Alec Baldwin rant

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Cathlete
Oh my gosh, they just played the voice message that he left for his 11-year-old daughter on the news. What in the world is up with this guy?????

It is one thing to go through a nasty divorce, it's one thing to be mad at your kids. But this????

It's just me, me, me .... you insulted me, you humiliated me, calling her a pig and all of this because she didn't pick up the phone. This guy needs some serious help.

I am sorry but this really gets to me that people can't control themselves with their kids. I think it is hard enough for kids when their parents go through a divorce but to have your father attack you like that, wow!! There really is NO excuse, no matter what happened or even if she did something wrong there is no reason for outbursts like that. He just acts selfish and with no regard to his daughter's well-being. Maybe a little less booze would help. But hey, let's just follow the current trend and check into rehab.

He was just exposed as a self-centered, egotistical weasel and I do hope the court will do the right thing for the poor girl.

I usually don't pay much attention to what celebrities do, but this just struck a nerve with me.

Carola
 
He's an idiot, or worse. Unfortunately, I don't think Kim Basinger will win any awards for Mother of the Year, either. They're both so utterly narcissistic. Maybe the kid would be better off with a relative.
 
Although I don't agree with what he did, I was impressed that he kept the name calling clean and semi under control. I've known too many parents that when they have an issue with their kids they will call them words that should never even be said to an adult. Obviosuly we don't know the whole story, but belittling your children doesn't usually accomplish much.
 
I read an article about this, have not heard it, but I did have one thought. True, you should not rant at your child, but have you ever lived and dealt with a tween girl....they can be monsters. I love my 14 year old daughter to death, do not treat her this way, but boy can she push the buttons, especially with her dad. This does make me wonder what the girl has said and done.

My neighbor has a 15 year old girl. One day last summer my husband was out in our yard working. Mom and daughter come home, daughter gets out of the car screaming at the top of her lungs, Ihate you, I hate you, I hate you!

This Mom is a good parent, and has a good relationship with her daughter, but those hormones.....
 
We don't know all of the details. Don't be so quick to judge a celebrity by a release of a photo or sound clip from someone who is out to get the person. We are all human beings that sometimes lose control -- I don't think it is fair that we should hear a message left by him that has to do with his personal life. He is an actor and in my opinion a good one. He entertains me -- I am not interested in his personal life.

Sorry - I don't mean to sound cranky, I just feel that we sometimes overstep our boundaries in people's personal lives.
 
At first I was horrified when I heard was he said. To call her a pig was totally out of line for any parents. The rest... I can see losing control in a fit of anger. Who knows what this young girl may have done or said, etc. It's sad that his ex wife let this out to the public. However, I would have to imagine that a father who lives on the other side of the country, who does not get to see his daughter as much as he would like must have really had his buttons pushed to act out like that. Who knows whats behind the whole thing.
 
Um, he's a celebrity--and he's been one for a long time. He should know better than to do things like that--obviously things get leaked to the press. There is no excuse for berating a child like that--I don't care how awful she might be. And he was calling her Mom (Kim Basinger) names too--he should've left her out of it. Any qualms he has with his ex-wife should be kept between the two of them. I agree-he entertains very well--but he should never have acted that way.

Allison
 
I know how awful kids can be and their ability to push buttons. That being said, there really is no excuse to talk to your daughter like that. It's definitely not easy, but the responsibility as the adult in the relationship is to take a step back when emotons are running high.
 
OK, I listened to it. Calling her a pig is a bit over the top, but I have called my daughter out for being rude before, because they sometimes need to be told to stop rude behaviour. And talk about rude, what good does this do the girl to have this released to the press by whoever releases it. I imagine having this out there has to be very embarrasing to her, so I would think Alec is not the only gorrilla here.
 
It sounded to me like he was taking his anger towards his wife out on his daughter...which happens a lot in divorce situations - the whole using your kids against the spouse thing. (no excuse, though) I heard they have been "divorcing" for 6 years...that would make anyone crazy.
 
I've had 12 year-olds, and yes, they can be horrid. And loving parents ALL say things to their children in anger that they later regret.

I'm not defending Alec. I'm quite sure that young girl was shamed and demoralized by what he said. But whoever released that tape to the media is forcing her to live it all over again in public! Whether the party who released the tape is an attorney and/or estranged wife/mother and/or office busybody, that person and/or persons is guilty of abusing that child.

There are more villains here than meet the ear!
 
I really don't want to offend anyone here, but my chin just dropped reading some of the comments.

To make this clear, I didn't post this because Alec Baldwin is a celebrity, I was horrified that a father could talk to his daughter like that. Quite frankly, I really don't care who he is, if he is a celebrity, the guy next door or if he is the King of Siam. I'd be equally horrified if one of my friends did this to his/her child.

No matter what the history is and no matter how difficult our children can be, there is no excuse for behavior like that.

I have a son who is the same age as this little girl and believe me, he is pushing his boundaries sometimes. And yes, sometimes I have to take a deep breath, go out of the room and count to 10 before I respond.

