Given her many interviews along the way, Oprah Winfrey is no stranger to awkward occurrences. Heck, the flip side is also true after Oprah had uncomfortable experiences alongside David Letterman as a guest. When she finally reappeared on the show, fans were stunned by her return the Late Show, and it caused a huge spike in the ratings.
Speaking of ratings, Barba Streisand was another former guest alongside Oprah. However, interviewing Barbra has proved to be quite the task. We'll reveal some of the hurdles interviewers have faced in the past. We're also going to reveal the struggle Oprah faced, and how she wasn't pleased by Streisand tampering with a microphone. Oprah was clearly upset and cut to commercial. However, the two were still able to conduct an entertaining interview.
Barbra Streisand's Behavior During Interviews Has Been Problematic In The Past
Taking on an interview with Barbra Streisand is certainly a massive accomplishment, however, it comes with its share of challenges. That has been evidenced by many in the past. Jimmy Kimmel revealed he was forced to turn down their interview given that Barbra's team wanted to switch camera angles, and later requested that Streisand sit in Kimmel's seat given that it would catch her good side... Kimmel found it to be too much, and canceled the interview.
Along with her demands, Barbra is also critical about how hosts say her name. She revealed that still today, it isn't pronounced the way it should be.
“It’s Strei-sand. It’s the funniest thing to me that people still can’t seem to get my name right,” she said. “Even today, I had to correct my new assistant.”
Clearly, whoever takes on the challenge to interview Barbra needs to do their homework at the start. Oprah has been willing to take on the task multiple times throughout her career, however, one moment in particular did not sit well with the host, and it would lead to an abrupt commercial break.
Oprah Was Not Amused When She Realized Barbra Streisand Had Spray-Painted Her Microphone White
Perhaps spray-painting a microphone that isn't yours is not the best idea... Yet, Streisand felt the need to match the microphone with her outfit of choice for the interview... Oprah instantly realized. She said, "I want to just say this ... I own this studio, I've been here I don't know how many years. I've never seen a white mic."
Streisand responds, "It's actually off-white, to match my off-white sweater. I like simplicity, and monochromatic frames."
Barbra appeared to be completely nonchalant about it all, while Oprah's tone quickly changed. The host wasn't pleased one bit, and cut to commercial as soon as Streisand made the reveal.
The moment can be seen in the compilation below at the start, posted by Nicki Swift. Given the nature of the video, Oprah has had a few awkward occurrences of her own throughout her rise...
After the two were able to overcome the awkward moment, and the conversation was a smooth one and that also held true for their other interviews in the future. Although it was said that Oprah was very upset about the move, she clearly got over it.
Barbra Streisand And Oprah Took Part In Several Interviews, And The Discussion Was Generally Positive
The conversations between Oprah and Barbra have been very revealing in the past. When asked about her impact on the world, Streisand addressed both her accomplishments and failures during her rise.
She tells Oprah, "At times," she said about thinking of the impact her voice has had on the world.
"But that's like contemplating your navel. Every time I look out over that ocean and see the lights of the city at night, I am in awe. To have this house now feels like being 21—like I've just made it on Broadway and I get to have all this. On one hand, you're talking about me as a legend. On the other hand, I remember trying to get an apartment on Park Avenue in the early sixties when I was a big star, and either because I was Jewish or an actress, I couldn't get in. I had letters from the mayor, the governor, the attorney general."
Despite all the success, the artist also braced herself for the failures. "And no matter how many sold-out shows I do, I also understand when my records don't sell as many copies anymore. I think, "Well, I've been around for what, 40-some years?" I mean, it's the next person's turn. I could believe it if nobody came to see me."
Barbra's interviews with Oprah featured a bit of everything, from her childhood, to unfavorable living conditions which took place even when she was wealthy and grew to popularity. Credit to Oprah for keeping her cool and getting the train back on the tracks despite the hiccup years ago.
