BALDWIN SNAPS - BUT GIVE 'EM A BREAK

You just gotta love blowhard celebrities. Especially Alec Baldwin, who, in a tirade, ripped his 11 year-old a new one when he couldn't get her on the phone.

On April 11, the talented film and TV actor left quite the disturbing voice-mail for his daughter Ireland, after the tyke was MIA for a court-ordered conversation.

The Raging Lib left a roughly two-minute rant, shouting things like, "I made an asshole out of myself trying to make this call" and "You have insulted me for the last time" and "You don't have the brains or the decency as a human being."

Play Baldwin snapping

The NY Post's Page Six reported that the recording was submitted as sealed evidence during Wednesday's custody hearing over Baldwin and his ex-wife Kim Basinger's rights to their daughter.

Gossip site TMZ.com, obtained the tape, and posted the recording as well reported that Baldwin's visitation rights were "temporarily suspended" after the judge heard the tape.

Ouch! That's gotta hurt.

A rep for Baldwin told the rags: "Alec acknowledges that he should have used different language with his child, but those who know him privately know what he has been put through for the past six years."

Obviously going into major damage control mode, the 49 year-old actor posted this message 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. ... 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. 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. ... Outside the doors of divorce court, I have friends, I have respect from people I work with and I have a normal relationship with my daughter. All of that is threatened whenever one enters a court room."

Baldwin and Basinger, have been forever engaged in bitter custody disputes over the tyke ever since they divorced in 2002.

But don't think Baldwin is gonna take this embarrassment lying down. His mouthpiece Vicki Greene, said she filed a court order Friday to determine how the tape got leaked and to determine whether actions should be taken against Kim Basinger, or her attorneys, or Harvey Levin who runs TMZ.com and anybody else associated with the leaking of the tape and the violation of the court orders to keep the proceedings closed.

She further told TV's "The Insider" that anyone involved in this case should want to protect Ireland, so whatever happened was either intentional, reckless or negligent.

The matter is set for a hearing June 5.

Me personally? I feel for the "30 Rock" actor. I know when I try to get someone on the phone and they're not around -- people that SHOULD be around, mind you -- I've been known to leave the occasional tirade.

So yeah, Alec lost his shit... A guy should be able to lose his shit. Listen to the tape. So he's a hard dad to have. Ther are worse things. The dude works on a TV show all day long. It's a hard job with tons of hours and down time. The crew takes a fiver so he can break away, and the little one is no where to be found. C'mon ... I'd be pissed, too.

Listen to the tape. Under the rage, there's genuine pain in his voice. It's a man who wants to speak with and see his child.

There. I said it.

Alec, even though you're a crazy lib and all, I feel for ya. A dude can't yell at his kid anymore -- we're becoming a nation of wimps.

Next time, you should give her a time out.

Until next time,

-- Blake

P.S. And just in case you want to know why Alec rocks... Seven minutes of perfection in what has to be one of filmdom's coolest performances.