The ‘Funny Girl” wasn’t so funny last week.

At a concert Monday in New York, Barbra Streisand apparentlytook exception to an audience member taking exception to herventuring away from musical entertainment and into politicalcommentary with a skit intended to mock President Bush. Accordingto news accounts, her response to the heckler was to “Shut the(expletive deleted) up!”

Streisand later apologized.

Sorry, Babs, but “I’m sorry” won’t cut it. We think had aconservative uttered the insensitive comment against you, a 1,000mea culpas wouldn’t be enough to satisfy you and your liberalfriends.

There is a reason those in the entertainment industry havespecific titles.

Actors act, as Streisand did well in the 1968 “Funny Girl” rolewith which she is still associated. Singers sing, a talent withwhich some people think Barbra is especially gifted.

So when people shell out a boatload of bucks for concerttickets, they have a more than reasonable expectation to expect thefeatured singer to do what he or she does: Sing. The audience isnot there to hear the singer’s take on politics, the weather orwhatever other thought comes to mind.

So Barbra, as you continue your latest concert tour, on behalfof your future audiences, “Shut up and sing!”