buttah! 15 reasons you should be obsessed with barbra joan streisand (a picspam)
Hello all! Apologies for long time no icons, but I promise to post some soon. In the meantime I have picspam for picspammy all about Barbra Streisand! Features pictures and music and all things Babs!
#1. She went from a mieskeit from Brooklyn to International Super Star.
Barbra (that's two a's!) Joan Streisand (StreiSAND, not ZAND.) was born in Williamsburg, Brooklyn on April 24, 1942. Her father died when was a little over a year old, and Barbra's mother re-married when she was 7 (her step dad was a total asshat, beeteedubs.) Barbra grew up incredibly poor, so poor that she used a hot-water-bottle as a doll (a story she reiterates in every interview EVER.) and her Mother was completely unsupportive of her aspirations as an actress. (Yeah, her Mom is a total idiot and ends up having pink hair as an old lady. Girlfriend's crazy sauce.) She hated school, didn't have many friends, and no one believed in her. Poor Little Babs had a pretty crappy childhood, but she had enough chutzpah for 20 girls. Well, good thing for us, Babs pulled a total Fanny Brice (prophetic, eh?) and showed 'em all by becoming one of the most well known performers of all time. HIT IT, BABS (I'm The Greatest Star - Funny Girl).
#2. She's a Broadway legend!
Truth be told, our girl Babs has only been in two Broadway shows her entire life. She played the role of Miss Marmelstein in 1962's I Can Get It For You Wholesale (she stole the show and met first husband Elliot Gould, to boot!). She originated her most memorable role (probably) and one of the most legendary roles in Broadway history when she starred as Fanny Brice in 1964's Funny Girl. And did I mention she was 22? BECAUSE SHE WAS 22 YEARS OLD, and taking Broadway by storm. Holla, Babs, holla. Anyway. She has only been on Broadway twice, and that was back in the 60's, but she is considered to be a Broadway legend. Why? Well mainly because of Fanny Brice, but ALSO because she has starred in many Broadway-to-screen adaptations such as On A Clear Day You Can See Forever, Funny Girl, and Hello Dolly. Streisand also released The Broadway Album, which is pretty self explanitory. She recorded a ton of showtunes and it was epic and everyone loved her all the more. Buy it! (Being Alive - The Broadway Album)
#3. Hello, gorgeous!
With all this talk of Funny Girl, why not throw in the movie adaptation? Yes, darlings. The epic movie where Babs has insane costumes and even crazier hair and then she belts her lungs out. Funny Girl is the story of Broadway star/film star/commediene/conniseur of all things awesome Fanny Brice and her relationship with her first husband, Nick Arnstein. It also stars Omar Shariff, who has scary eyes and is basically a huge creep. But that doesn't really matter, because there is Barbra. In fact, the movie itself? Not exactly all that and a bag of crackers, but Barbra's mere presence elevates the movie to god-like status. (Ironically, this becomes a pattern for the rest of her film career...) If you haven't seen the film yet, then I command you to saunter on over to Youtube and look it up. Watch her musical numbers, and fall to your knees in awe. Actually, here, I'll link you to the best one. (My Man - Funny Girl)
#4. The woman does EVERYTHING.
Thought Barbra was just a singer/actress? Well ya thought wrong, honies. Babs does it all. Director, composer, writer, activist, producer, editor, singer, actress. And I'm also fairly convinced that she probably mops the floors of every venue she has ever played in. Some would call her a control freak, but, hey, SHE GETS SHIT DONE. And it's fabulous. Rock on, sister suffragette. (Putting It Together - The Broadway Album)
#5. Yentl
Speaking of directing, writing, producing, ETC? Meet Yentl! Barbra did all of that and more for her 1983 film Yentl. The story of a Jewish girl in the early 1900's who wants to study the Talmud, but she's forbidden to study it because she is a woman. And Mandy Patinkin is naked, RANDOMLY. There's also a ton of nutsy stories that Barbra tells about the making of the film. Ie: paranormal experiences with her Father. True, and awesome. ALSO, the 2 disc special edition just recently came out and it is LOADED with goodies. Check it out! Judaism! Feminism! BARBRA! Three of my very favorite things all rolled into one epically terrific movie. (A Piece of Sky - Yentl)
#6. She sports the most epic hairstyles ever.
And this is only a small sampling, folks. We've got the dark hair, the dark bob of the early 60's, the long hair of the late 60's early 70's, the pixie cut, The Way We Were 'do, THE RED AFRO (totally boss!), the peroxide blonde look, and then she tamed it down and it's been the same for the past 20ish years. Just sayin', guys, the evolution of her hair is one of the greatest things about fangirling her.