I do know how difficult teen girls can be, I lived through it, I was one many years ago :)

When we put children in this world, we do have an obligation to care for them and to keep them from harm. That does not mean that we shouldn't discipline them or set boundaries - on the contrary. But discipline and setting boundaries needs to be done in a calm manner to be effective and not out of frustration and anger, threating, name-calling, yelling and screaming at the top of our lungs just accomplishes nothing, just that the kid gets more defiant. That aside children learn what they see and hear from their parents.

Namecalling, yelling and screaming about our humiliation and hurt feelings won't result in respectful and well-adjusted children, that's for sure. Children aren't doormats and no matter how angry we are at our children, it does not give us the right to physically or -like in this case - mentally abuse them.

I just think we are making excuses for him, because he - admittely - is a good actor and we like his movies. I also think we now live in a society were we are very quick to blame the victim "wonder what he/she has done to trigger this?", especially when a celebrity is the offender.

I didn't want to start a celebrity bashing, I was just horrified by a father's rant and abuse (in my opinion) who happens to be a celebrity.

Carola
 
Alec and Kim have been very publicly airing their dirty laundry for years. One strikes out against the other and vice versa. That poor kid has been stuck in the middle for years too. They should both try to have a little class and keep their personal business just that - personal. I think he was wrong to leave a message like that for his daughter. Even if she had been a brat, he's an adult, she isn't (she is only 11 by the way, not a teenager as everyone keeps referring to her as). He needs to act his age. And all that talk about straightening her out was just creepy. At the same time, it is equally pathetic that that voice mail was aired to the public. It's not surprising though. These kinds of things have been going on between these two since they broke up.
 
I guess I have not paid attention to this ugly divorce.

I noticed how many of the girls in my daughters 5th grade class changed from the beginning to the end. In 5th grade they are 10 and 11, many started puberty, their periods, grew, and the snippiness started. 5th grade girls by Spring were quite the creatures. I was very happy that my daughter did not blossom until into 7th grade, and she by nature is not quite the catty type. But believe me, 10 and 11 year old girls can certainly play "the mean girl" and are already having hormonal hissy fits, and clearly her parents are not good models in how to handle anger.
 
I'm not sure there is a single one of us who parents a teen or pre-teen who can make a claim to perfect parenting skills. We're all in the same boat. It's a terribly difficult job. We don't know the entire story about Alec Baldwin's message, and I'm not sure I want to. He had a weak moment as a parent. God knows we all do. I have a 16 year old daughter and am very thankful that the media doesn't get to pry behind the closed doors of my house when going gets rough. And believe me, it's rough at times.

Shame on Kim Basinger for making this message public. Mature adults can and should resolve their differences as parents in private and not subject their children to public humiliation.
 
Oh, I know 11 year olds can be a pain in the butt. I'm sure I was too, but my dad never called me a pig, thank goodness. There is definitely a lot we do not know about the situation (and I hope to never learn), but from what he said, it seems he is just mad that she isn't answering her phone for their scheduled calls. Hopefully this story dies out and we do not have to open our MSN/Yahoo/etc. homepage and learn about the unfolding details every day. ;) I'm more concerned with Fathers and Mothers losing their sons/daughters in Iraq at the moment, not some Hollywood dad's silly phone message to his kid. Not exactly news worthy IMO.
 
Am I too late here? Somehow I have that feeling that this whole thing was "premeditated" by Kim. It is not that difficult to push somebody to the end to scream like that. But recording it and put it all public is bad, and about as harmful if not more than being called a pig. And I don't like AB at all but every story has two sides.
 
Thanks Greeneyed, you wrote better what I was trying to get across.

I chuckle at the perfect parenting skills because last night DD was just sobbing in PMSy anger at something she perceived DH and I said last night. I looked at her and said "OK, I will enroll in Perfect Parents class tomorrow, but I am warning you...I will probably flunk", I got a tiny giggle through the tears on that.

Yes, AB's words were harsh, and definately poor parenting skills, and probably had not been the first time. But I also heard in his voice the frustration of dealing with this age girl. I remember being that age too, but when you are on the otherside of it, man is it hard. I think that level of frustration has been inside my head before, I think most of us try and not let it out, but girls will push, and push and push and push until sometimes it spills. And since this girl is going through a terribly bad divorce, custody battle that is public, she is probably acting out even worse, because it is her protection mechanism.

Luckily we all don't have an ugly divorce and vindictive spouse to air our struggles. Talk to a family law lawyer sometime, I bet AB looks tame compared to what they can tell you. Does it make it right, nope, I just understand the frustration.
 
Agreed it maybe an ugly divorce and I am sure he is frustrated, but he unloaded his frustration on the wrong person. A child shouldn't be the target of a parent's frustration with the ex-spouse. A divorce is hard enough for kids anyway, their whole world is falling apart.

He needs to address the issues with the ex-wife or the courts, not with the girl. Now he says he "lost his patience with his child" BUT it was the ex-wife who drove him to do that.

It maybe that his ex pushed his buttons (I am sure they are pretty good at pushing each others buttons), but it was HIS choice to unload on the kid, he needs to take responsibility for his OWN actions, in my opinion.

Carola
 
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