Barbra Streisand: Redefining Beauty, Femininity, and Power

by Neal Gabler

Barbra Streisand has been called the most successful...talented performer of her generation by Vanity Fair, and her voice, said pianist Glenn Gould, is one of the natural wonders of the age. Streisand scaled the heights of entertainment from a popular vocalist to a first-rank Broadway star in Funny Girl to an Oscar-winning actress to a producer and director. But she has also become a cultural icon who has transcended show business. To achieve her success, Brooklyn-born Streisand had to overcome tremendous odds, not the least of which was her Jewishness. Dismissed, insulted, even reviled when she embarked on a show business career for acting too Jewish and looking too Jewish, she brilliantly converted her Jewishness into a metaphor for outsiderness that would eventually make her the avenger for anyone who felt marginalized and powerless.
Neal Gabler examines Streisand s life and career through this prism of otherness a Jew in a gentile world, a self-proclaimed homely girl in a world of glamour, a kooky girl in a world of convention and shows how central it was to Streisand s triumph as one of the voices of her age."

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, Music, Jewish, Media Tie In, Judaism, Feminism

297 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 26, 2016

About the author

Neal Gabler is a distinguished author, cultural historian and television commentator who has been called “one of America’s most important public intellectuals.” His first book, An Empire of Their Own: How the Jews Invented Hollywood, won the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for History and the Theatre Library Association Award for the best book on television, radio or film. On the centenary of the first public exhibition of motion pictures in America, a special panel of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences named it one of the one hundred outstanding books on the American film industry. His second book, Winchell: Gossip, Power and the Culture of Celebrity, was nominated for the National Book Critics Circle Award and was named the non-fiction book of the year by Time Magazine. His third book, Life the Movie: How Entertainment Conquered Reality, is currently being used in college courses across the country to examine the convergence of reality and entertainment. His fourth book, Walt Disney: The Triumph of the American Imagination, a New York Times best-seller, was named the biography of the year by USA Today and won Mr. Gabler his second Los Angeles Times Book Prize. It was also the runner-up for the prestigious Kraszna-Krausz Book Award in England. His new book, Barbra Streisand: Redefining Beauty, Femininity and Power, was published by Yale Univ Press this past April as part of its Jewish Lives series.

Mr. Gabler was graduated with high distinction and highest honors from the University of Michigan and was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa. He holds advanced degrees in film and American Culture. He has also taught at the University of Michigan, where he won an outstanding teaching award, and at the Pennsylvania State University. Leaving academe, he was selected to replace departing co-hosts Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel on the public television movie review program, “Sneak Previews.” He has also been the host of the American Movie Classics cable television network, of “Reel to Real” on the History Channel, and of “Reel Thirteen” on WNET, the public television station in New York, for which he won an Emmy.

Mr. Gabler is a contributing editor at Playboy and a regular contributor to the New York Times, the Boston Globe, the Los Angeles Times, and Reuters Opinion, and his essays and articles have appeared in Atlantic, Newsweek, Vanity Fair, The Nation, The New Republic, Men’s Journal, George, Time, TV Guide, Variety and many other publications. In 2014, he won the National Arts and Entertainment Journalism Award from the Los Angeles Press Club. He has also been a contributor to the Fox News Channel and served as a panelist on the weekly media review program “Fox News Watch” from 2002 to 2007. One television critic called him a “megawatt brain…whose take on media coverage was fiercely individualistic, profound and original.” He has made appearances on “The Today Show,” “CBS Morning News,” “Entertainment Tonight,” “Charlie Rose” and the PBS “NewsHour.” And this year he is contributing a weekly column to billmoyers.com on the election and the media

Mr. Gabler has been the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship, a Shorenstein Fellowship at Harvard University, a Freedom Forum Fellowship, and was a Woodrow Wilson Public Policy Scholar. He has also been the chief non-fiction judge of the National Book Awards and a judge of the Los Angeles Times Book Prizes. He is currently a senior fellow at the Norman Lear Center for the Study of Society and Entertainment at the University of Southern California and is a Visiting Professor in the MFA Literature and Writing program at SUNY Stony Brook. He was also the 2013 recipient of the Patrick Henry Writing Fellowship at Washington College. His older daughter Laurel was a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford where she received her doctorate in Public Health. She is currently matriculating at Harvard Medical School. His younger daughter Tanne taught in the World Teach program in American Samoa, was an A

Reviews

[*TUDOR^QUEEN* · Rating 4 out of 5]

First, let me say that Barbra Streisand is my favorite actress and singer and has been since the late 1970's when I saw her in "A Star is Born." That is one of my "coming of age" movies that I carry with me through life and remember with nostalgia. I think of her more so as a great actress, although she is an equally brilliant singer. Her characters crackle with life on the screen and touch me like no other actress. I'm sure that would make her happy, as this book claims she longed more than anything to be a famous actress, but achieved fame through singing as her primary force of talent.