#7. "She kept her nose to spite her face"
So sang Babs in her 1994 MGM Grand concert. I don't know about you all, but I love the schnoz. It's got character, just like our girl Barbra. I don't have anything against plastic surgery, but I really respect Barbra for not having it "fixed" so that she could be "conventionally pretty". She looks gorgeous just the way she is. (I'm Still Here/Everybody Says Don't/Don't Rain on my Parade Medly - Timeless)
#8. The Concerts!
For all of us guys and gals who haven't been fortunate enough to catch Babs live, FEAR NOT. There are plenty of concert DVDs to tide us over until Barbra gives her last concert (AGAIN). And they are all full of her batshitedly FABULOUS antics. Her One Voice concert was a benefit for the Democratic party back in the 80's. Barbra: The Concert was at the MGM Grand back in 1994. It's crazy sauce. The Timeless Concert took place on New Years Eve 1999, and is the craziest YET. Recreations of Barbra's past? Check! Random tapdancers? Check! Hilarious BarbraDancing? Check! Lastly, in April we're finally get a DVD/Blu-ray release of a 3 disc collection that features her 2006 concert and other fabulosities. Pre-order that shit, y'all! (The Main Event - The Timeless Concert)
#9. The TV Specials!
Not only do we have the concerts, but a DVD set of her 5 TV specials is also available for purchase. (The Belle of 14th Street not pictured because it is teh lame) These are Emmy Award winning, folks. A Happening in Central Park was a free concert filmed in the 60's that was aired on televison. Barbra Streisand...And Other Musical Instruments has Ray Charles. And she BELLY DANCES. In Color Me Barbra she dresses up like Nefertiti! Guys! They are crazy. They are necessary viewing for all people! (Lover Come Back To Me - My Name Is Barbra)
#10. Linda Richmond's Coffee Talk
In the 90's Mike Meyers created the character of Linda Richmond on SNL. Linda is Barbra's self-proclaimed #1 fan who has her own Brooklyn-based talk show Coffee Talk. Linda's entire show is a lovefest to Barbra, is hilarious, and chock-full of references to Babs. It's become part of Streisand Lore, and Barbra even brought Linda on stage at her 1994 concert! On one episode of SNL, Barbra made a surprise visit to Coffee Talk. No, really. Not even Mike Meyers knew that Barbra would be showing up that night. Barbra walks on to say hi to the Coffee Talk ladies, and all hell breaks loose! Watch it here! "The Prince of Tides is neither about princes nor tides. DISCUSS!"
#11. She's an activist!
A lot of people talk crap about Barbra because she is a vocal Democrat. What-to-the-evs, is all I have to say in response! Barbra is a smart, well-informed, dedicated activist and has every right to speak her mind on politics. She's also a hardcore feminist! Be sure to check out her blog. It's a ton of Bush bashing and is the greatest thing I have ever read. It's entirely political, but it's a fun read. (The Woman In The Moon - A Star Is Born)
#12. The Way We Were
In the mood for a sappy chick flick? In the mood to drool over Robert Redford? Do you love it when communism meets Hollywood? Need a sad, schmaltzy, song to listen to while you eat your weight in chocolate? Look no further than The Way We Were. It's a great movie with a plot I'm too tired to summarize, but it has a lot to do with Robert Redford being sexy. Intrigued yet? YOU SHOULD BE. (I totally ship them, btw.) (The Way We Were)
#13. Duets
We all know that Bab's is at the top of The Hierarchy of Divadom, but girlfriend knows how to share the stage. In the early 60's, when Babs was still singing at nightclubs, Judy Garland invited Babs to be a guest on The Judy Garland Show. It's brilliant. Kneel down and WORSHIP in their presence. Barbra also did a duet with Celine Dion called Tell Him, which is divalicious and has a hilaaarious music video. Barbra also duet-ed with Lauren Frost at her Timeless concert. Lauren was chosen to play "Little Barbra" in the scenes that re-created Barbra's childhood. They have several duets throughout the concert. (Get Happy/Happy Days Are Here Again - Judy Garland & Barbra)
#14. Greatest Voice Evar, Y/Y?
Recognize, bitches. Her voice is one of the greatest of all time. Interested in more of her music? I have an entire Streisand folder of nearly all of my Babs music. Feel free to snag some.
#15. 'Cause I said so!
This isn't a legit reason. I just wanted to top this off at 15 and use these two pictures.
