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Barbra's AOL Chat |
Feature/March 2010 |
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Barbra Streisand hosted an internet chat
back in 1998. |
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Barbra's
Chat
Room
March 14, 2010
She never did it before, and hasn't done it since. In 1998,
Barbra Streisand took an extraordinary leap of faith by hosting a live
interactive chat session with the general public on AOL.
Barbra explained the reason she decided to go live into a chat room
during her opening comment:
Barbra Streisand:
Hi. This feels like a performance. Only, I don't have to dress up. I'm
sitting here in my sweats and sneakers. I'm very glad to be here even
though this is quite scary. This is my first time online. In 1986, I
was able to raise money and awareness by doing a concert for the
Democrats. We didn't have time this year. So in order to make some
sort of a difference, and encourage people to vote, I've taken to the
Web.
Barbra's on-line chat was
hosted by AOL and kicked off promptly at 9 PM (EST) on November 2. It
lasted 30 minutes. Getting Streisand into a chat room was a major
coupe for AOL, and they heavily promoted the upcoming event. Since you
had to be a member of AOL to participate or follow the chat, AOL
probably acquired many new subscribers that evening.
The chat had one significant goal: to get out the vote, an interest
Barbra has championed many times since.
The Streisand chat was moderated by AOL. Live questions were taken for
Barbra to answer. While it was extraordinary
that Barbra would open herself up like this in the first place, she
was not flying without a net. There was
a safeguard. If you wanted to talk
with Barbra, you first had to submit your question, presumably for
screening and to insure that the discussion remained on point. The
screening process was quick, though. Within moments, if your question
was selected, Barbra answered, often by acknowledging you by your
first name.
As expected, most of the questions Barbra answered were about the
election, the democratic platform, and President Bill Clinton:
Question :
Hey Barbra. My name is Krista. I am 16 years old and a REALLY huge
fan of yours! I asked my History teacher what the difference between
a democrat and a Republican was ... What do you see as the difference?
Barbra Streisand: Good question, Krista. The
Republicans have always been the party of big business. And have
represented the interests of the wealthiest Americans. So it comes
down to this: If you want a party of the people, by the people and
for the people, vote Democratic. If you want a party of the
corporation, by the corporation and for the corporation, vote
Republican.
But as the chat
progressed, Barbra did manage to answer a question or two about her
life and career:
Moderator:
Barbra, many of your fans are sending in questions about your career
plans. What's next films, recordings, politics?
Barbra Streisand: I'm starting an album this month
called "Barbra...In Love." I work in my garden a lot. I have a rose
named after me coming out in 2001. We're starting a website called
www.barbrastreisand.com. I'm enjoying married life.
Regardless of the agenda,
the fact that Barbra Streisand would participate in a live chat at all
was remarkable. Not only was Barbra's first live internet chat covered
by the usual entertainment outlets, but it was also a lead story in
the mainstream news media.
You can
read the entire
transcript here. |
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