September 16, 2019

"A lot of people only know my dad as an angry guy, but he’s more than some lunatic who loses his temper. He also loses Emmys. And Oscars. And custody of his firstborn child."

"Seriously, Dad, I’m so proud of you. You’re a wonderful father and an amazing actor, and I’m thrilled to be here to see you celebrated tonight. After all the years of giving verbal abuse, it’s finally time you received some. So before I leave, I’d just like to say something you’ve never said to me: good night."

Said Ireland Baldwin, quoted in "Ireland Baldwin’s roast of dad Alec Baldwin was even more brutal on TV" (WaPo).



The WaPo article links to a 2007 WaPo article about Baldwin's phone message to his daughter when she was 11:
"You are a rude, thoughtless little pig."

"You don't have the brains or the decency as a human being," he says, apparently upset that she did not answer her phone for a planned call.

"I don't give a damn that you're 12 years old, or 11 years old, or that you're a child, or that your mother is a thoughtless pain in the ass who doesn't care about what you do as far as I'm concerned. You have humiliated me for the last time with this phone."
Here's the audio, in case you need it. I've heard that listening to recorded words is good for your brain, so give it a try.

74 comments:

madAsHell said...

Awkward is not funny.

tim maguire said...

It's very sad, but in a way heartening, that she has not forgiven him.

He should not be allowed to get off easy for the damage he did. He doesn't deserve her forgiveness. But she deserves a father she can be proud of. If she could forgive him, who cares if he's happier, but maybe she would be.

Ken B said...

Oh joy, celebrity roasts are back. Who can ever forget Foster Brooks and Joe Garagiola at the lectern, roasting . Good times, good times.

Yancey Ward said...

Baldwin is someone who should have been a bigger star given his talent and good looks. When I see him in The Hunt for Red October, Malice, or the small role Glengarry Glen Ross, it amazes me that he pretty much didn't do anything else that registers until Trump came along.

Seriously, what happened to Baldwin between 1992 and 2016?

mccullough said...

Would have been great if Trump could have performed at The Roast

Michael K said...

Hilarious. She has his number, the jerk.

wendybar said...

He's a flaming idiot. I hope he treats his other kids better than he treated her.

Earnest Prole said...

For those of you capable of valuing talent over politics, Baldwin proves himself one of our greatest comic actors as Jack Donaghy on "30 Rock." And Baldwin’s radio show “Here’s the Thing” is also fantastic -- for an example, his interview with the Miami journalist who broke the Epstein story.

Bay Area Guy said...

One small defense of Alec Baldwin, although, generally, he's an idiot.

There's a distinction between the spoken word and the written word.

On occasion, I have said stupid things to bosses, subordinates, wives, kids, teammates, that I'm really glad were not recorded, nor transcribed.

If any "discussions" at any military boot camp were ever recorded or transcribed, and published in the NYT, well, we probably wouldn't have a military anymore. They'd all be court-martialled for offenses against humanity.

Baldwin the drama-queen said some stuff to his daughter, that really looks ugly in writing, But I'm willing to bet it was more fleeting drama, than anything else. She probably has a spoiled, comfortable easy life -- subsidized and supported by her rich father, Baldwin.

Kay said...

Very funny. Haven’t watched one of these roasts in a long time but they were always good fun. I also remember the voicemail from 2007. Was very scandalous and funny as well.

Richard Dolan said...

To forgive and move on is a saintly thing. To forget, not so much.

Amy said...

There is something so ugly about this. It feels voyeuristic to witness the dirt and wreckage of their family. Society loves to peek into the inner lives of celebrities. I have never understood it.

Birches said...

That was probably better than therapy for her.

Amexpat said...

From the roast, it looks like they're OK with each other now.

From the phone call, he obviously was on an emotional tilt. Most damning thing was he didn't know if she was 11 or 12.

Bet you that whenever they go to a restaurant and she wants a coffee, he denies her, telling her that coffee is for callers.

rcocean said...

Calling your kid "Ireland" - that alone is child abuse. At least she's not Turkey Baldwin.

Nonapod said...

I can't believe I'm going to defend Baldwin in any way, but I always felt that the voicemail leak was dirty pool, especially without any context.

It's hardly a secret the guy has anger and impulse control issues though. And he's not exactly the brightest guy either... I mean, assuming he really believes that he could beat Trump easily if he ran.

Jeff Weimer said...

Daaaayum.

That was off the top rope.

traditionalguy said...

Doesn't sound like he enjoys his children. That should make him angry. But he is the adult.

Professional lady said...

Didn't look at the video. Sometimes you just want to avert your eyes.

rhhardin said...