Hope you enjoyed! Comments would be greatly appreciated because I spent a good deal of time making this :)
#1. She went from a mieskeit from Brooklyn to International Super Star.
Barbra (that's two a's!) Joan Streisand (StreiSAND, not ZAND.) was born in Williamsburg, Brooklyn on April 24, 1942. Her father died when was a little over a year old, and Barbra's mother re-married when she was 7 (her step dad was a total asshat, beeteedubs.) Barbra grew up incredibly poor, so poor that she used a hot-water-bottle as a doll (a story she reiterates in every interview EVER.) and her Mother was completely unsupportive of her aspirations as an actress. (Yeah, her Mom is a total idiot and ends up having pink hair as an old lady. Girlfriend's crazy sauce.) She hated school, didn't have many friends, and no one believed in her. Poor Little Babs had a pretty crappy childhood, but she had enough chutzpah for 20 girls. Well, good thing for us, Babs pulled a total Fanny Brice (prophetic, eh?) and showed 'em all by becoming one of the most well known performers of all time. HIT IT, BABS (I'm The Greatest Star - Funny Girl).
#2. She's a Broadway legend!
Truth be told, our girl Babs has only been in two Broadway shows her entire life. She played the role of Miss Marmelstein in 1962's I Can Get It For You Wholesale (she stole the show and met first husband Elliot Gould, to boot!). She originated her most memorable role (probably) and one of the most legendary roles in Broadway history when she starred as Fanny Brice in 1964's Funny Girl. And did I mention she was 22? BECAUSE SHE WAS 22 YEARS OLD, and taking Broadway by storm. Holla, Babs, holla. Anyway. She has only been on Broadway twice, and that was back in the 60's, but she is considered to be a Broadway legend. Why? Well mainly because of Fanny Brice, but ALSO because she has starred in many Broadway-to-screen adaptations such as On A Clear Day You Can See Forever, Funny Girl, and Hello Dolly. Streisand also released The Broadway Album, which is pretty self explanitory. She recorded a ton of showtunes and it was epic and everyone loved her all the more. Buy it! (Being Alive - The Broadway Album)
#3. Hello, gorgeous!
With all this talk of Funny Girl, why not throw in the movie adaptation? Yes, darlings. The epic movie where Babs has insane costumes and even crazier hair and then she belts her lungs out. Funny Girl is the story of Broadway star/film star/commediene/conniseur of all things awesome Fanny Brice and her relationship with her first husband, Nick Arnstein. It also stars Omar Shariff, who has scary eyes and is basically a huge creep. But that doesn't really matter, because there is Barbra. In fact, the movie itself? Not exactly all that and a bag of crackers, but Barbra's mere presence elevates the movie to god-like status. (Ironically, this becomes a pattern for the rest of her film career...) If you haven't seen the film yet, then I command you to saunter on over to Youtube and look it up. Watch her musical numbers, and fall to your knees in awe. Actually, here, I'll link you to the best one. (My Man - Funny Girl)
#4. The woman does EVERYTHING.
Thought Barbra was just a singer/actress? Well ya thought wrong, honies. Babs does it all. Director, composer, writer, activist, producer, editor, singer, actress. And I'm also fairly convinced that she probably mops the floors of every venue she has ever played in. Some would call her a control freak, but, hey, SHE GETS SHIT DONE. And it's fabulous. Rock on, sister suffragette. (Putting It Together - The Broadway Album)
#5. Yentl
Speaking of directing, writing, producing, ETC? Meet Yentl! Barbra did all of that and more for her 1983 film Yentl. The story of a Jewish girl in the early 1900's who wants to study the Talmud, but she's forbidden to study it because she is a woman. And Mandy Patinkin is naked, RANDOMLY. There's also a ton of nutsy stories that Barbra tells about the making of the film. Ie: paranormal experiences with her Father. True, and awesome. ALSO, the 2 disc special edition just recently came out and it is LOADED with goodies. Check it out! Judaism! Feminism! BARBRA! Three of my very favorite things all rolled into one epically terrific movie. (A Piece of Sky - Yentl)
#6. She sports the most epic hairstyles ever.
And this is only a small sampling, folks. We've got the dark hair, the dark bob of the early 60's, the long hair of the late 60's early 70's, the pixie cut, The Way We Were 'do, THE RED AFRO (totally boss!), the peroxide blonde look, and then she tamed it down and it's been the same for the past 20ish years. Just sayin', guys, the evolution of her hair is one of the greatest things about fangirling her.
