Barbra Streisand: "A Sad Day for Artistic Freedom"

www.barbrastreisand.com ^ | Barbra Streisand

[Gunder]

A Sad Day for Artistic Freedom ...Barbra Streisand Posted on November 4, 2003 I am deeply disappointed that CBS, the network that in 1964 gave me complete artistic control in creating television specials, now caved in to right wing Republican pressure to cancel the network broadcast of the movie The Reagans. (And I say MOVIE - because this is NOT a documentary - it's a television drama.) The movie will now be aired on Showtime, where the difference in viewership is in the millions.

One can only imagine the kind of pressure that would compel CBS to take such an extraordinary action. This was an organized Republican spin machine at work. Remember the Dixie Chicks controversy? It wasn't the larger general public that called in to radio stations and burned CDs, it was a small group of right wing activists. In fact, now the band is more popular than ever, with a sold out summer tour.

I don't believe Democrats often, if ever, try to muscle the First Amendment like this. For example, in 1983, no one stopped NBC from airing Kennedy, a biopic that portrayed President Kennedy and other members of his family and administration as deeply flawed, even though the movie could have potentially been hurtful to Jackie Kennedy, who was still alive to see it, as well as to her children.

This is censorship, pure and simple. Well, maybe not all that pure. Censorship never is. Due to their experience with the restrictive English government, the framers of our constitution specifically included a ban on prior restraint in the First Amendment, which is an attempt to stop information from getting out there before the public has a chance to see it at all - exactly what is going on in this case. Of course, CBS as a company has the legal right to make decisions about what they do and do not air. However, these important decisions should be based on artistic integrity rather than an attempt to appease a small group of vocal dissidents. Indeed, today marks a sad day for artistic freedom - one of the most important elements of an open and democratic society.

[My2Cents]

Good grief! By her own admission, "The Reagans" was not meant to be accurate history but a "drama." Well, Babs, when you present historical figures in a film without honoring historical accuracy, then the film becomes the lying sham that "The Reagans" turned out to be.

[TheBigB]

Posted let's see...1, 2, 3...4 times already.

[My2Cents]

This was an organized Republican spin machine at work.

Clueless. The GOP chairman only piled-on after the voices of heartland America had raise the alarm. This was the people taking their airwaves back, not a Republican orchestrated protest.

[Hodar]

I wonder, if they made a 'drama' of Adolf Hitler; and that 'drama' were to idolize and praise his many accomplishments; would it still be a 'Sad Day' if it were rejected as well?

[TrebleRebel]

I still say they were separated at birth.....

[My2Cents]

This is the first I've seen it, thank you very much.

[exit82]

Freedom to create doesn't give you the freedom to lie and distort in order to demean a man who, even at this stage of Alzheimer's, is a brighter bulb than you'll ever be, Babs.

[My2Cents]

I notice on her pathetic website there is no ability to respond to her via email, the coward.

[Gunder]

Sorry, I hadn't seen it posted anywhere. I entered "Barbra Streisand" into the search, but nothing came up. I thought some fellow Freepers would get a kick out of it.

[TheBigB]

*shrug* It's called a search function, Chief.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1015034/posts

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1015170/posts

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1015340/posts

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1015593/posts

[RebelBanker]

However, these important decisions should be based on artistic integrity rather than an attempt to appease a small group of vocal dissidents. Indeed, today marks a sad day for artistic freedom - one of the most important elements of an open and democratic society.

I am so sure this was after Dr. Laura's TV show was scrapped... No?

[My2Cents]

Hey, genius, I only responded to this post...I didn't post it. You want me to do a search of FR to see if the article has already been posted before I click and visit a recent post?

Frankly, one of biggest pet peeves I have about FR are the "dual post" nazis. Chill.

[ampat]

Okay, lyling is an art to some people.

[TheBigB]

Relax dude. I should've posted that to Gunder. MY bad entirely. I was just pointing out that it's been on here. Sorry you missed it earlier.

[TheBigB]

Dual posts are understandable. But when you get up to seeing the same article 4, 5, 6 times or more...well, that does get annoying.

[Revolting cat!]

In the end, to quote Brbra, it would be "A Sad Day for Artistic Freedom" if we couldn't post for the 5th time, not counting the times when this entire screed was posted inside a related thread, an illiterate screed by an ex-diva, just so the nazis (his characterization, not mine) who had missed it the first 5 times, could enjoy it!

[Seeking the truth]

Hey Babs, you're next on the list!

[martin_fierro]

No, Babs, this mess was A Sad Day for Artistic Freedom.

[truthandjustice1]

My eyes! My eyes!