Good actor, airbrain in life, same as all actors and actresses.

michaele said...

So ironic that of all the potential Trump impersonators out there, SNL picked a rude crude pig to take on the task of portraying what they regard as a rude, crude pig. I'll bet Trump never unleashed on any of his children the Baldwin did on his daughter.

Ingachuck'stoothlessARM said...

all this coming from ire land

pacwest said...

"For those of you capable of valuing talent over politics,"

No problem with that. Baldwin, like Penn and others have done some entertaining stuff. The problem lies in the fact that they, like sports figures and others, are entertainment. That's it. Thinking they are more or smarter than their value as an entertaining way to pass our time is the problem. Not that an entertainer can't be more, but most of them aren't. Teen Vouge. The price of fame I guess.

Ralph L said...

How is it that Baldwin's face became fat and middle-aged so early and Tom Cruise still looks like Dorian Gray? Drink?

Mark said...

I can't believe I'm going to defend Baldwin in any way, but I always felt that the voicemail leak was dirty pool, especially without any context.

What context would justify such abuse?

Ice Nine said...

Never saw one of these celebrity roasts that was amusing in the least. Audacious, unseemly, vulgar, embarrassing, excruciating - yes. But funny...um, not even.

AllenS said...

Let us not forget, acting is pretending to be somebody that you're not. It's a role, that makes you very big dollars, however, it does not mean that you are any good for any other role in life as a father, role model, honest person. Baldwin is a jerk. Shame on others for not realizing this.

narciso said...

when baldwin plays a nice guy, red October Beetlejuice, that's acting, otherwise like the clueless boss in the departed, he's just phoning it in,

stevew said...

Was she really roasting / joking?

Thorley Winston said...

I watched the Bruce Willis one that they did and while there were a couple of good moments, it felt flat because most of the roasters (other than Demi Moore) didn’t seem to have any direct connection to him. Also there were a lot of jokes about him being racist and AFAIK he’s never done anything *publicly* that suggested he was or harbored racist feelings or beliefs which left me wondering if they were just taking a cheap shot at him because “calling a white guy racist is FUNNY” or if the jokes were based on some private information.

gahrie said...

How is it that Baldwin's face became fat and middle-aged so early and Tom Cruise still looks like Dorian Gray? Drink?


Scientology.

doctrev said...

For Alec Baldwin to have so spectacularly underperformed for that many decades must mean something -really- messed up, even by Hollywood standards. I can't imagine Donald Trump's family themselves roasting him, and even the worst roasts are of the "ooh, I'm a writer who could have done so much more, why didn't they listen to me?!" variety. Like coming up with the boxing strategy after the match.

Donald Trump's families really love him. I actually think he'd have his ex-wives live with him if it wasn't going to raise too many questions. And Alec Baldwin's family... and co-workers... obviously don't think too much of him or his completely disproportionate temper. A tiny man trying to keep hold of what little reputation he has. An empty vessel.

It's all fascinating, really.

JaimeRoberto said...

I really enjoy Baldwin as an actor, especially a comedic actor. Too bad he's such a jackass in real life. But at least he serves a purpose in showing us that we shouldn't idolize celebrities or anyone else.

jeremyabrams said...

Parent-child relationships, especially during a divorce, and spiral downward, and I bet a significant percentage of them have seen similar conversations. Plus she recorded it, suggesting she knew he was primed and ready for his fuse to be lit. Yes, she was 11/12. I still say, stay out of it.

Big Mike said...

@Nonapod, as far as I am concerned Baldwin is one step above the sort of incestuous father who molests his young daughter. Barely one step up.

Your kids are, or should be, precious to you. Baldwin has been a failure at one of the most basic responsibilities of a member of h. sapiens.

Ignatius Acton Chesterton OCD said...

Alec Baldwin plays a terrific asshole because he isn't acting. There's no method, no practice necessary. He just is.

Jim at said...

Never saw one of these celebrity roasts that was amusing in the least. Audacious, unseemly, vulgar, embarrassing, excruciating - yes. But funny...um, not even.

Watch the Jerry Stiller one ... if for nothing more than Jeffrey Ross's classic slam on Bea Arthur.

Bill Peschel said...

"Plus she recorded it, suggesting she knew he was primed "

IIRR, it was a voicemail, so she didn't have to do anything other than listen to it.

I can enjoy Baldwin because I don't take him seriously at all.

Weird how we can feel this way about people. I dislike Polanski and his enablers and cheerleaders like Streep. Sean Penn and Jane Fonda were more traitors than idiots.

