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Barbra Streisand Is Sad
http://barbrastreisand.com/statements.html ^ | 11/4/03 | Barbra Streisand

Posted on 11/05/2003 7:27:31 AM PST by journey7873

A Sad Day for Artistic Freedom

...Barbra Streisand

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.


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: barbrastreisand; cbs; hollywoodleft; reagans; thereagans
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To: RedBloodedAmerican
Something wrong with your link. I get an error message.
21 posted on 11/05/2003 7:37:22 AM PST by EggsAckley (..........................God Bless and Keep Terri.....................)
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To: exile
Now, this is an example of humor that does not help our cause.

Why alienate pigs?
22 posted on 11/05/2003 7:37:50 AM PST by Nick Koss
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To: EggsAckley
I just tried it and it works fine...huh?
23 posted on 11/05/2003 7:38:22 AM PST by journey7873
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To: EggsAckley
Oh, the other link...nevermind.
24 posted on 11/05/2003 7:39:03 AM PST by journey7873
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To: journey7873
In other words Barbara Streisan wants us to only be able to say Crimethink doublepluss ungood.

Translation Ronald Reagan was a good president and a good man.


Her ego must really take a hit by the amount of people who no longer care for her.
25 posted on 11/05/2003 7:39:17 AM PST by longtermmemmory (Vote!)
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To: journey7873
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.

Oh really? It always is, isn't it? The stealthy hand of the Right-Wing Conspiracy. It just never enters your head to consider the possibility that you might be wrong about something, does it?

This is censorship, pure and simple.

No, it isn't. You haven't the foggiest idea what censorship 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.

Barbra the Constitutional Scholar.

What a peawit.

26 posted on 11/05/2003 7:39:31 AM PST by Riley
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To: journey7873
She's deeply disappointed and Tom Daschle is deeply saddened.

A classic example of the weird and weirder.

27 posted on 11/05/2003 7:40:04 AM PST by hgro
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To: journey7873
In fact, now the band is more popular than ever, with a sold out summer tour.

“Now” they’re “more popular than ever, with a sold out summer tour”?!?!

It’s November, Babs. Is this “sold out summer tour” they’re currently on in Argentina?

28 posted on 11/05/2003 7:40:12 AM PST by dead (I've got my eye out for Mullah Omar.)
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To: journey7873
Hmmmmm.......when I click it I get the following:

Directly downloading images is not permitted on the Netfirms FREE plan. If you are the owner of this site, either ensure that this image is embedded in a web page, or upgrade to one of the Netfirms premium plans.

29 posted on 11/05/2003 7:40:24 AM PST by EggsAckley (..........................God Bless and Keep Terri.....................)
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To: journey7873
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.

The stupidity of this woman is crystallized in this statemetn. The First Amendment does not prevent the public from attempting to censor people or companies. It only prevents the government from doing so. This was the market at work. CBS made a financial decision, pure and simple.
30 posted on 11/05/2003 7:40:30 AM PST by Bronco_Buster_FweetHyagh
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To: journey7873
BoooooooooooooWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAhooohoooo!!
31 posted on 11/05/2003 7:40:51 AM PST by cymeckajax3
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To: exile
ROFLMAO!
32 posted on 11/05/2003 7:42:08 AM PST by sheik yerbouty
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To: APFel
Can Barbara spell "business decision"? The reviews I've seen call it a flop.Judy Davis as Nancy is really bad casting...she played her like Faye Dunaway did Crawford in Mommie Dearest.Brolin plays Reagan as a buffoon and with alzeimers while President.
33 posted on 11/05/2003 7:43:00 AM PST by MEG33
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To: journey7873
And I say MOVIE - because this is NOT a documentary - it's a television drama.

[...]

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.

Well... which is it, Babs? You can't have it both ways. Is this just a "movie", or is it "information"? If it is just a movie then the thing that is happening to it is called "criticism", not censorship. Face it Babs, it is a lousy shipwreck of a movie that CBS now probably wishes they had never made. But then again, had the producers rejected the script when they first got it, partly because it was badly written and partly because it was merely an intentionally cruel and idealogically driven hatchet job-- Babs would've thought that was censorship too.

34 posted on 11/05/2003 7:43:42 AM PST by Ramius
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To: MEG33
Brolin plays Reagan as a buffoon and with alzeimers while President.

James Brolin’s acting skills make Steven Seagal look like Lawrence Olivier.

35 posted on 11/05/2003 7:44:34 AM PST by dead (I've got my eye out for Mullah Omar.)
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To: journey7873
She implies CBS 'censored' the Reagans and is thus part of the so-called VRWC?

BS!

36 posted on 11/05/2003 7:44:47 AM PST by Post Toasties
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To: journey7873
Welcome to the NEW age of accountability BaBa.
Ask Daschel about his standards towards GWB judicial appointments. The libs do not want to be held accountable for anything they say or do. This serves notice that there is still accountability for words and actions that are defaming and untrue.
37 posted on 11/05/2003 7:45:21 AM PST by o_zarkman44
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To: journey7873
Strike up one up for the little people. This broad calls the Reagan hit peice "artistic freedom" ....I call it slander. Slander is nothing less than murdering someones good character and name.

Besides who prevented CBS from running it other than the fear of loss? Gosh, I despise these people.

LOL! The little people successfully p*ss off Barbra Streisand...Life just don't get any better than this!

38 posted on 11/05/2003 7:45:32 AM PST by hope
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To: journey7873
I don't believe Democrats often, if ever, try to muscle the First Amendment like this.

HAHAHAHAHAHA!

Where did this "movie" come from? If they wanted ratings they should've made a movie about the Clintons.

39 posted on 11/05/2003 7:45:42 AM PST by <1/1,000,000th%
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To: journey7873
It couldn't have happened to a nicer person.
40 posted on 11/05/2003 7:45:48 AM PST by RayChuang88
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