Don't Rain on Streisand's Parade! [Part 2]

     Don't Rain on Streisand's Parade!

Link to part 1: http://eastyblog.blogspot.com/2019/11/dont-rain-on-streisands-parade-part-1.html

(Photo from https://www.pinterest.com/pin/143833781818629027/)

         At the beginning of her music career in the early 1960s, Streisand took a shoot in the singing audition for the Broadway play The Sound of Music. Having the first rejection couldn’t stop her desire was still burning passionately. According to Lamb (2019), thanks to the comedian Phyllis Diller, Streisand officially became a paid singer working at Bon Soir nightclub, where her talents and sense of humor combined and created lively performances (par. 6). That was similar to what happened to the main character in the movie Funny Girl (1968). 

         Streisand has great ambitions. After top-charted albums with Grammys and an Oscar award, she started writing songs and brought home an Academy Award with the original single “Evergreen” (1976), which appeared in the top money-making film A Star Is Born (1976) co-starring her (Lamb, 2019, par. 13). After all of these successes, Streisand didn’t settle down to only acting and music.

        In the 1980s, Streisand involved in the film industry and became the first female producer and director. Her first project, Yentl (1983), received rejections from many Hollywood studio at first when they found out that the director and the main actress of the film would be Streisand. However, the rejections couldn’t stop her. Shortly after Yentl (1983) was released, Streisand received the Golden Globe Award for Best Director and became the first certified female director (Lamb, 2019, par. 15). This reminds me of her song in the 1960s, which implies the unstoppable, inner strength of femininity.  

        “Don’t Rain On My Parade” (1964), which appeared in the film Funny Girl (1968), was about a Rebel who controlled her own life. Nobody could tell her how to live or rain on her parade (see Appendix B). She just simply wanted to spend her life doing what she enjoyed. It’s hard to deny the popularity of “Don’t Rain On My Parade” (1964) in its time when the women's liberation movement had successfully impacted the society’s thinking about women’s freedom. 

         The song began with a direct, powerful message: “don’t tell me not to live”. After singing the word “don’t”, Streisand paused a bit. This pause didn’t portray hesitation. Instead, it showed her persistence and even her stubborn when she ignored others’ advice. With the wonderful chest voice and resonance, Streisand had made the song a powerful declaration, an anthem for the feminine world.     
   
        However, what makes Streisand an icon of feminism are her philanthropy and her support for women, minorities, and LGBTQ community. She never misses a chance to speak up for them. Since 1986, through the Streisand Foundation, she has successfully raised fund for feminine and humane organizations like Barbra Streisand Women’s Heart Center,  Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Feminist Majority Foundation, the Rape Foundation, and Brennan Center for Justice. She is also a supporter for political, environmental, and educational institutions like Center for Economic Policy Research, the Nation Institute, Environmental Media Association, Climate Reality, the UCLA Foundation, the Cambodian Children’s Fund, etc (Influence Watch, n.d., par. 4). With her contributions, in 2004, Streisand received the Humanitarian Award from Human Rights Campaign.

        Always standing up for justice, Barbra Streisand shows her insecure feelings toward the U.S. government with her original song “Don’t Lie To Me” (2018) in the album Walls. The song reflects unequal judgements and protection from the politicians. It carries the message that everyone deserves the truth and equal rights. The highlight of the song is the powerful question “how do you sleep when the world is turning?” (see Appendix C). In this song, Streisand has portrayed a Rebel who is asking for liberation.     

(Photo from https://www.pinterest.com/pin/464855992784126572/) 

   
        Barbra Streisand is an influential figure who inspires people, especially women, to fight for their rights and start giving back to the community. In many cases, she seems to be a Rebel that ignores the rules or social standards for a woman. However, she is a Wonder Woman to the majority with the openness in her thinking and speaking. 

Eurus Thach.

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References:

Greenwald, M. (n. d.). “Don’t Rain On My Parade” [Review of the song “Don’t Rain On My Parade”]. Allmusic. Retrieved from https://www.allmusic.com/song/dont-rain-on-my-parade-mt0028617657.

Iskowitz, M. (1998). Streisand and Brolin on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Barbra Streisand Archives. Retrieved from http://barbra-archives.com/bjs_library/90s/brolin_star_walkoffame.html.

Lamb, B. (2019). Barbra Streisand Biography: Her Life and Career [Blog Post]. Retrieved from https://www.liveabout.com/barbra-streisand-biography-4586388.

Sony Music Entertainment. (n. d.). Biography [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://barbrastreisand.com/biography/.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. (2019). Barbra Streisand: American Actress, Singer, Director, Producer. Encyclopaedia Britannica. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/biography/Barbra-Streisand.

Wikipedia. (n. d.). Barbra Streisand discography. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbra_Streisand_discography.

Don't Rain on Streisand's Parade! [Part 1]

Don't Rain on Streisand's Parade!