What I can't fathom, in the case of Baldwin and Chevy Chase, is why they agreed to do a roast in the first place. Are they really not ashamed of their behavior? Do they think they wouldn't be called out on it? Are they masochists? Or are they so insecure in their behavior that they would do this because it's good for their career?

tim maguire said...

Amexpat said...From the roast, it looks like they're OK with each other now.

That’s not at all how I saw it. She was nervous but finally got a chance to say what she’d been waiting years to say. He laughed nervously trying to pretend it’s all a joke but he knew how she was making him look.

Bay Area Guy said...She probably has a spoiled, comfortable easy life -- subsidized and supported by her rich father, Baldwin.

She was 11.

Hari said...

The Trump Children will never speak (nor have reason to speak) this way about their father.

SeanF said...

DeVere: Plus she recorded it, suggesting she knew he was primed and ready for his fuse to be lit.

Am I mistaken? It was a voice-mail, wasn't it?

RobinGoodfellow said...

Yancey at 12:19

“Seriously, what happened to Baldwin between 1992 and 2016?”

Wow. What a desert. He had 30 Rock (although I never watched that).

RigelDog said...

I can't stand Alec Baldwin but I found myself reading his recent book about his struggles with Family law and the court process. He's a pretty smart guy and he's identified a lot of the insanity inherent in the way that family law is currently written and practiced. For starters, he and others encounter very little in the way of logic or efforts at remediation in the way the system operates. Instead, the system seems to exist to perpetuate itself, with attorneys too eager to push litigation along until they see that the money is no longer there. In any case, that recorded rant came after years of his ex-wife flaunting court-ordered custody agreements. The phone was not answered as often as it was during the identified, agreed-upon phone times. He would sometimes fly from NY to California for his designated weekend and no one would be home. Etc. Regardless of the "two sides" to every story, I think I would be exploding in rage if I were trying to deal with this system and unable to have meaningful time with my kids during those precious few years.

Thuglawlibrarian said...

Baldwin does have some talent but he is such a crazy motherfucker with terrible anger control issues. What kind of raging lunatic says that stuff to his daughter on tape? I really don't care for him but I did like Hunt for Red October; however, that was almost 30 years ago.

Mark Jones said...

He also did The Shadow, which didn't do well at the box office but which I really liked. But like so many Hollywood types, I enjoy his work and ignore his political idiocy.

Robert Cook said...

"Let us not forget, acting is pretending to be somebody that you're not. It's a role, that makes you very big dollars...."

Well, yes...for a very tiny cohort of all working actors. For the majority, it's not so rich-making.

Francisco D said...

Baldwin is someone who should have been a bigger star given his talent and good looks. When I see him in The Hunt for Red October, Malice, or the small role Glengarry Glen Ross, it amazes me that he pretty much didn't do anything else that registers until Trump came along.

It seemed that Dave Mamet wrote that role just for Alec Baldwin. He was good because he played himself - a pompous jerk with no guiding values except to do for himself.

Mamet grew up around a lot of rich Chicago lefties, but strayed off the reservation when he spent time with everyday people. That is why he has a talent for characterization.

daskol said...

He got very chubby for a while until he discovered keto

daskol said...

“He was a great dad. I still remember when he would tuck me in and yell me a bedtime story. My absolute favorite and his favorite, ‘The Three Little Thoughtless Pigs.’ ”

That's a good one.

Michael said...

With all the canceling of men who abused women, just stop for a second and think about what this guy did to the psyche of his daughter on the verge of puberty. That voice mail will stay with her for the next 50-60 years.

Roughcoat said...

"Miami Blues" is arguably his finest performance and best movie. He was very young in that, and his character was scary and funny, a good-natured killer psychopath. He was also very good in "Malice." He was outstanding in 30 Rock, exhibiting his superb talent as a comic actor.

DavidUW said...

The ranting of an unintelligent man at his children over (no doubt) some misplaced anger at his ex-wife is unremarkable, except to the children.

Roughcoat said...

Mamet grew up around a lot of rich Chicago lefties....

No, he didn't. He grew up in a West Side working class Jewish neighborhood. It is now, and has been for a long time, a hollowed inner city black neighborhood -- the area that blacks burned in the Martin Luther King riots of '68. Mamet is quite explicitly conservative in his political leanings and sensibilities.

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

I am so sick that we are forced to give a shit about these asshole in HIllarywoodland.

When they all gather for awards I imagine lighting a match.

Sebastian said...

"I think I would be exploding in rage if I were trying to deal with this system and unable to have meaningful time with my kids during those precious few years."

Not making excuses, but that can drive a man insane.

