As fans of "South Park" will know, the subversive American cartoon series - created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone - portrays Babra Streisand as the Embodiment of All Evil. This hasn't gone down at all well with Streisand.

"She said she wondered if shows like South Park are responsible for all negativity in today's culture," says Parker.

"She doesn't realise that she's responsible for all the negativity in today's culture,! adds Stone.

What Streisand has done to deserve these barbs is not entirely certain. In America, the cartoon's fame has placed Parker and Stone on the covers of numerous magazines. One of them, Newsweek, even suggested that with South Park on TV, the country should fear for its children. But Parker is disdainful of the bad press.

"As bizarre as it is, there's this overlying sweetness to it all. Like - hey - you know what, the world's all right."