# Whoa, Alec Baldwin. . . what's goin' on there? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 19, 2007, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whoa-alec-baldwin-whats-goin-on-there/400850 "2007-04-19T21:19:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DiosaBellissima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@DiosaBellissima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DiosaBellissima)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2007, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whoa-alec-baldwin-whats-goin-on-there/400850/1 "2007-04-19T21:19:06Z")
I was just perusing various gossip websites like a good lil’ 21 year old monkey and I stumbled upon [this](http://www.tmz.com/2007/04/19/alec-baldwins-threatening-message-to-daughter/) . You can click on the giant picture, as the text suggests, to hear the actual message. Good _lord_! He’s leaving that message for his eleven year old daughter, who he refers to as a “thoughtless little pig.” He goes on to say that he’s going to fly into to town for the sole purpose of setting her straight. :eek: :dubious: So, is he on drugs? Just nuts? Drugs and booze? Crazy and drugs? ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2007, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whoa-alec-baldwin-whats-goin-on-there/400850/2 "2007-04-19T21:26:10Z")
There’s obviously more than meets the eye in all that. She very well may be a rude, thoughtless little pig with a history of passive-aggressive manipulation of her father. I wonder how the tape got out. I dunno, maybe times have changed a lot, but that came across to me as an exasperated father whose daughter is a spoiled brat and proud of it. ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2007, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whoa-alec-baldwin-whats-goin-on-there/400850/3 "2007-04-19T21:28:03Z")
I don’t think he’s on drugs. I think he is selfish and has a superiority complex. All he talks about is how she made HIM look like an ass and how she is insulting HIM. If that’s his attitude I can see why his daughter doesn’t want to talk to him on the phone very much. And I can see it Liberal’s way too. It’s probably a combination of the spoiled brat child and a mother who uses the child to get at the father and the father thinking too highly of himself. ---
**Author:** ![DiosaBellissima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@DiosaBellissima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DiosaBellissima)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2007, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whoa-alec-baldwin-whats-goin-on-there/400850/4 "2007-04-19T21:31:44Z")
[QUOTE=Liberal] There’s obviously more than meets the eye in all that. She very well may be a rude, thoughtless little pig with a history of passive-aggressive manipulation of her father. I wonder how the tape got out. I dunno, maybe times have changed a lot, but that came across to me as an exasperated father whose daughter is a spoiled brat and proud of it. [/QUOTE] She’s _eleven_. I know there are manipulative and downright rude kids, but I can’t imagine any justification for speaking to an _eleven year old_ that way. He was threatening her with what I can only assume is violence and he’s calling her a little pig. How is that even possibly justified? ---
**Author:** ![Push\_You\_Down](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/push_you_down/32/9095_2.png) [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2007, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whoa-alec-baldwin-whats-goin-on-there/400850/5 "2007-04-19T21:38:28Z")
I heard it. It is maybe half as bad as the reamings I’d get from my dad at that age. His kid could be an asshole. Since we don’t know, maybe we should butt out huh? ---
**Author:** ![Zabali\_Clawbane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ecd19e/32.png) [@Zabali\_Clawbane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zabali_Clawbane)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2007, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whoa-alec-baldwin-whats-goin-on-there/400850/6 "2007-04-19T21:38:50Z")
I dunno, I feared a lecture from my father or mother more than I did a whupping. They called it “setting me straight” as well. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2007, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whoa-alec-baldwin-whats-goin-on-there/400850/7 "2007-04-19T21:41:58Z")
Yeah, I’d get to the point where I’d say, “Would you just shut up and SPANK ME, already?!?!?” _edited to add:_ Er, not that I’m into spankings. Not that there’s anything wrong with it… ---
**Author:** ![DiosaBellissima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@DiosaBellissima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DiosaBellissima)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2007, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whoa-alec-baldwin-whats-goin-on-there/400850/8 "2007-04-19T21:43:36Z")
[QUOTE=Push You Down] I heard it. It is maybe half as bad as the reamings I’d get from my dad at that age. His kid could be an asshole. Since we don’t know, maybe we should butt out huh? [/QUOTE] Seriously? Your father would regularly scream at you worse than that? He’d call you names? I’m really sorry. No child deserves that. My parents got on me and I certainly received my fair share of chewings out, but NOTHING like that. I was never once called a a little pig or anything even remotely like that. I was never threatened to look out for XYZ day because that’s when I was going to get what was coming to me. And if you’d like to butt out, feel free to not come into the thread. ---
**Author:** ![Zabali\_Clawbane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ecd19e/32.png) [@Zabali\_Clawbane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zabali_Clawbane)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2007, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whoa-alec-baldwin-whats-goin-on-there/400850/9 "2007-04-19T21:52:37Z")
I do agree the cursing and name calling were crossing the line, FTR. But the “I’m going to set you straight” bit might mean an in-depth lecture, of a kind that would make you apologize, change your ways, maybe even cry. (My parents didn’t curse at me, or call me names, but they could accomplish that if they felt the misdeeed was bad enough.) ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2007, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whoa-alec-baldwin-whats-goin-on-there/400850/10 "2007-04-19T21:59:11Z")
