Alec Baldwin appeared on THE VIEW yesterday, for an interesting and controversy-free interview.
The LA Times reviewed it – controversially. Times staff writer’s notebook
It is clear that the powers that determine such things at the LA Times have decided that Alec Baldwin shall be one of the celebrities to condemn, and so he is delivered to critic Paul Brownfield to cherry-pick, and then be dealt with along party lines.
It is hard to believe that he saw the same show that I and the rest of us saw. It is worth examining for their methods.
For starters, it wasn’t “live” as stated by Barbara Walters? Big deal! At least there weren’t suggestive chiron banners scrolling across the screen, as I had to endure in Larry King’s treatment of me on his similarly “live” show. Baldwin talked about how family lawyers and family courts drive wedges and are helping to bring about alienation in divorcing families, and how his frustration had led to his illegally leaked message (to attorney Harvey Levin and his TMZ/AOL Time-Warner subsidiary scandal site) left on his daughter’s voicemail.
The opposing arguments offered by Brownfield to distort Baldwin’s POV are of the hearsay type, much favored by gossips, which would not see much daylight in a court of law.
Baldwin’s forceful “temper”? As far as one can see, he exercises it for good reason, doesn’t suffer fools gladly, and has the industry standing to be heard, and the money to see things through and work for change. A noble calling. And the heck, even, with his situation comedy, a sentiment that so irked this critic who happens to like the series.
Baldwin disparaged media gossips? Well, this estimable critic has now decidedly put himself in their camp. Perhaps the comment that such people are filled with “self-hatred and shame” touched a nerve in Brownfield. He asks whether a study should be commissioned. Please yes, and host it, Mr. Brownfield?
Meanwhile, hear and evaluate for yourself the message left on his daughter’s voicemail, because for the umpteenth time she had turned off her phone, thus leaving her own message for her father. And hear him say that he always stops whatever he’s doing to call her at the prescribed and court-ordered time. Sanctions, anyone?
Alec Baldwin’s message left on his daughter’s turned off telephone