(Photo from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbra_Streisand)

     In front of the landmark Chinese Theater, on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, a shiny pink star has always been reflecting a glorious history of the powerful Barbra Streisand (par. 1, Iskowitz, 1988). In April of 1942, a rose blossoms under the sunbeam of the Spring Goddess. Like a rose with a passionate smell and sharp thorns, Streisand impacts the male industries and areas like films and political attitudes with her powerful and respectful femininity. Hence, during the 1960s and 1970s, our rose, Barbara Joan Streisand had refined the female stardom with multiple talents and ethnic outspokenness (par. 1, Britannica, 2019). Streisand symbolizes the urban Wonder Woman of her time with the strong independence, admirable career achievements, and powerful impact on liberal politics.

     Starting with the first winning in a Manhattan small local nightclub’s amateur talent contest, Streisand devoted more to music. Her singing engagements in Greenwich Village cabarets had brought her the ticket to the musical industry. She took the chance to be Miss Marmelstein in the Broadway musical I Can Get It for You Wholesale (1962). Although it was a small comic role, Streisand had stolen the stage light. Receiving attention from the public, her image was spreading on television. Thanks to the generous host, Streisand received more audience's approval in the Judy Garland Show. With this trigger, she released a series of The Barbra Streisand Albums (1963 -1964) and People (1964). The Barbra Streisand Album, her first album, has brought her many honorable awards. Two of them are from the Grammy academy for The Best Album of The Year and The Best Female Vocal Performance (par. 2, Britannica, 2019). Also, her fourth album  People (1964) reached the top 1 in the US peak chart positions (Wikipedia, n.d.). However, the success couldn't limit her talents with only the music industry.

     Barbra Streisand had made a breakthrough in the musical Funny Girl (1964), which was turned into a movie in 1968. She received an Oscar for The Best Actress. Streisand was in the role of Fanny Brice (1891 -1951), a young woman from a slumdog neighborhood with great ambitions of being a musical star. From the beginning, Brice stood out from other colleagues with her clumsiness and loose outfits. Although her appearance wasn't special, she had high self-confidence with her talents.
The film reflected the heavy expectation of the Compliant stereotype of women before the 1960s. It was when a female’s appearance decided her whole life. "When people pay good money in the theatre, especially the male elements, they want something extra to look at… If a girl isn't pretty, like a Miss Atlantic City. All she gets in life is pity and a pat",  Brice's aunt made her statement. However, since her first success, she was unstoppable.

     By gratefully appearing as a pregnant lady in a wedding dress and performing "His Love Makes Me Beautiful" (1964), Streisand had created a great impression in the musical industry. Both Brice and Streisand had made an iconic phenomenon since. Nowadays, this highlight scene still gains the audience's amazement and laughter in every Funny Girl musical plays.

     "His Love Makes Me Beautiful" (1964) is a musical song about a woman who gains self-confidence via her lover. A Compliant, "strictly a female female" ("I Enjoy Being a Girl", 1958), who needed a man to feel pretty. After the line "Ziegfeld presents her with justifiable pride" (Appendix A), the audience expected to see a grateful bride with gentle walking and gestures. Fanny Brice (played by Streisand) had turned everything upside down. She stepped out, in the audience's amazement with a huge belly. The audience busted out laughing. With this joke, the film had claimed that a woman was beautiful despite how her appearance changed. "Thank you for putting such a beautiful dress on a pregnant woman", a female audience told Ziegfield. "His Love Makes Me Beautiful" (1964) was portraying an appreciated Compliant.

(Photo from https://www.pinterest.com/pin/434456695275422272/)

     Barbra Streisand, with her great acting, raised her voice whenever she sang the word "beautiful" or the phrase "of my love's affection". At the same time, she looked down her belly with an overwhelming face. She questioned in silly tone "I'm beautiful? Oy" and the expression "Oy" completely stole the show. Streisand's voice was natural. Her funny facial expressions were so real as if she was being herself instead of Brice.   

Eurus Thach

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References:

Greenwald, M. (n. d.). “Don’t Rain On My Parade” [Review of the song “Don’t Rain On My Parade”]. Allmusic. Retrieved from https://www.allmusic.com/song/dont-rain-on-my-parade-mt0028617657.

Iskowitz, M. (1998). Streisand and Brolin on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Barbra Streisand Archives. Retrieved from http://barbra-archives.com/bjs_library/90s/brolin_star_walkoffame.html. 

Lamb, B. (2019). Barbra Streisand Biography: Her Life and Career [Blog Post]. Retrieved from https://www.liveabout.com/barbra-streisand-biography-4586388. 

Sony Music Entertainment. (n. d.). Biography [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://barbrastreisand.com/biography/.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. (2019). Barbra Streisand: American Actress, Singer, Director, Producer. Encyclopaedia Britannica. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/biography/Barbra-Streisand.

Wikipedia. (n. d.). Barbra Streisand discography. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbra_Streisand_discography.