Alec Baldwin's phone meltdown

[Maveno]

If the man can scream that vile into his twelve..errr..eleven year old daughter's cell phone.. Eww. Yea, I'm glad she wanted it aired, he apparently needs some help..and she'll be safe from his tirades from now on.

[Google]

 

[Marleybone]

Originally Posted by Krom

Well he didn't exactly go all over the board with the age. It seems more like he's forgotten whether or not her birthday has passed. Not a great moment for him, but there are far more disturbing parts of that call transcript than that.

Absolutely true, and my not commenting on the rest of the call is not an indication that I didn't find it just as disturbing as everyone else. The whole thing is just disgusting. However, even if it was just a case of not remembering whether or not her birthday had passed - who honestly can't remember when their children were born? He was probably in such a rage that he wasn't thinking clearly, but that is no excuse - there is no excuse for a parent to speak to their child that way.

[Amy Lee]

Originally Posted by Marleybone

who honestly can't remember when their children were born? He was probably in such a rage that he wasn't thinking clearly, but that is no excuse - there is no excuse for a parent to speak to their child that way.

He was likely blinded by his rage which is still not cool. Instead of filing papers to further get into with Kim, he should go to anger management or a therapist. Anymore excuses out of him is just pathetic.

[rt1ky]

Originally Posted by Rattus

In short, I tend to agree with Krom on this. There are plenty of otherwise decent parents to have temporarily lost it with a kid, particularly as they're heading into their teen years. Some of the language was more uncalled for than usual, but we don't know that this is the norm in their relationship. And I feel that the release of this tape to the media is a much more calculated and thereby egregious act than a reactionary flipping out.

I agree. I don't agree with what Alec said, but I don't think releasing it to the media is going to help the daughter and she's the most important thing. This court have been kept in the courtroom. This could humiliate the poor girl even more than their bitter divorce that was played out in the press.

[cricketeen]

I feel like a bad mom. Someone was taking my family information recently and I replied that my son was 11 and he rolled his eyes and said "Uh, I'm twelve"..

Wow - Cruel jackass dad + vapid jackass mom. So who is the bigger jackass? The one who left the message or the one who released it for all the world to cluck over? Tough call, but for me, it is Baldwin. If he hadn't left the message, it wouldn't exist to release. I'm pretty sure he's been to anger management before, too.

[Krom]

Originally Posted by cricketeen

I feel like a bad mom. Someone was taking my family information recently and I replied that my son was 11 and he rolled his eyes and said "Uh, I'm twelve"..

Wow - Cruel jackass dad + vapid jackass mom. So who is the bigger jackass? The one who left the message or the one who released it for all the world to cluck over? Tough call, but for me, it is Baldwin. If he hadn't left the message, it wouldn't exist to release. I'm pretty sure he's been to anger management before, too.

That's a slippery slope of logic, because we have no idea how many times Kim Basinger has lost her temper at her child and it hasn't been released to the media.

We just don't have all the facts. Its way too simple to hear what's on that recording and jump to a conclusion. That's exactly why Kim had it leaked, no doubt.

Actually, appropriately enough to us being on FoRT, my reaction to this is akin to watching a very potentially manipulative reality show. You watch one of them close enough and there are always questions about what you aren't being shown. Its clear that the bad things you see people do on them really did happen--they got filmed after all--so its not like the unseen usually excuses people. But you often suspect that the person they are fighting with is probably just as much, or more, of a dumbass and maybe you just aren't seeing it on screen.

I guess what I'm saying is that it seems like a masterfully manipulative move to put a parent's worst moment into the public eye--one pretty much designed to make everyone stop thinking about what else they aren't seeing or hearing. In a reality show it bothers me. In a real life conflict? It bothers me even more.

Again, there's no argument in the world which makes what was said on that recording right, but I think its also impossible to truly know which um... crappy parent is the... um... crappier based on this little evidence. Its easy to rail against what we are hearing. It takes a little more foresight to think about what we might not be seeing and hearing.

[cricketeen]

Well, your right, of course about not knowing what type of parent Basinger is, but we're discussing this instance - not their whole parenting history. So in this incidence, Baldwin still smell the worst to me. Anyone who calls an 11 year old a pig, and I don't care how many buttons the kid has pushed, is a pig themselves.

[canuckinchile]

I know I have yelled at my kids, but always about their behaviour, not about them as people. I would never call them dumb, a pig, etc. and there is no excuse to rail at a child like that. I have had less than shining moments, but the difference is I was face to face. I was close enough to calm down and have a good talk about it. I can't imagine phoning a cell phone and generating that much anger. He just seemed to get madder and madder.

I still think Kim Basinger is just as bad though. Playing this in the media is such a selfish thing to do, and thoughtless to her daughter. I am agreeing with Krom

Also, (and I only listened once, yesterday) I didn't think he was physically threatening her, but then it's all in context, isn't it? My mom told me she was going to straighten me out, and I have probably said the same thing to my kids, but I have never had physical violence used against me, and neither have my kids. I thought he meant he was coming to "talk" to her. His daughter would know.

Bottom line: both parents are idiots in this instance.

[lildago]

Originally Posted by canuckinchile

Bottom line: both parents are idiots in this instance.

They are. Calling the child names is inexcusable. Releasing the whole embarrassing scene to the media is also inexcusable.

And what is he still doing here anyway? Didn't he say he was leaving the country if Bush was elected?

[roseskid]

I finally just heard the message, and all I can say is YIKES. I agree that both parents leave a lot to be desired, and it reminds me of the phrase about ex's co-parenting - paraphrasing here - you have to learn to love your children more than you hate your ex. I hope Ireland is getting some intensive therapy, because it's for damn sure this isn't the first time Alec has behaved like this and she's got to be horribly affected by the abuse. I keep thinking about how she must feel knowing all her schoolmates have listened to it, too.