<p>They had to cancel 14 shows in the US because of absent ticket sales.
Forgetting their political views, I think their music is pretty mediocre, so maybe that’s why they need something else to sell tickets. But insulting the President when you are overseas is not going to win you many friends here.
And yes musicians and actresses have the right to free speech, but half the time they are uninformed, and don’t know what they are talking about. When they use their fame as a platform which will influence others, they should at least take the time to understand the issues they are preaching about. Unfortunately many don’t have the IQ to get that far.</p>
<p>All of you guys are too young to remember Nixon’s inauguration in 1969 and the demonstrations in Washington DC at the time. But I was there, and was kind of torn between the more “straight” protesters and the Yippies (Youth International Party). We were all in a classroom where someone was giving a lecture on political tactics or something-or-other when Jerry Rubin and several others burst into the room, running around the edge yelling, “Throw down your books! Run into the street and be free!” and then ran out. On the one hand, it was a terrible, rude interruption and on the other, it was quite exciting.</p>
<p>I kind of moved into and out of the crowd doing the “In-hog-uration of Pigasus J. Pig” (The Yippies), but really decided that while they were having great fun, it really was working against the serious protest that was also going on.</p>
<p>During inauguration day, there were anti-Nixon speeches on the Mall and one speaker was just getting started when a large group started snaking through the crowd shouting “Shut the F*** Up! Shut the F*** Up!” on and on, so that the speaker couldn’t continue. I remember laughing at the general chaos (which I now regret doing). The speaker was visibly shaken.</p>
<p>Sometimes you get caught up in the moment…</p>
<p>Protests are fine, but silencing dissenting voices is not.</p>
<p>Well, who knows why Matt Lauer didn’t mention more about Columbia. Did he do a story on it at all? I haven’t watched Today yet during this new season but in the past, he wasn’t the one who did the news, Ann Currie did. In any case, I think that although you may think that the Columbia incident is ‘far more significant’, the reality is that in the media, it’s not. Oh, and I’m not sure what the ‘divorce scandal’ comment had to do with this discussion either. I guess I don’t keep up on my celebrity gossip because I hadn’t heard anything about him divorcing. The last time I was in the city, I saw him and his wife at a restaurant and she was very obviously pregnant!</p>
<p>As I said, I think that the ‘hecklers’ in both situations were wrong. Neither had the right to disrupt the event, for the people onstage or for the people in the audience. I doubt that in another venue, Barbra would have an issue with that man’s right to express himself. However, in a crowd of thousands at MSG in the middle of a performance, is not the time, any more than it would have been the time for someone who agreed with her ‘skit’ and wanted to stand up and scream that he loved what she was saying about GWB. Either way, it’s rude behavior and she had every right to get upset. I’ve seen similar, but not so blatant, exhibits of uncivilized behavior at theatre performances. People who go to see a show and during the show object to some of what’s going on onstage, commenting so that those around them are disturbed. Fortunately, I’ve never actually seen someone stand up and shout, but I’ve seen numerous people leave performances when something onstage irritates their sensibilities. Here again, it’s a good idea to know what you’re getting into when you purchase your ticket.</p>
<p>rds, it’s not “spin” at all. Yes, they’ve cancelled some dates, but they’ve been replaced with others and ticket sales are strong. The nephew of a friend is a techie with them on this tour and their shows are selling out in almost every city.</p>
<p>So Matt Lauer told the guy to take a break…and the big deal is what, exactly…</p>
<p>Look at it this way, Babs is ALL over the news for swearing, the Columbia story was basically a non-story, so talking about what happened at Bab’s concert, which was all over places like Drudge…did Drudge go balistic about the Columbia event, don’t remember it being to big a deal over there…</p>
<p>driver, wow, are you cranky again today? capitals and all…shouting at me over cyber space, I am touched…</p>
<p>anyway, I don’t like what happened at Columbia, I don’t like the KKK parading in Illinois, but part of living in a democracy is dealing with the fringes of society, I think those people that protest funerals are horrid, but where do we draw the line at free speech</p>
<p>the heckler was a jerk, Babs told him off, and life goes on</p>
<p>She could be a marvelous, cheerful voice in the public eye for years and years, yet she thinks her political opinion is somehow significant. She should keep her opinions private and her singing public. She’d be much more pursuasive that way and we’d all like her then.</p>
<p>Now she’s a just divisive twit who, by the way, just happens to be able to sing.</p>
<p>I agree with this statement. In both instances, the audience members were not polite by disturbing and trying to stop or drown out the speakers or performers. This has nothing to do with my “politics”. I’m liberal but can still say that the students in the audience at the Columbia event were wrong in how they acted. So was the heckler for trying to disturb the performance. If he didn’t like it, he could leave. Ms. Streisand should not have cursed at him and let her frustration get the better of herself and she apologized. Ideally, security would have taken steps to keep an audience member from disturbing the performance. It is hard to perform or speak when an audience it trying to keep you from doing so. </p>
<p>rds wrote:
</p>
