It may have been an angry frustrated father having a bad parenting moment but IMO the problem is its one of many many bad parenting moments, The Court has given sole pysical custody to the mother. Over the years its Alec Baldwin who has been ordered into anger management and limited visitation.
If encouraging ones daughter to be in a relationship with an abusive male is what makes one a good mother count me out. Forcing Ireland Baldwin to accept Alec Baldwins behavoir and contantly forgive because he is her father just sets her up to live a life of being submissve to abusive men because they are her husband/boyfriend etc.
I don't advocate forcing a child to be in a relationship with an abusive male or female. Both Ireland's parent's strike me as abusive and these are the cards she has been dealt and must play.
I advocate encouraging and supporting a child to work out an independent relationship with the "other" parent with which the child feels comfortable.
I advocate helping the child understand the reality that parents are not perfect and that most of us do the best we can with the tools we've got - and still, we fall short.
I advocate mirroring the child's negative feelings back to her when she's processing feelings from her relationship with the other parent without ever crossing the line and saying, "Yeah - he's a gigantic jerk and this is what I've been trying to protect you from all these years" etc...etc.. or any similar stream of vitriol (save that for your girlfriends - and I am guessing if Kim had some of those she wouldn't have to share all this with strangers).
I advocate helping the child deal with the wide spectrum of human behavior that exists in the world. Lots can be learned by interacting with someone who is verbally abusive if we allow ourselves to get the lessons. Sometimes the lesson is as simple as "Hey - I'm not going to interact with someone who talks to me like that" but I am often amazed out how long it takes some people for that truism to sink in.
I advocate assisting the child in processing her hurt and anger about a super harsh voice mail in a healthier way than agreeing for it to be published on the web.
I advocate helping the child understand the reality that the only behavior she can ever change in this life is her own, and I advocate encouraging the child to look at any part she may have played in being a victim of verbal assault. She may not have played a part, but honest self-examination on the point will be a powerful tool for her in the future.
As I said in my earlier post, if a child tells you constantly "I don't want to see Dad," you have to respect that. I know I would.
However, if you - as the child's mother - have continually denigrated the child's father to the child over the years (as Basinger has done in), you've influenced your child's decision at great peril to your child.