Christian Bale is a nut job!!!!!

[Werewolf]

It's defensible not as a "right" action but simply as an error that is common to most if not all human beings the world over.

I think you are losing your objectivity on this type of behavior because of maybe your admiration for his work. I explained quite thoroughly why that type of behavior is not accceptable for anyone.

As I mentioned before behaving like that on the job would get you more than likely suspended, fired and or arrested. That is not acceptable/defendable on the job behavior.

[Earth 2 Chris]

I'm not condoning his actions or defending them. But we've heard of such tirades out of actors and other entertainers before, this was just recorded on the spot. I agree with Mike about absolute power corrupting. I also believe the pressure these "stars" put themselves under also is generally their undoing. It comes out in their behavior one way or another.

Chris

[Werewolf]

People who spazz usually have a deeper psychological problem hidden below.
It's just not a normal reaction.

Agreed, that's not normal behavior. After behaving like that on the job, at the very, very least a person would have to go through a mandatory psychological evaluation and anger management counseling to keep their job.

[jasonmego1277]

I do agree as well , Its not acceptable behavior of anyone in the spotlight. whether its our business or not , It's all about being professional. Take the Michael Phelps situation. Yes its his business what he does , but its another when your in the spotlight. You need better control yourself. Look at Mickey Rourke. May get nomimated because of " The Wrestler " For years he was held down due to his poor attitude and inability to control himself. Bale needs to realize this. I definitely believe Bale can replaced. I do agree people who get that angry and often ( Yes I have heard there is more times he's flipped out on co-actors, directors, and producers ) have a deeper psychological issue.

[Vortigern99]

My objectivity in this matter is colored, not by my admiration for Bale's work (which is considerable), but by my having experienced "anger management issues" in my 20s and 30s, and now having to see my new wife struggle with the same problem. Not everyone is prone to such irrational outbursts, so to say that this behavior is "not normal" may be technically accurate, but it isn't very constructive or helpful. Where does such name-calling and finger-pointing get us? If it helps you vent your own anger and frustration at the man for misbehaving, so be it. I for one would rather try to understand the reasons for his outbursts, try to empathize rather than condemn him. I'd also prefer to forgive his error as obviously wrong but ultimately not that horrible.

As to mandatory psych evaluations and counseling, Werewolf, you appear to be speaking from experience with regard to your own job, and with jobs with which you are personally familiar. Not all jobs are like that. Some -- sales, food-industry and entertainment, to name three with which I am personally familiar -- have a different set of rules, written and unwritten. This may seem "wrong" to you, or an ethical violation, but tense scenarios and verbal abuse by superiors may just part and parcel of those endeavors.

Some film directors, for example, especially in the Golden Age of Hollywood, were notorious for on-set tyranny and anger. Today we may watch their films without any knowledge of how badly they treated their cast and crew. It's difficult to get riled up over something that happened 4 decades ago, of which we have no audible record.

But here and now, in the information age, a recording catches an actor's angry criticism (or "spazz out" if you prefer) of a co-worker (who may have been subordinate to Bale, depending on the production hierarchy), and it becomes very easy to point our fingers and call the guy a "nut job", all the while neglecting to censure ourselves for our own faults.

My ultimate point here: Was it wrong of Bale to curse at the guy and verbally abuse him? YES. Do "normal" people (whatever that means) also sometimes act irrationally and verbally abuse others: YES. Does that make those people reprehensible/unforgivable/nutjobs? NO.

For all we know, Bale has apologized to the guy by now; it happened 8 months ago.

[Mikey]

For all we know, Bale has apologized to the guy by now; it happened 8 months ago.

It doesn't matter.
The problem is still there because it happened... it's like a guy that beats up his wife and then apologizes afterward.

Being sorry is not a get out of jail free card.

[Werewolf]

Where does such name-calling and finger-pointing get us? If it helps you vent your own anger and frustration at the man for misbehaving, so be it.

It is not name calling of finger pointing.