<p>As the parent of a performing artist, I find that generalization quite offensive. Like in any category of people, some have certain traits and some don’t. My D is in the performing arts and she has the IQ and academic qualifications to have gone into any intellectual endeavor. Her passion belongs in the performing arts. Likewise, MANY of her peers whom I know who are in her field (musical theater) or in other performing arts (dance, music) are some of the best students I know. I ALSO know some in the arts who are not intellectuals or not very good students. I could NEVER generalize as you have about performers. Frankly I find such stereotypical comments quite insulting. I imagine you do not value the arts or see artists as worthy as lawyers, doctors, or business execs. Frankly, my own kid could have pursued any of those fields along with others but her passion, her drive, her soul are in the arts. She happens to ALSO be intellectually “gifted” for lack of a better “label” for those with a high level of intelligence.</p>
<p>why in the WORLD should she keep her feelings private, is she supposed to be a robot for others entertainment> she obviously doesn’t need everyone to like her or doens’t care if you approve of her views or not</p>
<p>that is the great thing about this country, we can have views, and if you don’t like them, you can ignore them, if you don’t want to hear Babs talk politics, don’t, when you go to a show by a performer, you see it all</p>
<p>Divisive? Yeah, no other American’s in the public eye are divisive on the “other side”</p>
<p>It is truely amazing that you all expect her to just sing for you, like a stepford wife, she sings like she does because of who she is, so you can take her or leave her, she really doesn’t need your approval</p>
<p>As the paying public, you have a choice as to whose music to buy, which concerts and performances to attend. If an artist like Ms. Streisand rubs you the wrong way since she publicly voices her political points of view as a performer, it is best to just avoid her. That’s part of her “package” and you can either buy it or leave it. I’m not passing judgement on her politics and would say this objectively whether I agreed with her leanings or not. I have a choice when it comes to the arts as to who I want to listen to, watch, or buy.</p>
<p>Apparently there are many people in the world who like Babs’ music and performances since she is hugely popular and talented. The goal of a performer isn’t necessarily to be liked by every potential audience member.</p>
<p>As well, what is the big deal with the F WORD…its an adjective…wow…for us to be so freaked out in this day and age for someone to blurt out the F word…my goodness…</p>
<p>What is truely amazing about that word:</p>
<p>is a noun, a verb, an adjective, an adverb, a superlative, an insult, a compliment, a grunt…it is one of the most amazing english words when you think about it</p>
<p>I don’t use it, much, but I have said it…and I will probably blurt it out again, and I would bet, each and every poster here, even if they don’t admit it, has used that word in frustration…and the world kept on turning</p>
<p>Huh? There are various spellings of the name Barbara. Have you looked at baby name books lately? LOL</p>
<p>One of my kids has a name that has several versions of spelling the name. In fact, I purposely didn’t want to use an UNUSUAL spelling of it when we named her and used the boldface (most common) entry for that name in a baby name book, not one of the variations. In fact, her name is even spelled phonetically correct. Constantly, people spell it wrong (and say it wrong). Anyway, for many names there are variations in spelling. </p>
<p>Barbara and Barbra are two variations of spelling of the same name with the same meaning. Ms. Streisand’s spelling of her first name is NOT unsual at all, let alone “wrong.”</p>
<p>The one thing I can’t TOLERATE is INTOLERANCE!!!</p>
<p>Yada yada boo boo…</p>
<p>Why is this even a topic??? Oh I forgot, somebody was offended… Who cares? This is only news because some of you need something to be outraged about lately as one side been getting pounded pretty good for real concerns for America. </p>
<p>Don’t like Babs, don’t like the Chicks, don’t buy their products and leave it at that. Who cares what they say anymore than Rush, Matt or H&C? They’re all entertainers. It just depends if you like the show or not.</p>
<p>Opie, you’re right…they can stop buying their records, stop going to their concerts and switch the TV channel! Different taste for different folks.</p>
<p>This thread makes me wi*<strong><em>l. Or boa</em></strong><em>l. Maybe even lu</em><strong><em>l.</em> But I guess my bottom line is that if I pay big bucks to hear a performer, I don’t want to listen to some drunk “expressing his opinions” from the next table. I’d probably welcome the performer expressing her opinions about his inability to **</strong>, if it resulted in him ****. And I don’t think anyone would take exception to her doing that if it wasn’t a snarky way to express disapproval of her political opinions.</p>
<p>*my apologies to all for this, but it always cracks me up that CC has seen fit to censor this particular sequence of letters no matter where they appear.</p>
<p>I admit that one of my very favorite performers has been known to go off on tangents on stage-
Sometimes I have felt like saying " oh hush", but I also know that one of the reasons I find him so appealing is that he* is* very passionate, and that extends to his political views- so I just grin and bear it </p>
<p>I also would be really p<em>i</em>s<em>s</em>ed, if a heckler interfered with my ability to enjoy a show, and if the security wasn’t taking care of it- more power to the performer to do so.</p>
<p>By the way, I have read some accounts of people who were at this concert who mention that when Barbra tried to get the heckler to stop, the audience applauded her.</p>