ALEC APOLOGIZES ON TV (BUMMER)

We thought Alec Baldwin was a salt-of-the Earth kinda dude.

Bummer.

Reuters reports that Alec Baldwin will apologize to his daughter on national television today for calling her a "thoughtless little pig," according to excerpts from a pre-taped ABC interview released on Thursday.

Appearing on "The View" for his first TV interview since he left a ranting voice-mail message to his 11-year-old daughter that was made public last week on the Internet, Baldwin also said he was ready to give up acting after nearly 30 years.

Why is this guy apologizing? Salt-of-the-Earth dudes don't say they're sorry. Would Brando say sorry? Would Kerouac? Shit, would Hemingway?

I mean, I don't have any rugrats zipping about, but this was a guy who had a tinge of desperation in his voice when he left the message heard 'round the world.

Alec, we understand that the current state of affairs may cause you to want to apologize, but, really, we wish you didn't. You really didn't do anything wrong. You've got a temper on you, no doubt, but jeez, we feel your pain.

Alot of fathers are absentee pops. Those ones that are around may not be all that involved with their tykes as much as they should be. So, that said, Baldwin, who has a court-ordered phone convo planned with his daughter, gets maybe 10 minutes a week to talk to his kid and see how she's doing and boom ... she's nowhere to be found. Straight to voicemail.

So I ask: If you had one or two days a week to speak with someone you love and couldn't get them on the phone, wouldn't you be angry? There are nothing but good intentions here. A father, while a hothead and all, simply wants to hear his child's voice.

By now, everyone knows that Baldwin is embroiled in a bitter, six-year custody dispute with his ex-wife, actress Kim Basinger. He also has stated that he wants to lobby for reforms in divorce, parental visitation and custody laws.

"I would like to devote myself to the cause of parental alienation," the 49-year-old star said on "The View" and added that he was finishing work on a book about divorce that is due for publication in September.

Baldwin said he has asked the NBC network to let him quit his co-starring role as an egoistic TV executive on the popular sitcom "30 Rock." But the network indicated it would not let Baldwin out of his contract. "We look forward to having him continue his role in the show," NBC said. The network already had renewed the series for a second season.

Good move, NBC! Tina Fey is a cutie pie and all, but Alec is the meat and potatoes of that show. Get the guy that cast him and promote him. Do it quick.



In the meantime, TV shrink Dr. Phil revealed that Baldwin had called him for advice and that the two had a "far-reaching, intense conversation" about the actor's daughter and his former spouse.

For those living under the proverbial rock, Baldwin drew a whirlwind of a shit-storm last week when TMZ.com posted a recording of a phone message he recently left for his daughter, Ireland, berating her as a "rude, thoughtless little pig."

"Obviously, calling your child a pig or anything else is improper and inappropriate, and I apologize to my daughter for that," Baldwin said. "There's nothing wrong with being frustrated or angry ... I took it out on the wrong person."

A Los Angeles family law judge who listened to the tape suspended Baldwin's visitation rights last week and set a hearing for May 4, at which time Baldwin could face further restrictions on his contact with the child.

Leave it to a clearhead Cali judge to suspend rights to a guy frustrated at the current state of the system.

While most of the nation came down quite harshly on Baldwin, there are some who've come to his defense. Fathers' activist Glenn Sacks speaks out on Fox TV.



A separate court hearing was set for June 5 on how the voice-mail tape was released to the media.

Read More

BETUS.COM OFFERS BALDWIN THERAPY AND VACATION

Gambling web site BETUS.COM offers our favorite TV and movie thesp some therapy as well as a perhaps much-needed vacation

It just keeps getting better for Alec Baldwin.

Log on to BetUS.com and you can now posts odds on Alec Baldwin’s parental future and offer to set him up at the Best-Of-The-Best Anger Management Course

OK ... So what should have been a heart warming phone convo between Alec and the Apple of his Eye turned into the voicemail from hell.

Apparently, Alec had scheduled a phone call with his daughter, but when her phone was unanswered his temper flew and words of disgust were shouted.

Obviously trying to keep his temper, Baldwin patronized his daughter Ireland via message and at one point called her a “rude, thoughtless, little pig.” Dunno why but for some reason, that makes me laugh. Obviously he didn't mean it. Listen to the tape again - this is a guy who sounded a tad desperate in his anger.

Play Baldwin snapping

In any case, as the public regains their breath, BetUS.com, the largest and most successful sportsbook on the web, posted odds on the aftermath of the message and offered to provide the 49 year0old "30 Rock" star an all-expenses paid visit to the Best-Of-The-Best Anger Management Course/Retreat.

"That message was a surprise to a lot of people,” BetUS.com spokesman Reed Richards said in a statement. “I had no idea one could speak so passionately and clearly while completely ruining their daughter’s self-esteem.”

Analysts at the gaming site posted the following odds on the outcome of Baldwin’s recent outburst caught on his daughter’s cell phone:

Alec Baldwin will lose custody of his daughter - 3/1

Alec Baldwin’s daughter will get a restraining order against him - 10/1

Alec Baldwin will enter an anger management program - 1/5

Kim Basinger discloses she was a battered wife - 2/1

Alec Baldwin is arrested for child endangerment - 20/1

Kim Basinger and Alec Baldwin remarry - 100/1

Alec Baldwin is nominated as Father of the year - 3000/1

Alec Baldwin teaches a university class on communication - 500/1

Alec Baldwin writes a childcare manual - 500/1

We here at Heminway's Lounge figured you may wanna do something with your tax refund. Take a chance, he'd make a great professor!

Until next time,

-- Donaghy

Read More

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.

Read More