I am an avid reader with my favorite genre biographies, but for some reason have never had the occasion to read one about Barbra. So, here it is via the generosity of NetGalley in return for my fair and honest review. I make that distinction because when I like a famous group or person I read biographies about them. For instance, as a major Beatles fan, I have read a multitude of biographies about them. When a new book comes out about The Beatles, I find myself comparing it to the quality of others I have read in terms of content and new information. This is the first book I have read about Barbra Streisand, so I have nothing to compare it to.

This book was never boring and was a quick read. It was a page-turner. I found out new information about Barbra I had never known, which was a joy. It covers Barbra's unhappy and challenging childhood in Brooklyn which was filled with family strife and poverty. She was both literally hungry and hungry to become famous as an outgrowth of that. It was a burning desire in Barbra that she fought very hard to achieve, armed with her ingrown talent and the intelligence that she believes she inherited from her father.

A large aspect of this book is describing how Barbra's Jewishness impacted her life and propelled her to success. Instead of turning her back on it as some might have, she embraced it and in fact touted it. She would not have her nose fixed, her attitude towards her appearance and life was self-deprecating, and somehow this all worked in her favor and the public embraced her for it.

I have always admired Barbra's drive and strength to be fiercely involved with her film projects. It has been reported how difficult dealing with Barbra was for movie producers and directors. She cares deeply about her work and has a distinct vision. This also can be construed as pushy and part of a Jewish stereotype, and also being a woman in an industry where primarily men are movie producers and directors...this just shows Barbra's all-in dedication to her art and how she broke all the rules at the time. This book covers all of this with a psychological overview of Barbra in the context of her Jewish heritage.

Although this retrospective spans Barbra's entire life, a good portion of the book detailed that psychological makeup and Jewish background. I would now like to read other books about Streisand that the author cited throughout this book to flesh out more details I would be interested in. For instance, I would like to read of a deeper perspective involving her romantic relationships and experiences making her movies. So, this was a very good book to whet my appetite to explore further reading about the great Barbra Streisand.

[Belén · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you for showing me that being myself is no wrong

[Mandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This would have been a much more readable and engaging book if the author hadn’t been quite so in love with his subject. I don’t think I’ve ever read such an adulatory biography – or biographical essay as it is more correctly called. Talk about fawning – really quite sickly at times. Nevertheless if you can wade through all the sweetness there’s much here to enjoy and as a portrait of Streisand it does what it sets out to do. The book is part of the Yale University Press Jewish Lives Series, a series of brief (although this one certainly seemed too long at times) biographies exploring a wide range of diverse Jewish figures, so it’s not surprising that Gabler concentrates very much on Streisand’s Jewishness and how integral it is to her life and career. He states his case convincingly but rather too repetitively. There doesn’t seem to be any original research here, as Gabler merely quotes from other people, so there’s little new to learn. But it’s a quick and easy, if somewhat superficial, study of an iconic figure, and overall I found it a compelling, if sometimes irritating, read.

[Sharon Huether · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this book through Goodreads First-reads.
As a child Barbra loved to sing and liked an audience. She was always trying to prove herself to her mother. Her father had died when she was a toddler, not one to fill that void, but an uncaring stepfather.
Barbar loved her Jewishness.
In her teens she wanted to be an actress. The advise she got was to act while singing. She took it to heart and everything improved.
She achieved great success and now is happy doing all the things she wasn't able to do while working.
The author did a great job in presenting Barbar. It was a very interesting book.

[Ben · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loses points for referring to What’s Up Doc as trash.