You are worthless, Alec Baldwin You are worthless, Alec Baldwin You failed in every way and now my stock in you has fallen. Your career is stalling’ and you’re worthless, Alec Baldwin That’s why I blew your head off And your children are all bawling’ ---
**Author:** ![lisacurl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/41988e/32.png) [@lisacurl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lisacurl)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2007, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whoa-alec-baldwin-whats-goin-on-there/400850/11 "2007-04-19T21:59:48Z")
I can’t believe that custody battle is still going on… he and Kim Basinger have been fighting over this child for literally YEARS. I feel so sorry for that little girl. ---
**Author:** ![Push\_You\_Down](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/push_you_down/32/9095_2.png) [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2007, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whoa-alec-baldwin-whats-goin-on-there/400850/12 "2007-04-19T22:03:30Z")
[QUOTE=DiosaBellissima] Seriously? Your father would regularly scream at you worse than that? He’d call you names? I’m really sorry. No child deserves that. [/QUOTE] Eh. I never said regularly. And who is to say Baldwin reguarly does this to his kid. Maybe his kid is being a shitty pig? kids are often assholes. Sometimes you need to call people on their shit. She’s eleven? That’s old enough in my book. If the kid was 6 or hell even 8 I’d say that is pretty out of line. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2007, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whoa-alec-baldwin-whats-goin-on-there/400850/13 "2007-04-19T22:50:30Z")
Maybe it’s me, but it sounds like a prank by him to her–maybe that’s how they joke around? “I’ll be there on the 20th to **meet with you**.” Who says that to a kid, except as part of a joke? ---
**Author:** ![UntouchedTakeaway](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/d78d45/32.png) [@UntouchedTakeaway](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UntouchedTakeaway)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2007, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whoa-alec-baldwin-whats-goin-on-there/400850/14 "2007-04-19T22:57:56Z")
I just listened to this too - yikes! I’m 45 and was kinda scared :eek: “Set you straight” could be taken a number of ways, I suppose; I hope he cools down before tomorrow. VCNJ~ ---
**Author:** ![Euthanasiast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Euthanasiast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euthanasiast)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2007, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whoa-alec-baldwin-whats-goin-on-there/400850/15 "2007-04-19T23:16:05Z")
Are we certain that it is even _him_? I am extremely good at recognizing voices of famous people, and although I admit it _could_ be him, I’m not certain, especially with all the yelling. Edit: Nevermind. I read the article on the website. ---
**Author:** ![Caridwen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c89c15/32.png) [@Caridwen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caridwen)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2007, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whoa-alec-baldwin-whats-goin-on-there/400850/16 "2007-04-19T23:16:39Z")
I’m not defending him but they’ve been fighting like idiots since they broke up. They’ve both been using the kid as a weapon against each other. Only difference is she always leaks it to the media. She did the same thing when they first broke up. He has an overblown ego and she’s wacky and dumb as a box of rocks. ---
**Author:** ![lovelybean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/94ad74/32.png) [@lovelybean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lovelybean)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2007, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whoa-alec-baldwin-whats-goin-on-there/400850/17 "2007-04-19T23:25:53Z")
Of course, like the rest of us, I’m not sure what the details are…but I wonder what exactly was he doing that he had to “make an ass of himself to get to a phone to call” her at the (I assume)specified time? I mean, doesn’t he have a cell phone? ---
**Author:** ![RikWriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/49beb7/32.png) [@RikWriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RikWriter)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2007, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whoa-alec-baldwin-whats-goin-on-there/400850/18 "2007-04-19T23:26:36Z")
[QUOTE=gigi] Maybe it’s me, but it sounds like a prank by him to her–maybe that’s how they joke around? “I’ll be there on the 20th to **meet with you**.” Who says that to a kid, except as part of a joke? [/QUOTE] The court doesn’t think it’s a joke—he may lose visitation rights. He’s always been an asshole, so this doesn’t surprise me one bit. ---
**Author:** ![Yag\_Rannavach](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/858c86/32.png) [@Yag\_Rannavach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yag_Rannavach)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2007, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whoa-alec-baldwin-whats-goin-on-there/400850/19 "2007-04-20T00:35:05Z")
It sounded fairly tame to me. Obviously Alec was upset, but there really didn’t seem to be much of a thread behind it. The swearing and the constant blaming of his daughter for insulting him made it sound like he was hurt, but there really didn’t seem to be that much venom behind it. ---
**Author:** ![Menocchio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de053/32.png) [@Menocchio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Menocchio)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2007, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whoa-alec-baldwin-whats-goin-on-there/400850/20 "2007-04-20T05:22:40Z")
I think this goes past usual gossip and straight into “none of our business and we should stay the hell out of it.” Just because the guy’s an actor and sometimes political blowhard doesn’t mean his family dirty laundry should be public, any more than, say, your neighbor. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whoa-alec-baldwin-whats-goin-on-there/400850.md?page=2)