.640 career, the unexpected cultural legacy that goes 00:27:55.640 --> 00:27:58.799 beyond all the music, films, and politics. Streisand 00:27:58.799 --> 00:28:02.259 effect. A Streisand effect. This term has become 00:28:02.259 --> 00:28:05.039 permanent internet lexicon, and it is a fascinating 00:28:05.039 --> 00:28:07.599 counterpoint to her lifelong struggle for control. 00:28:08.039 --> 00:28:10.480 It all originated from a lawsuit she filed in 00:28:10.480 --> 00:28:12.740 2003. That's right. She attempted to remove a 00:28:12.740 --> 00:28:15.359 single photograph of her sprawling Malibu, California, 00:28:15.759 --> 00:28:18.420 home from a website. And that website was run 00:28:18.420 --> 00:28:20.759 by an environmentalist documenting coastal erosion 00:28:20.759 --> 00:28:23.660 along the California shore. She claimed the photo 00:28:23.660 --> 00:28:26.099 invaded her privacy. And what was the immediate, 00:28:26.200 --> 00:28:29.240 disastrously ironic outcome? The exact opposite 00:28:29.240 --> 00:28:31.519 of her intention. Before she filed the highly 00:28:31.519 --> 00:28:34.059 publicized lawsuit, the photograph in question 00:28:34.059 --> 00:28:36.559 had only been accessed four times. Four times, 00:28:36.619 --> 00:28:38.700 probably by the environmentalist and his team. 00:28:38.900 --> 00:28:41.960 Almost certainly. The ensuing media firestorm 00:28:41.960 --> 00:28:44.539 surrounding her legal action caused hundreds 00:28:44.539 --> 00:28:47.059 of thousands of people to seek out and download 00:28:47.059 --> 00:28:50.519 the very image she wanted to disappear. The lawsuit 00:28:50.519 --> 00:28:53.460 was dismissed, but the cultural term was born. 00:28:53.950 --> 00:28:56.750 The Streisand effect was coined, the phenomenon 00:28:56.750 --> 00:28:59.609 where any attempt to censor, conceal or hide 00:28:59.609 --> 00:29:02.750 information unintentionally causes that information 00:29:02.750 --> 00:29:05.710 to become exponentially more publicized than 00:29:05.710 --> 00:29:08.049 it ever would have been otherwise. It's the perfect 00:29:08.049 --> 00:29:10.269 illustration of how the modern digital world 00:29:10.269 --> 00:29:13.750 resists the very control that Streisand had so 00:29:13.750 --> 00:29:16.210 meticulously architected throughout the previous 00:29:16.210 --> 00:29:18.410 half century. Finally, a quick review of her 00:29:18.410 --> 00:29:20.369 personal life confirms the continuation of her 00:29:20.369 --> 00:29:23.250 story. Her first marriage to Elliot Gould produced 00:29:23.250 --> 00:29:26.230 her son, Jason Gould. Who later appeared as her 00:29:26.230 --> 00:29:28.869 on -screen son in The Prince of Tides. After 00:29:28.869 --> 00:29:30.950 several high -profile relationships, including 00:29:30.950 --> 00:29:33.089 with hairdresser and producer John Peters, and 00:29:33.089 --> 00:29:35.750 famously dating tennis champion Andre Agassi. 00:29:35.829 --> 00:29:38.490 Who noted the 28 -year age difference added spice 00:29:38.490 --> 00:29:41.369 to our connection. She married actor James Brolin 00:29:41.369 --> 00:29:43.829 in 1998, a relationship that continues today. 