[John Ferreira · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the book. He made some good points. He also covered topics and subjects that have been covered in other books on Streisand. I cringed each time he quoted from the books by Christopher Anderson, and Anne Edwards. Those two books are so bad in so many ways. Although I liked the depth Gabler took on some topics, he failed on some others. One point he and others have focused on is Barbra's choice of characters and stories. As an actor myself, it is far easier to create and act a character you have some infinity and commonalities with. Doubtfully she would be cast as it, but I don't think Barbra could play a poor Southern woman. Although I'm sure she would surprise people, even though people would object to it.

I really wish someone would take Larry Kramer to task for Barbra not being able to make "The Normal Heart." He thinks for all her fame, that she has the power to just snap her fingers, and get a movie made. Hollywood studios being what they are, and only catering to the lowest common denominator, would never have made a movie about gays, and AIDS. They would not see that they could make a lot of money from it. In the end, it was made for HBO, a company that doesn't have to worry so much about profits. They make their money whether or not people watch the show, movie, series.

I don't think anyone in Hollywood can just get a movie made. Especially a story that centers on a segment of the population that is not Caucasian and Christian. Also, that is interesting in some way. It's the reason we only see the movies we do.

I disagree with Gabler assessment of "What's Up Doc". It's a movie that will be appreciated for years. Even after seeing it numerous times, I sat in a revival theater, and still laughed (as did others), as I we were seeing for the first time. The courtroom scene itself is a master class in farce. Which sadly, is no longer understood, or attempted.

Gabler went over and over again about Barbra's appearance, and what people think of it. It is not without needing to be pointed out how people think she's unattractive. I was standing in a grocery line years ago. The Vanity Fair with Barbra on the cover was out. From behind me came the voice of a woman saying, "There's Barbra Streisand. Ugly as ever." I had to see who it was that said that. Much to my surprise, I found that the epitome of beauty, and the look that all women should strive to look like, was a bottle blonde with an ass two axe handles wide. I think the woman was jealous, because despite not having conventional beauty, Barbra had succeeded.

Unless she changes the characters she gravitates to, Barbra will never win another Oscar for acting. Those awards are only given to actresses whose characters are not strong women. They are never forthright and go for what they want. They end up dead or the worse for the experience. Also, tend to be nice girls who know their place. It's like a return to the 1940's where the independent woman got her comeuppance in the end.

I may read another of Gabler's books. If they are anything like this one, he brings up some things that makes one think.

[Marlene · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting, analytical look at Babs, less a biography than a dissection. Thanks to Alexa, I was able to play the music under discussion as I was reading about it. I have read biographies about her before, so I wasn't looking for the story of her life as much as a more intricate discussion on the works of her life, and this was it. But the author, who is a Jewish male, seemed intent on making sure there was a line constantly drawn between Barbra and something, anything, Jewish; good or bad. And also, on emphasizing that she was not good looking. I am not one of those girls who was in love with La Streisand in high school (I had friends who were; I do recognize the signs!) but I do know the difference between inner and outer beautify. In fact, one need only watch her transformations, as Mr. Gabler loves to harp on, in her movies to see the changes... he claims she was "ugly" in the beginning of Funny Girl, but beautiful in the end. The same in each of her movies, he said, especially The Mirror has two Faces, where the emphasis is on falling in love with with one's inner beauty. For my part, I think Mr. Gabler is obsessed with physical beauty, and needs to look beyond it. I admit, I expected better of him. Even though his sources are all noted, it is his interpretations I object to. Likewise, he lumps all Jewish women into a group of "ugly," "loud," and other unpleasant characteristics. Kind of makes me wonder about his own upbringing. Still, I found a lot to enjoy in this book, and found it fairly easy to read.

[Brooke · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've had this book sitting on my shelf for a few years, so I decided it was time to finally pick it up.

I learned so much about Barbra Streisand I didn't know before. This book is part of the Jewish Lives series, so a big part of this book was about her Jewishness and how it impacted her life, career and success. Throughout her life and rise to fame, so many people belittled her and told her she would never make it because she was ugly, because of her Jewish nose. But Barbra wasn't going to let that stop her. She was hungry for fame, and she was going to get it.

"Streisand's lasting legacy may be that her characters have provided a bridge between a film world where Jews barely existed and where women were valued only for their looks and their submissiveness, and a world yet to come, where both Jews and women are treated with the respect, complexity, and richness they deserve."

Barbra described herself as "a bagel on a plate of onion rolls." And she was, not only in her Jewishness, but also in her determination to always be different. She was never going to blend in, so she made standing out her whole shtick.