Francisco D said...

No, he didn't. He grew up in a West Side working class Jewish neighborhood

Sorry Roughcoat,

Mamet and I both attended Francis W. Parker on scholarship. If I recall correctly, he was four years ahead of me and a "Big Brother" to our eight grade class.

We were financially struggling kids and grew up with a lot of rich liberals who sent their kids there. We both departed the liberalism train in the early 80's.

Maillard Reactionary said...

Baldwin was occasionally funny when in character and doing comedy. And he did a creditable job in announcing for the NY Philharmonic (he may still do so, I don't know).

Unfortunately, in person, like so many others, he is a sorry excuse for a human being, narcissistic and nasty.

Speaking in such a way to a child is truly wretched. Even more so when it is one's own. He is lucky she still speaks to him at all.

As I've noted before, you have interesting tastes in reading material, Emerita. Thanks for sharing, now I'll go take another shower.

Maillard Reactionary said...

tim mcguire: "If she could forgive him, who cares if he's happier, but maybe she would be."

That's what I was thinking the other day when I advised Our Hostess to give it up with being angry with her high school dress-code enforcing administrator.

Once cannot be happy without forgiveness and gratitude.

William said...

I'll definitely watch the roast. Can you imagine a bunch of professional comedians making fun of someone besides Donald Trump? I don't think it's ever been done before......Ireland is strikingly good looking. Can you imagine being that good looking and rich and having people feel sorry for you. It's a shame that Ireland's not as good looking as her mother but we all have burdens to bear.

Roughcoat said...

Francisco:

Thanks for the info about Mamet. You said he was a financially struggling kid who needed a scholarship to attend Francis Parker. That gibes with my information about him, and with what I wrote above.

Of course you're correct that he was surrounded by liberals at Francis Parker. But the neighborhood in which he grew up, as you put it, was a lower middle- and working-class area with modest bungalows and apartment buildings/tenements. He did not come from privileged background.

Btw, my sister-in-law is the college advisor at Francis Parker.

Roughcoat said...

So, Franciso, re Mamet there's no need for you to be sorry.

Nichevo said...

She's just mad because her face looks like him instead of Kim Basinger. At least she got her body.

Narayanan said...

Why doesn't he join and advocate Men's rights movement?

Do suffering liberal dad's even know about it? Do they consider it right wing deplorable?

Narayanan said...

Looks like bi-coastal divorce. How different are State Family Court and Law ? NY vs CA in case of Baldwin!

How strong is Feminist anti-male influence on them?

Narayanan said...

From details in thread I'd say SNL portrayal of Trump is his Catholic flagellation - envies Trump family togetherness.

Francisco D said...

Btw, my sister-in-law is the college advisor at Francis Parker.

I feel bad for her if she is not a leftist. Based on alumni mailings (I donate a lot the scholarship fund) FWP is full SJW. They give "students of color" exclusive alumni meetings among other things. It is embarrassing because FWP is a big part of my success in life.

I knew the current principal Dan Frank. He is simply a privileged twit.

Kirk Parker said...

As I said elsewhere recently, I think the Elizabethan-era protocol was much better than our current lionizing of entertainers: "Hey, I really loved your show, it totally made me laugh/cry/both/whatever..... uh, what?.... No, sorry, you and your troupe aren't sleeping inside the city walls tonight!"

n.n said...

Female chauvinists ("feminists")... Men's rights movement

Men and women are equal in rights and complementary in nature. Reconcile.

n.n said...

Should Baldwin, the father, have kneeled? He made specific, verifiable claims, in privacy, about his daughter's character and behavior. Can they be supported? Oh, well. #NoJudgment #NoLabels are a many bigoted progressive policy, a double-edged scalpel wielded by allies with a common cause.

Kirk Parker said...

Francisco,

I have to ask: if the place is "full SJW" and the current head is "a privileged twit", why are you still helping students go [get indoctrinated] there instead of warning them off?

Francisco D said...

I have to ask: if the place is "full SJW" and the current head is "a privileged twit", why are you still helping students go [get indoctrinated] there instead of warning them off?

Kids like Dave Mamet and I had a totally different set of opportunities because of FWP. I assume that the experience teaches kids HOW to think more than anything else. You can overcome the leftist bullshit if you have a well developed and well functioning brain.

Some day AA will not vote for a Dem and prove the case.

Earnest Prole said...

Why doesn't he join and advocate Men's rights movement?

I take it you don't yet have that new Google "websearch" software installed on your mainframe.

Tagore said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Kirk Parker said...

Ok... but... was it "full SJW" when you want there? Things CAN fall apart....