#7. "She kept her nose to spite her face"
So sang Babs in her 1994 MGM Grand concert. I don't know about you all, but I love the schnoz. It's got character, just like our girl Barbra. I don't have anything against plastic surgery, but I really respect Barbra for not having it "fixed" so that she could be "conventionally pretty". She looks gorgeous just the way she is. (I'm Still Here/Everybody Says Don't/Don't Rain on my Parade Medly - Timeless)
#8. The Concerts!
For all of us guys and gals who haven't been fortunate enough to catch Babs live, FEAR NOT. There are plenty of concert DVDs to tide us over until Barbra gives her last concert (AGAIN). And they are all full of her batshitedly FABULOUS antics. Her One Voice concert was a benefit for the Democratic party back in the 80's. Barbra: The Concert was at the MGM Grand back in 1994. It's crazy sauce. The Timeless Concert took place on New Years Eve 1999, and is the craziest YET. Recreations of Barbra's past? Check! Random tapdancers? Check! Hilarious BarbraDancing? Check! Lastly, in April we're finally get a DVD/Blu-ray release of a 3 disc collection that features her 2006 concert and other fabulosities. Pre-order that shit, y'all! (The Main Event - The Timeless Concert)
#9. The TV Specials!
Not only do we have the concerts, but a DVD set of her 5 TV specials is also available for purchase. (The Belle of 14th Street not pictured because it is teh lame) These are Emmy Award winning, folks. A Happening in Central Park was a free concert filmed in the 60's that was aired on televison. Barbra Streisand...And Other Musical Instruments has Ray Charles. And she BELLY DANCES. In Color Me Barbra she dresses up like Nefertiti! Guys! They are crazy. They are necessary viewing for all people! (Lover Come Back To Me - My Name Is Barbra)
#10. Linda Richmond's Coffee Talk
In the 90's Mike Meyers created the character of Linda Richmond on SNL. Linda is Barbra's self-proclaimed #1 fan who has her own Brooklyn-based talk show Coffee Talk. Linda's entire show is a lovefest to Barbra, is hilarious, and chock-full of references to Babs. It's become part of Streisand Lore, and Barbra even brought Linda on stage at her 1994 concert! On one episode of SNL, Barbra made a surprise visit to Coffee Talk. No, really. Not even Mike Meyers knew that Barbra would be showing up that night. Barbra walks on to say hi to the Coffee Talk ladies, and all hell breaks loose! Watch it here! "The Prince of Tides is neither about princes nor tides. DISCUSS!"
#11. She's an activist!
A lot of people talk crap about Barbra because she is a vocal Democrat. What-to-the-evs, is all I have to say in response! Barbra is a smart, well-informed, dedicated activist and has every right to speak her mind on politics. She's also a hardcore feminist! Be sure to check out her blog. It's a ton of Bush bashing and is the greatest thing I have ever read. It's entirely political, but it's a fun read. (The Woman In The Moon - A Star Is Born)
#12. The Way We Were
In the mood for a sappy chick flick? In the mood to drool over Robert Redford? Do you love it when communism meets Hollywood? Need a sad, schmaltzy, song to listen to while you eat your weight in chocolate? Look no further than The Way We Were. It's a great movie with a plot I'm too tired to summarize, but it has a lot to do with Robert Redford being sexy. Intrigued yet? YOU SHOULD BE. (I totally ship them, btw.) (The Way We Were)
#13. Duets
We all know that Bab's is at the top of The Hierarchy of Divadom, but girlfriend knows how to share the stage. In the early 60's, when Babs was still singing at nightclubs, Judy Garland invited Babs to be a guest on The Judy Garland Show. It's brilliant. Kneel down and WORSHIP in their presence. Barbra also did a duet with Celine Dion called Tell Him, which is divalicious and has a hilaaarious music video. Barbra also duet-ed with Lauren Frost at her Timeless concert. Lauren was chosen to play "Little Barbra" in the scenes that re-created Barbra's childhood. They have several duets throughout the concert. (Get Happy/Happy Days Are Here Again - Judy Garland & Barbra)
#14. Greatest Voice Evar, Y/Y?
Recognize, bitches. Her voice is one of the greatest of all time. Interested in more of her music? I have an entire Streisand folder of nearly all of my Babs music. Feel free to snag some.
#15. 'Cause I said so!
This isn't a legit reason. I just wanted to top this off at 15 and use these two pictures.
Hope you enjoyed! Comments would be greatly appreciated because I spent a good deal of time making this :)