Christian Bale's on-set meltdown, in which he tore a Terminator Salvation cinematographer a new one, catapulted the volatile actor into rare company with other celebrities who managed to make absolute jackasses of themselves while the recorders were rolling.

"I want you off the fucking set, you prick," Bale said in the vitriolic outburst that's turned into a viral sensation. "No, don't just be sorry – think for one fucking second."

A totally NSFW audio clip (.mp3) of Bale's F-bombing tirade, which took place in July, surfaced on TMZ earlier this week, touching off a fireworks display of online dance remixes like RevoLucian's "Bale Out" (embedded above).

Parodies, in which Bale takes on craft services and other easy targets, a Christian Bale Soundboard and the inevitable T-shirt quickly followed.

The sweeping online attention guarantees Bale a spot among the all-time great unhinged celebrity screamers, as chronicled in this list of the top 10 celebrity rants caught on tape. Some are subtle, some are shocking: Bale's now-legendary outburst gives us a great opportunity to revisit a few evergreen entries that caught fire before the internet even existed.

(Editor's note: Nearly all these clips are NSFW.)

1) Orson Welles and his frozen peas: It couldn't have been easy to go from Citizen Kane to ads for cheap wine and bagged vegetables, and Welles' bitterness shows in this classic outtake from a vegetable commercial. The portly actor's diva-esque behavior formed the basis for John Candy's hilarious impression on SCTV.

2) Michael "Kramer" Richards ends his career: Perhaps the former Seinfeld actor's racist onstage ravings should be disqualified because this list is for "celebrities," but how often do you get a chance to see a man truly lose his mind and his means to make a living all at once?

3) Buddy Rich drum-beats his band: Better known in many circles for his obnoxious, foul-mouthed assault on his band than for his breakthrough jazz drumming, Rich was – by many accounts – a real jerk. In this audio recording, Rich shifts from general anti-Semitism to personal assaults with the same ease and accuracy he displayed flowing from snare to high hat. "How dare you call yourselves professional?" Rich raves. "Assholes are playing like fucking children up there."

4) William Shatner sabotages a session: By many accounts, Star Trek's Shatner is a good guy. However, step between him and his work or get too nit-picky with directions, and he can "sabotage" the production – as one simpering audio director found out.

5) Casey Kasem frowns on dead puppies: Yes, the "America's Top 40" host and voice of Shaggy went over the top chewing out his radio producers in this clip. But he has a point. Was this the best place to put a dead dog story? Indeed, is there ever a play to put a deceased puppy carcass in what's supposed to be an entertaining radio show?

6) Elvis Presley is not strung out: Elvis insisted he was never "strung out" on heroin, and he wanted the world to know it back in 1974. He didn't say whether he was potentially strung out on every prescription medication known to humankind. At least The King was polite enough to end even this cussword-strewn speech with the traditional, "Thank you very much."

7) Bill O'Reilly wants to do it live: It's hard to tell if the Fox News pundit is freaking out in this infamous Current Edition clip, or if that's just the way he is most of the time. This footage was one of the first rants to get the YouTube remix treatment.

8) Alec Baldwin sends a hateful message: The Team America: World Police star gets extra credit for spitting animosity all over his own daughter in this voicemail message, in which he calls her a "thoughtless little pig." He's winning awards on TV these days, but when it comes to child care, we agree with Kim Jong-il.

9) David O. Russell "collaborates" with Lily Tomlin: Directors are responsible for controlling the set – creating an efficient and professional atmosphere where on-screen and behind-the-scenes talent can work in unison. (It's the precise atmosphere Terminator Salvation's helmer, McG, failed to oversee.) I Heart Huckabees director Russell shows how not to do it when he tussles with Tomlin.

10) Lee Elia tears down Cub fans: No, former Chicago Cubs manager Elia is no longer considered a celebrity, but his diatribe about drunken, idiotic fans is too rich to ignore.

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