"She takes the ugly and makes it beautiful. Taking the supposedly ugly and making it beautiful, of course, was the essence of her entire life, and it made for the perfect confluence of the woman and her work."

Barbra's refusal to assimilate and be anything other than the Jewish girl from Brooklyn that she is/was is inspiring. Thank you, Barbra, for showing Jewish girls everywhere that it's more than OK to be unapologetically Jewish.

[James Scheid · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is another good read from the Jewish Lives Series from Yale University Press.
This is not a laudatory biography nor is it a gossipy hit job. In most of the book, when it talks about her personal life it does it to show how it informs her artistic choices. This poor Jewish girl from Brooklyn should not have made it. Her looks didn't match the ideal of beauty of her early days, but her talent was noticed while she was still a teenager. When she was signing in the small clubs of Greenwich Village she was noticed because she looked different and when she sang, she made audiences feel she was living the songs. It is remarkable that she had no formal musical training. The biography points out her self-centeredness but also her courage at being defiantly ethnically Jewish at time when blonds with petite noses were in fashion. As I was reading this, I looked up some recordings of her early performances that are on You Tube. I rediscovered why I was such a fan in my younger years.

[Brian Hutzell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fine entry in Yale University Press’s Jewish Lives series. Gabler tells us up front that “This volume doesn’t purport to be a biography of Barbra Streisand. There are already plenty of those…” Instead, Gabler focuses on how Streisand’s life and work have both reflected and affected various aspects of society. Even though I like movie What’s Up, Doc? (it comes under some scathing criticism here), I enjoyed and recommend this book.

[Carolyn Harris · Rating 3 out of 5]

A well written short biography of Barbra Streisand with a strong emphasis on her strong personality, choice of film roles, Jewish identity and determination to remain in control over her career. The author spends a little too much time analyzing popular perceptions of her appearance and the book could have included more about her political activism, social circle, motherhood and other aspects of her life and career.

[Maria Endreva · Rating 3 out of 5]

Твърде много и тенденциозно се акцентира на еврейския произход и абсолютно всичко се гледа през тази призма. Според мен му се отдава много по-голяма роля отколкото играе в действителност. Издателите са свършили работата половинчато. Пълно е с печатни грешки, да се чуди човек този редактор, който се мъдри в надписите отзад какво е свършил. От превода също има какво да се желае. Иначе книгата се чете леко и бързо и е приятна, особено за почитателите на Стрейзанд.

[Khris Lewin · Rating 4 out of 5]

As someone who has always been impressed by Streisand, but not a fanboy, I was surprised at what an emotional journey this book turned out to be. I now feel the need to do a private retrospective of her films and albums, and wish I could rewatch Michael Urie in Buyer and Cellar. The book is perhaps overly reverential at times… but, having now read the story, perhaps that’s appropriate.

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author explores the uniqueness of this iconic performer. Barbra Striesand strives to be the best in her performances. She has been branded as difficult to work with and agrumentative. Her absent father, unsupportive mother, and step-father gave her the imperious to achieve success. Peter Lerman did a good job on the narration.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Most enjoyable and informative book about an amazing and talented woman. I’ve enjoyed many of the books in this Jewish Lives series and this is a very good one. I like the way the author presented his research on her life.

[Peggy Walt · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting read about Babs from a Jewish perspective, and again realized how groundbreaking her career was/is. Brought back a lot of memories of singing to her early records as a teenager.....recommended reading for Barbra fans and those interested in cultural history.

[Pllapitan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Have always been a fan of Streisand. Did not know all the troubles she had in the industry. Didn’t realize how being Jewish was so important. In a way I wish I hadn’t read all the negatives. I just want to remember her brilliant voice and the good movies.

[Todd Peddle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simply Awesome.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ver interesting and surprising.

[Michelle Abramson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Barbra is fascinating, but the premise is weak. Plus, what kind of crazy person doesn’t like What’s Up Doc? Find a better biography.

[Marilyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved everything about this book BUT readers must love Barbra and she is to value the beauty of this book. I loved it!!

[Chandler · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5

[Sara Balda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall it's a good book. I got bored in some parts. However, I didn't know a lot about her Jewish background and it was interesting to find out how that part of her influenced her career.

[Justine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this a very interesting read and relatable. I loved Streisand growing up, her early films particularly, but inevitably lost interest in her as times moved on so didn't know very much about her career when I began this.