It is objectively looking at the behavior. I have no anger or frustration at Mr Bale. I have not seen his movies or have a feeling about his work one way or the other. I am looking objectively at the behavior as I would from anyone else and that type of behavior is not normal.

A person expressing themselves in such an extreme way have pyschological issues they need help with. To excuse the behavior does not help the person with the anger issues or the person they are verbally assaulting. The victims of the behavior should not have to put up with it and the person exhibiting the behavior needs help.

There is always the chance and risk that verbal abuse could turn to physical abuse. The person doing the verbal abuse needs help (not excuses) because there is a real risk they could end up physically hurting themselves or someone else.

Behaving like that on the job at the very least is unprofessional and (like I've said before) would result in getting suspended, fired or even arrested. To make another example, I would consider behaving like that to a spouse or child verbal abuse. Also not acceptable behavior. I take this issue very seriously.

[Vortigern99]

It doesn't matter.
The problem is still there because it happened... it's like a guy that beats up his wife and then apologizes afterward.

Being sorry is not a get out of jail free card.

Yelling at someone is not against the law, and not the same degree of moral or ethical violation as committing an act of violence against someone. Your analogy fails on this point alone.

If all of the people against whom you had committed some offense had this same attitude toward you -- "Being sorry is not a get out of jail free card" -- then where would you be? We must forgive those who do wrong against us, otherwise we hang onto anger and hate forever. If the DP had moved on and forgiven Bale, would yo ube able to? Or would you still think the guy is a reprehensible "nutjob"?

It is not name calling of finger pointing.

Observe the title of this thread.

It is objectively looking at the behavior. I have no anger or frustration at Mr Bale. I have not seen his movies or have a feeling about his work one way or the other. I am looking objectively at the behavior as I would from anyone else and that type of behavior is not normal.

Me too. My objectivity is colored and informed by my personal, lifelong experience with this kind of thing.

A person expressing themselves in such an extreme way have pyschological issues they need help with. To excuse the behavior does not help the person with the anger issues or the person they are verbally assaulting. The victims of the behavior should not have to put up with it and the person exhibiting the behavior needs help.

Forgiveness is not "excusing" the behavior. I never said the outburst/tirade was acceptable or excusable. I said it was an error, a mistake, but understandable and human and not really that horrible at the end of the day. Bale didn't harm anyone and he didn't kill anyone. He yelled and used the f-word. It's wrong to do that, most or all of us here have done it, now let's move on.

There is always the chance and risk that verbal abuse could turn to physical abuse. The person doing the verbal abuse needs help (not excuses) because there is a real risk they could end up physically hurting themselves or someone else.

If Bale had physically assaulted the guy, that would be another matter. He didn't, so trying to force a correlation between one act and another to mak your point is speculative and unproductive. Verbal abuse =/= physical assault, nor does the latter always derive from the former, nor does the former always lead into the latter. One is one act and the other is another.

Behaving like that on the job at the very least is unprofessional and (like I've said before) would result in getting suspended, fired or even arrested. To make another example, I would consider behaving behaving like that to a spouse or child verbal abuse. Also not acceptable behavior. I take this issue very seriously.

I take it seriously, too. It's not acceptable, but it is forgivable and understandable and fully human. The guy made a mistake, we've established that, now why not move on? Or would you like to talk about some of the errors you've committed in your life?

[Hector]

You guys are reading too much into it.

I've done the exact same thing in various past situations, lol.

I'm a lot calmer now though.

[Vortigern99]

Thank you for saying so, Hector. So have I, so has my new wife, so has my ex(late) wife, so have past managers and bosses, so has my mother, and so have numerous people I've known, met and seen throughout my life.

Let's get over this holier-than-thou attitude.

[Werewolf]

Observe the title of this thread.

Yes, that is the title of the thread but you were talking to me and I said no such thing.

your point is speculative and unproductive. Verbal abuse =/= physical assault, nor does the latter always derive from the former, nor does the former always lead into the latter. One is one act and the other is another.

