Please explain
 

What did David Hasselhoff do that was so bad? From what I understand he got drunk and ate a cheeseburger. Am I missing something here?

:biglaugha

Yeah, peeps, quit hasslin' the Hoff!

My understanding is that 'Hoff is an alcoholic who completed AA or something similar, and as a promise to his kids that he would stay on the wagon, told them that if he ever had a relapse, they could videotape it. He had a relapse, and the videotape, which was meant to be private, somehow got released to the public.

It is painful for kids to see their parents engage in that kind of behavior, especially because it's pretty common for children whose parents are alcoholics to blame themselves. However, I think it's a shame that the video was made public. It sounds like the family was handling the situation ok before the media got involved.

He got drunk and ate a cheeseburger while he had custody of his children. One is 16 and the other is 14. Would you feel comfortable leaving your children with someone that drunk?

Nope.

But it's not like he was assaulting anyone or driving drunk. He broke no law.

I never said he broke a law, but I empathize with the worry and shock of seeing a parent like that in front of their child. I don't care if they are famous or not.

i guess it wouldnt have been so bad had he not been a recovering alchy, also i think by 14 and 16 these girls have probably seen alot.

Granted, he isn't a good example of the way a parent should behave, but I don't think he deserves any criticism at all.

He deserves criticism, but not from us.

Or, more accurately, he deserves criticism from his family about his alcoholism and he deserves criticism from us about even the short clips of him in the ads for his upcoming talent show.

:D

But a 14 and 16 year old can go hang out at the mall for half a day or longer? He wasn't putting them in any danger, only himself.

There's a big difference between hanging out at the mall, in a controlled environment where there are friends and security staff and police to call if things go wrong and being in the one place where you are supposed to be safe and protected and a CHILD.

I haven't seen the clips. I'm therefore unable to make a comment on his specific behaviour.

But friends I knew who weren't able to rely on their parents were definitely affected by it. In fact some of the issues in my family come from the way my maternal Great Grandfather behaved towards my Grandmother - along with other things she looked after him on many a drunken occasion. Nan's parenting skills (and the knock on effect to my Mum's) made a lot more sense once I learned some family history.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYj6TceYio0

So by this statement you would say that 14 and 16 year olds are children?

looks like it was a good thing he had the kds around to take care of him. retarded drunk. I think i'd pass out before i got that drunk.

No doubt. So you would also suggest through this statement that they are kids?

Malls must be different over there. Most people wouldn't let younger children hang at the mall, here, for fear of kidnappers, perverts and father rapers.

But by the time they are 14, most don't need a baby sitter in their home, except possibly over night. They are often permitted to hang at the mall, too.

This film clip was to help convince him he shouldn't be drinking, not because he put the kids in danger.

mmm drunken cheezburger

Our Malls do not let kids 16 and under "hang out" without an adult.

Not a bad idea.

Terrible idea.
It would never fly in Maryland, thats for fucking sure. There's nowhere else to go.

Kids should not be allowed in Malls unattended by adults. Period. If they don't have anywhere to go they should stay home. That is the issue. The Mall is for shopping, not hanging out with yer buds. Parents need to supervise thier kids.

At what age are "kids" allowed to be alone in the house? At what age are "kids" allowed to babysit littler kids?

OK so the "drunk in charge of kids" charge fails -unless he was endangering them.... did he look like a danger to anything except that lettuce?

He told them to video them if he fell off the wagon.. They did. Furthermore, the one we hear was an obnoxious pushy teen and demonstrates amply that it's not causing her any emotional scars -she is enjoying this power over her dad.

Are they used to seeing him drunk? Well evidently, occasionally -they recognise it, but regularly? I don't think so! Who makes a drunk promise anything? What effect has this had? Clearly the kid(s) are anti-alcohol. Isn't that what all American strives for?

One might almost argue that this is a perfect case of parenting by example whilst protecting your kids from experiencing the dangers themselves.

I feel for him and the kids. the ex-wife who leaked this shit to the media can rot in hell for all I care.

(and believe me I don't come out in favor of the hoff lightly -the baywatch-german-pop-hater in me wants to condemn...)