00:29:44.359 --> 00:29:47.119 And for those seeking the full, unvarnished story 00:29:47.119 --> 00:29:49.839 of this life defined by extraordinary ambition 00:29:49.839 --> 00:29:52.920 and creative autonomy, her memoir, My Name is 00:29:52.920 --> 00:29:56.519 Barbara, was released in November 2023, offering 00:29:56.519 --> 00:29:59.380 her final controlled narrative. So this deep 00:29:59.380 --> 00:30:01.779 dive into Barbara Streisand reveals that her 00:30:01.779 --> 00:30:03.900 career wasn't simply built on a voice described 00:30:03.900 --> 00:30:06.420 as peerless and breathtaking. No, it was built 00:30:06.420 --> 00:30:08.779 on a series of calculated strategic decisions 00:30:08.779 --> 00:30:12.319 driven by a fierce, almost revolutionary need 00:30:12.319 --> 00:30:15.359 for control. The central theme is her uncompromising 00:30:15.359 --> 00:30:18.859 autonomy. We highlighted that pivotal 1963 Columbia 00:30:18.859 --> 00:30:21.299 contract where she traded money for the freedom 00:30:21.299 --> 00:30:23.640 to choose her material and maintain creative 00:30:23.640 --> 00:30:26.200 control. A freedom she used decades later to 00:30:26.200 --> 00:30:28.579 defy the label with the Broadway album and win. 00:30:28.779 --> 00:30:31.140 And that pursuit of control culminated in her 00:30:31.140 --> 00:30:33.420 directorial achievements, becoming the first 00:30:33.420 --> 00:30:36.079 woman to write, produce, direct, and star in 00:30:36.079 --> 00:30:38.319 a major studio film with Yentl. And remaining 00:30:38.319 --> 00:30:40.579 the sole female winner of the Golden Globe for 00:30:40.579 --> 00:30:43.589 Best Director for nearly four decades. This wasn't 00:30:43.589 --> 00:30:46.190 just success. It was barrier smashing. Plus, 00:30:46.269 --> 00:30:48.250 we can't ignore the proof of her business model. 00:30:48.589 --> 00:30:51.910 That unparalleled longevity as the only artist 00:30:51.910 --> 00:30:54.970 to top the U .S. Billboard 200 in six different 00:30:54.970 --> 00:30:57.470 decades. Her success required immense business 00:30:57.470 --> 00:30:59.990 acumen, artistic integrity, and the willingness 00:30:59.990 --> 00:31:02.009 to fight for her own narrative against industry 00:31:02.009 --> 00:31:04.549 norms, even when battling her own record label 00:31:04.549 --> 00:31:07.660 and intense stage fright. Her legacy is a testament 00:31:07.660 --> 00:31:10.440 to the idea that true, sustainable success sometimes 00:31:10.440 --> 00:31:13.519 requires rejecting the easy money in favor of 00:31:13.519 --> 00:31:16.579 complete artistic freedom. So here's the provocative 00:31:16.579 --> 00:31:19.549 final thought for you, Val Arner. Given Barbra 00:31:19.549 --> 00:31:22.190 Streisand's ability to demand and maintain full 00:31:22.190 --> 00:31:24.769 creative control throughout her career, allowing 00:31:24.769 --> 00:31:27.009 her to shape her sound, her films, and her image 00:31:27.009 --> 00:31:29.769 precisely as she wished, how much of her vast 00:31:29.769 --> 00:31:32.170 and sustained success is attributable not just 00:31:32.170 --> 00:31:34.410 to her once -in -a -generation talent, but to 00:31:34.410 --> 00:31:36.750 that fierce commitment to artistic autonomy and 00:31:36.750 --> 00:31:38.769 the risks she took accepting lower pay for that 00:31:38.769 --> 00:31:42.069 freedom back in 1963? And, if we consider the 00:31:42.069 --> 00:31:44.599 ultimate irony, The coining of the Streisand 00:31:44.599 --> 00:31:46.779 effects after her attempt to control information 00:31:46.779 --> 00:31:50.220 failed spectacularly. In an age of instantaneous 00:31:50.220 --> 00:31:53.059 digital content and global distribution, does 00:31:53.059 --> 00:31:55.539 that level of uncompromising artistic and informational 00:31:55.539 --> 00:31:58.140 control even exist anymore for a modern artist? 00:31:58.420 --> 00:32:01.119 Or has the era of total control become an impossible 00:32:01.119 --> 00:32:03.960 dream? Some something powerful to mull over as 00:32:03.960 --> 00:32:06.420 you navigate your own professional life. Until 00:32:06.420 --> 00:32:08.099 the next deep dive, stay informed.