The past few weeks actor Charlie Sheen has had considerable media attention. His life seems to be imploding in front of everyone. What we're seeing, I believe, is a slow overdose. While he certainly seems to have lost his grip, what I can't understand, for the life of me, why is this being covered in the news? Wednesday morning the Today Show led its first hour not with Libyan unrest, soaring fuel and grocery prices, public employees on strike, but with a Charlie Sheen update. Later in the the show they had a live interview with the troubled actor. All of this is, of course, under the guise of "news." Would David Brinkley or John Chancellor have interviewed Charlie Sheen? Clearly, it sells, and someone is buying. Are the "journalists" hoping he'll light a rock of crack cocaine during the interview, die, or at least continue his bombast?
Why anyone would be shocked at Sheen's crackup is beyond me. I first remember him from the movie, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, in 1985-his character was in jail for drugs. Then, Platoon, in 1986, smoking dope through the barrel of his M16 rifle. In real life, during this time, he had several run-ins with the law due to drugs. While married to model and actress Denise Richards he cuffed her up a few times all while continuing his drug and alcohol use. Now, he is living in a seedy open living arrangement with a female porn star and another woman, or women, and really hitting the drugs, even describing his use and his highs in recent interviews. Having watched a couple episodes of his popular CBS show, Two and 1/2 Men, clearly, he isn't acting now and never has, except only to gear back a bit from his real life for TV. His real life can't even be shown on late night TV.
What's amazing is that I've heard a few religious conservative acquaintances wonder what's wrong with him and that it's a shame because, "his show is hilarious." Really? A show that portrays drunken promiscuity, encourages a minor to experiment sexually, devalues sobriety and purity is hilarious? Why, then, aren't they laughing at his real life? Yea, what's going on with him right now is a real hootenanny! Truth be told, it has never been funny; not on 2 and 1/2 Men, or in his real life. He has left a trail of waste and pain behind him.
Get some help Charlie. As for the media, avert your cameras from this disaster.
No comments:
Post a Comment