Nobel Prize laureate Isaac Bashevis Singer probably deserves better than the following discussion, so we apologize in advance.

We've gotten quite a few emails about our lack of love for Barbra Streisand. Apparently, by failing to grant her the perfect Jew Score, we fail to appreciate the greatness of such a multi-talented performer. To these emailers, we have one word:

Yentl.

That's right, Yentl, the musical adaptation of a Singer story about a Jewish girl who wants to study the Talmud. Yentl, written by, directed, produced, and starring Streisand. Yentl, which brought Singer's Yiddish narrative to the mainstream. Yentl, which Singer HATED.

He hated that Streisand strayed away from his themes. He hated the tacked-on happy ending. ("What would Yentl have done in America?", he wrote. "Worked in a sweatshop twelve hours a day where there is no time for learning? Would she try to marry a salesman in New York, move to the Bronx or to Brooklyn and rent an apartment with an ice box and a dumbwaiter?") He hated Streisand's overbearing presence. He hated the singing. Oh, did he ever hate the singing.

Well, one way to make this right. We might have denied Streisand a perfect score, but we will not do so with Singer.

For we hate Streisand's singing as well.