I am betting that everyone who has an iPhone and is not named John/Jane Smith will relate to this story. Barbra Streisand is currently on tour in North America. She also has a new duets album named, Encore: Movie Partners Sing Broadway on which Barbra sings with movie stars like Anne Hathaway, Jamie Foxx, Daisy Ridley and Hugh Jackman. During an interview with Scott Simon on NPR to promote the album, Simon pointed out that Siri, the iPhone’s voice system, refuses to pronounce “Streisand” correctly. Siri lazily turns the second “s” into a “z” as in “Streizand.” Not one to sit idly by as some two-bit computer-voiced upstart butchers her name, Barbra got Apple CEO Tim Cook on the horn and “requested” some changes. And, because Tim is much brighter than Siri, he told Barbra he would get right on it.
Barbra Streisand says she channeled her considerable clout into asking Apple CEO Tim Cook to change how Siri pronounces her name — and he happily obliged.
The theatre legend revealed her success story during an interview with NPR’s Scott Simon, who had just asked the iPhone personal assistant, “Siri, who’s the only female vocalist who’s had hit records for six straight decades?”
“Barbra Streisand,” the oft-mistaken robot replied, pronouncing the second S as a Z.
“She pronounces my name wrong,” the Brooklyn-born actress remarked. “Streisand with a soft S, like sand on the beach. I’ve been saying this for my whole career.
“And so what did I do? I called the head of Apple, Tim Cook, and he delightfully agreed to have Siri change the pronunciation of my name, finally, with the next update on September 30th.”
Streisand’s Sept. 30 date could coincide with the release of Apple’s much-anticipated iOS 10, which is due out sometime in the fall.
“So let’s see if that happens because I will be thrilled,” she told NPR.
I know I am not the only out there who has a last name Siri refuses to pronounce correctly. It got so bad two phones ago that I actually had to mispronounce my own name so Siri would dial my husband for me. Of course, my husband could speak Latin while eating a sandwich and Siri understands him no problem – the little home wrecker. I have since switched to the male Australian voice, whom I call Jackman. He can’t correctly pronounce any of the predominately Spanish-named streets in my area but doesn’t give me any lip.
You can listen to the NPR radio interview here. The show samples a few songs from her album. She also mentions her memoir, which comes out next year. I love the way Barbra tells stories so I can’t wait to read it. Plus, as she has never published or authorized any memoir/biography, I am intrigued by what she deems pertinent to include and what famous stories about her are made up. Maybe I should call her and suggest, “The Second S is Soft” as the title?
Photo credit: Fame/Flynet and WENN Photos and Getty Images
UGH. If I remember correctly, she did this to Jane Pauley during an interview and it was sooooo uncomfortable. I love her talent, but she really is unsufferable.
Oh, I said “StreiZand” all my life, too.
Off topic, is it pronounced BasingGer or or BasinJer?
With a G, I believe.
Love it. Hahahaha
There’s a way to teach Siri how to say a name correctly! I did it for my maiden name – Sgueglia – so I could call my parents hands-free in the car without having to try 1000 different combinations of the name.
That bit with Siri the Homewrecker was hilarious. I just giggled out loud on a train.
She’s Barbra F***ing Streisand. She can do what she wants.
TIL – I’ve also been mispronouncing her surname all this time…
I have a common surname now, but people would say my maiden name wrong from time to time, however this story makes her sound petulant “Barbra got CEO Tim Cook on the horn and “requested” some changes” … Seriously?? Does Siri impact her life that much?
@Emmyb1608 I’m going to side with Barbra. The woman has been famous for literally fifty years and has won a slew of awards (including the one contained in your username). If I were in her position, I would expect my name to be said correctly as well, especially by what is essentially a talking computer.
Seeing her tonight w my mum. Know none of her songs but looking forward to it!!!
She’s unrecognizable in the lead pic…..maybe Siri just got confused whether it was truly Babs or Jocelyn Wildenstein speaking to her.
I feel her pain. Not pronunciation, but spelling. People want to put a z in the middle of my name instead of an s. I worked for my school system for 40 years and in the retirement brochure my name was listed as “Suzanne”. Certainly not world shaking problems, but, come on, I try to get people’s names right.
MY NAME IS SUZANNE with a Z and 9 times out of ten….they write down or call me SUSAN!
It’s so annoying. I dislike the name Susan….even though it is similar to my name. Just get it right…please.
Babs is famous but she’s no Jesus. Who cares if Siri pronounces it incorrectly…everyone knows who your famous smug ass is. Wonder if she’d correct the Pope too?
I had to give up with siri getting my name right. I had to ask her to call me by my nickname and called it a day.
Male Australian Siri is totally the best one
I think we’ve just seen the whitest white-person-problem ever in history. Jesus wept.
This makes me want to go back to nursing school, so that someday, when she’s 102 and sucking her gums in a private suite at Mt. Sinai, I can tiptoe in with her medicine and say, “Ohhh, Ms. Streisssssssand, it is SUCH an honor – I’ve waited my whole LIFE to meet Barbara Streisand!”
Apparently she’s had alot of work done to her face. I didn’t even recognize her.
Her nails gross me out. They just look… Dirty. Sorry.