Although this isn't really a biography but rather an extended essay, I still appreciated the way in which it explains really well why certain individuals and groups identified with Streisand's non-conformity and embraced her 'otherness' as a Kooky, highly self-believing, intelligent, confident, Jewish woman who was not the traditional Hollywood beauty.

[Ben · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is one of the seminal moments in American film and, quite possibly, American culture generally. The camera dollies in toward a woman in a leopard-skin coat and matching hat, her back to the camera, then veers slightly to the left to reveal an ornate, gold-framed, full-length mirror in which we see the woman's image, though her face is obscured by the coat's collar. She pulls down the collar just enough to reveal that inimitable Streisand visage, arches her brows, and assesses herself -- coolly. Then she purrs, "Hello, gorgeous." There is a cut to a close-up, and Streisand emits the tiniest, almost inaudible laugh/snort, as if it were a joke, though she acts as if the joke is on us. It is. But then her expression turns dark, wistful, as if to tell us how far she has had to come to utter those words.

This is how Barbra Streisand introduced herself to the film audience in Funny Girl in 1968, and what an introduction it was! First, there is her look -- a kind of exoticism, half Afghan hound, half Jewess. And then there is the manner -- the secretiveness, the cool, diva elegance only slightly betrayed by those arched brows, the self-scrutiny that gives way to self-doubt. And then there is the voice -- that unmistakable Brooklyn accent, the "gorgeous" elongated to "gaaaaw-jus," an accent that just didn't comport with the regal bearing, the expensive coat, the sense of control. And then there is that laugh, as if to say... well, it said a lot. And then that sadness, which said even more.

[Katie Lawrence · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review for the Library Journal:

Part of a series dedicated to the Jewish experience, this biography of Barbra Streisand (b. 1942) addresses her life through the lens of her Jewishness and how her faith and culture affected her career. Building on extensive research, Gabler (Walt Disney: The Triumph of American Imagination) presents a highly focused view of Streisand's development as a woman and performer. She comes across as extremely driven and self-absorbed, with several anecdotes shared of the great lengths she went to in order to get ahead. This "pushiness" and fortitude is attributed to the singer/actress/director's heritage, the early loss of her father, her need to meet her mother's approval, her feelings of being an outsider, and more. Many theories are presented for her behavior and progress, but it is difficult to discern which, if any, of these factors really came into play. Owing to the author's more analytical concentration on Streisand's evolution, the personal and relatable details about her are often lacking.

VERDICT Recommended for readers seeking an additional study of Streisand or who are interested in the lives of prominent Jewish men and women. For a more extensive account, see William Mann's Hello Gorgeous: Becoming Barbra Streisand.

[Gio · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not your usual Barbra Streisand biography. If you expect a detailed account of everything she did in her life, you'll be disappointed. Instead, the author focuses on her Jewishness and the impact her faith had on her life and career. It's also a study on her extraordinary development as a woman and performer, which caused her to push the boundaries and redefine the meanings of beauty, femininity and power.

Gabler doesn't spare either praise nor criticism, as Barbra comes across as incredibly talented and deeply insecure, a combination that has always driven her to try harder and rise to the top. This also partly explains the criticism and bad rep as "difficult" Barbra has got in some circles.

His prose gets a bit too verbose at times, but overall, this is a great read for die-hard fans of Barbra. Everyone else may want to watch her movies, listen to their albums and read a couple of classic biographies before tackling this volume.

[Brooke · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book charts the many struggles Barbra faced during her rise from club singer to Hollywood star to cultural icon. There isn't anything too surprising to fans and Gabler has mainly collated quotes and anecdotes from other sources, but it's a timely reminder of what a tough world show business is for women (especially those who speak their minds and take on active roles in the creative process).

[Barbara Nutting · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't like her before I read the book and I like her even less now that I have finished it!! I always thought her singing voice sounded like someone hasjust stepped on the cat's tail!! She sure was hung up on not being pretty - big deal!! The uglies outnumber the beauties by far and don't turn into mean spirited monsters. It was well written and provided a lot of incite into what made Barbra BARBRA!!

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a giveaway from GR. Thanks to Yale publishing also for letting me read this.

The author did a good job of collecting information from other sources. He got a little verbose for me (or else it was my intellect) but it was enjoyable. Even though it was only 369 pages it took me longer than it usually would for some reason.