Just to balance out all the anti-Baldwin stories...

[Matsubara]

Here is Baldwin's response to the furor over his leaked voice mail:

http://movies.yahoo.com/mv/news/ap/20070420/117710220000.html

Alec Baldwin Explains Himself on the Web
Friday April 20 1:50 PM ET

As Alec Baldwin's angry words to his daughter were being broadcast around the world, the 49-year-old actor explained himself Friday on his Web site.

"Although I have been told by numerous people not to worry too much, as all parents lose their patience with their kids, I am most saddened that this was released to the media because of what it does to a child," he wrote. "I'm sorry, as everyone who knows me is aware, for losing my temper with my child. I have been driven to the edge by parental alienation for many years now. You have to go through this to understand. (Although I hope you never do.) I am sorry for what happened. But I am equally sorry that a court order was violated, which had deliberately been put under seal in this case."

A voicemail Baldwin left for his 11-year-old daughter, in which he can be heard calling her "a rude, thoughtless little pig," was published Thursday by celebrity news site TMZ.com.


Baldwin and his ex-wife, Kim Basinger, have been engaged in bitter custody disputes over their daughter, Ireland, since the couple divorced in 2002.

(more at link)

http://movies.yahoo.com/mv/news/ap/20070420/117710220000.html



I personally don't see "straighten your ass out" as a threat of violence. I have a son in this age group and have never called him a "pig", but I have gotten angry with him and

am glad that tapes of me at my worst are not being aired on the national news media.


This story is tabloid fodder and really doesn't belong on GD IMO, but as long as Balwain, a committed pregressive is being bashed here, it seems fair to at least put his side of the issue up here in some form.

[trumad]

1. thoughtless little pig?

to an 11 year old--- shame on him.

[jobycom]

2. I just asked my daughter what she would think if her mother or I called her

a "thoughtless, little pig." Her exact quote was "Pshhh."

[trumad]

3. Then try it next time she pissed you off.

[jobycom]

8. She wouldn't take me seriously, baby talking her like that.

Not enough profanity to seem really pissed off.

[Bucky]

20. Absolutely. In fact, he's being shamed by this. But perspective-wise, remember...

...this is a problem that can be solved with a good therapist. Baldwin is being targeted because he has spoken out against a problem that won't be solved with even trillions of dollars and two generations of peace and reconciliation--solutions that aren't even close to being implemented.

That said, as a father I really want to slap the guy. He's obviously the selfish pig (along with his ex, of course)

[havocmom]

23. An 11 year old is plenty old enough to get some feed-back for bad behavior

They aren't stupid. They aren't fools. If they mess up, they need to hear about it and face some consequences.

Failure to guide kids and hold them to a standard of behavior, hold them accountable when they violate it, is what gave us George W. bush.

Accountability is something one starts teaching kids at a very young age. To fail is abusive to them as they do not learn they must consider others in life. They grow up unlovable and unable to understand why the whole world doesn't give them a pass like mom and dad did.

It is no favor to a youngster to not hold them accountable (at age-appropriate levels) for their behavior. It cripples them and makes them dysfunctional.

Now, Ms Basinger, using a kid to stick it to her ex, THAT is abusive. I have worked with kids dealing with parents' divorces. Might as well pour poison down their throats as use them as a club to beat a spouse.

[PegDAC]

24. I agree about feedback,

but he could have chosen his words and tone a little more carefully.

[havocmom]

26. To be fair, neither you nor I know what words he had already tried

Sometimes, by 11, a kid can be pretty difficult to turn with mild expression of parental disapproval.

[trumad]

29. So calling her a pig is holding her accountable?

Are you nuts?

[havocmom]

33. LOL no, I am not nuts

But like I said, we don't know what had already been tried and how far the young lady had pushed, do we.

A parent has an obligation to make it known IN NO UNCERTAIN TERMS when a kid is over the line. Kids need to know there are boundaries.

And speaking of nuts..... Lately, I have been just plain worried about you.

[Annces]

4. Well on the bright side

At least the nastiness of her father is public knowledge and she will get some sympathy from people out of this.

[DemGa]

5. No excuse for "thoughtless little pig"

Alec has some issues he needs to address.