There is link and a real risk that verbal abuse can lead to physical. A person needs help before it can ever come to that because the risk is very real. A person with anger issues doesn't necessarily make them a bad person or is unforgivable. But again, they need help (not excuses) before that behavior hurts someone or themselves.

Let's get over this holier-than-thou attitude.

I just take the issue very seriously. Women's shelters are full of women whose partner's verbal abuse turned to physical.

[Mikey]

Let's get over this holier-than-thou attitude.

Thems fight'in words !!!!!!!!!!

[Vortigern99]

Point taken that you, Werewolf, didn't use the term in the thread title. My criticism remains, then, against those who have used such terms and couched their censure of Bale in harsh and self-congratulatory language. If someone else is a "nutjob" for their mistakes, then what does that make me for my own mistakes? It's misanthropic and hateful, IMO, and I wish it would stop. We're better than this.

As to the correlation between verbal and physical assault, it exists in the statistics but I don't believe the one increases the chances of the other. Whether it does or not, it's not a factor in this particular instance. Suggesting what Bale might have done or was in danger of doing is not addressing reality, but rather the imagination and "could-be" scenarios. It's like criticizing a man for whistling or catcalling at a woman -- which for the record is wrong, offensive behavior -- based on the possibility that such obnoxiousness might lead to rape. It might, but that's hardly the point here.

[Werewolf]

As to the correlation between verbal and physical assault, it exists in the statistics but I don't believe the one increases the chances of the other.

I have to respectfully disagree. Yes, there is a real risk. Like where I mentioned women in shelters whose partners verbal abuse turned to physical. The statistics are unfortunately painfully real. Does it mean verbal abuse will always lead to physical, no. But the risk is there and needs to be addressed so it absolutely does not.

Suggesting what Bale might have done or was in danger of doing is not addressing reality, but rather the imagination and "could-be" scenarios.

If you would look over my posts, I barely even mention Mr. Bale. Who again I am not even all that familar with as an actor. I am adressing that type of behavior which I feel is not acceptable no matter who does it. Notice I also concentrate on the behavior being bad and the persons affected needing help.

I feel I personally have not been unkind or insulting to Mr. Bale or anyone else.

[ctc]

>It's actually a form of absolute power corrupting absolutely.

That's what does a lot of celebrities in; while they're on to they're surrounded by people who cater to their every whim and constantly stroke their egos. As soon as they're NOT on top nobody cares. It can be tough living like that, with the sudden silence. (I suspect that's what drives many has-beens to reality tv....)

>People who spazz usually have a deeper psychological problem hidden below.

Definitely, and in this case we have to wonder what those problems are. You can never know what's on a persosn's mind.... especially from a few minute movie clip. So I'd reserve judgement until I knew more about the situation. For all we know this lighting guy keyed his car and has been crank-calling him for the last month.

>After behaving like that on the job, at the very, very least a person would have to go through a mandatory psychological evaluation

Wow. Where do you work? Evaluations cost money, so a lot of places will "let it go this time with a warning," or haggle with the union for a "lesser sentence," or ignore it, or if you're one of the "cool kids" rationalize why YOU were right for going off.

>that's not normal behavior.

Depends on your situation. If you're suffering from "pressure cooker" stress, that sort of behaviour is REMARKABLY normal. Not GOOD; but normal. Everybody has different levels of stress management, and occasionally the ambient levels of stress supercede those. Happens to most folks at some point. And yeah, it leads to ineffective coping strategies; like yelling at folks, but for a lot of people they can't think of anything better. The ol' "fight or flight" instinct kicks in, and if flight isn't possible, fight kicks in.

I always end up feeling sorry for people like this. I understand pressure, and I understand being frustrated with those around you. (If you've seen "Idiocracy" you've got a good idea of what my one job looks like....) My preferred defense is sarcasm. If you use big enough words most people don't even notice....

Don C.