[Matsubara]

9. No excuse for putting out private phone calls either.

Neither Badlwin nor Basinger are shining examples of parenthood.

[etherealtruth]

16. I hear you there ....

Releasing this to the media can't be doing the child any more good than saying this to a child.

It appears they could both use some parenting lessons:puke:

[sandnsea]

19. Average examples though

quite average, despite the lofty horses DUers have perched themselves on.

[Smarmie Doofus]

6. He's right about this part:

>>>In such public cases, your opponents attempt to take a picture of you on your worst day and insist that this is who you are as a person," Baldwin wrote.>>>

Seems fair to say it ( the voice mail rant) is "the truth and nothing but the truth".

Just not " the whole truth."

[Madspirit]

7. Oh, I get it

When committed progressives abuse their children it's OK. I see. Thanks for filling me in on that.
Lee

[Matsubara]

12. Well, you'd best call Child Protective Services then.

I mean they take away people's kids when they call them an ugly name, on the phone, once, right?

Seriously, if you think this girl is in danger, then alert CPS right away, don't just rag on the man here.



Oh brother. Who says it's okay? I'm just saying it's overblown, we don't know everything about this family, and it's NONE OF OUR BUSINESS.

[trumad]

17. I agree with your statement...

He was pissed but he shouldn't call his 11 year old daughter a pig. mho

[Matsubara]

18. I think you're 100% right.

I think it's inappropriate language to use with a child.

However, I don't think it rises to the level where the media should have been involved, and one phone call does not prove a long-term pattern of verbal abuse, which is obviously

what Basinger is trying to do in the court of public opinion. The two of them must have amazing egos, if they can't muster up enough of the love they once felt for one another to be civil to each other and

come to an amicable custody agreement. A lot of people stay very cordial after a divorce. These two are just awful.

[trumad]

22. It was a stupid move by Alec.

If they're that much into battle, why supply the other side with Ammo. Divorce cases can be downright nasty.

[JackRiddler]

25. Um, maybe he wasn't thinking strategically at that moment?

[Celeborn Skywalker]

14. Abuse?

Lol, that's funny. CPS most likely wouldn't give this case a second glance.

Edited: I didn't mean to sound like I don't care about the child. I just think that they would have to prove this is Baldwin's normal attitude toward his daughter, not just one incident.

[tularetom]

10. Gee two self absorbed narcissists produced a spoiled child and now

are using that child as a pawn in a custody battle, and the child is trying to capitalize on both her parent's bad behavior by playing one off against the other. Not newsworthy as far as I'm concerned.

I know Baldwin is a good guy politically and I suspect he is less the bad guy in this drama than he is being portrayed, but why the hell is this anybody's business but the parties involved?

[sandnsea]

28. ding ding ding

That would be it. With maybe a bottle or two in the background.

[Big Pappa]

31. I totally agree.

n/t.

[live love laugh]

11. Parents call their children much worse things than "pig." Right or wrong, it's reality. n/t

[trumad]

13. I'm a parent and I have never called my daughter a name like that.

She's my daughter--- my child, and I love her. I couldn't imagine saying something like that to her and I never will...

Why--- Because I don't have anger issues.

[trumad]

15. And BTW: Are you a parent?

And have you called your kid(s) names much worse than that?

[Name removed]

27. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Wickerman]

21. LOL, his behavior was reprehensible

Releasing the voicemail was reprehensible and most importantly it is none of our fucking concern.

[HughMoran]

30. "...and most importantly it is none of our fucking concern"

AMEN.

I can't imagine hearing myself on my worst day being broadcast to the world.

[Speed8098]

34. Bingo!

It is definitely none of our business.

There are a couple of people here calling this crap child abuse. Obviously they have no clue what real child abuse is.

This tape should have never been released, period.

[butterfly77]

32. I have done it and will probably do it again..

my kids have even brought up the times that I have done it and laughed about it. Its none of their damn business. Hannity and Melanie Morgan are portraying him as a serial killer or maniac as though no one gets angry at their kids sometimes and say things that they wished they shouldn't have said. I have said things and apologized, but that doesn't mean that they won't do something in the future that will make me angry and I may say things in anger,.I don't do this on a daily basis but it has happened in the past.