CHICAGO — There is a special place in Hollywood for actors like Charlie Sheen. Privileged and unlikeable, they somehow seem to just get by on fame. At some point, though, their agent wises up. In Sheen’s case, his was smart enough to pitch a comedy series about a privileged, unlikeable, and hedonistic guy. As Sheen himself would say, “That’s winning.”
Needless to say, I haven’t exactly ever been a Charlie Sheen fan.
But if there is anything I dislike more than a Charlie Sheen, it is a profession that cheers a guy’s downward spiral. That’s the state of journalism today.
So I have a little message for the media.
You think this is funny, huh? Look at the silly guy who says he’s got “Adonis DNA.” Look at the crazy man who lives with two porn star “goddesses” and thinks he is “bi-winning.” Pretty funny stuff watching a guy about to crash and burn.
Admit it, "Good Morning America", you’re enjoying your hit of a drug called “Charlie Sheen.” Piers Morgan, a little tiger blood giving your ratings a boost, eh?
Whether it’s to sell newspapers, magazines, get views on YouTube, friends on Facebook, or following his tweets on Twitter, exploiting Sheen right now is wrong. Dead wrong. And it doesn’t matter what “terrestrial region” you are from.
You don’t have to be Dr. Phil to see that Sheen is severely bipolar. Every TV interview he’s done is a Dr. Keith Ablow psychology class in manic behavior and the media is lapping it up like the dogs they are. The cycle of mania can fool you: You can do anything. You’re invincible. Mortality is for mortals. You’re so incredibly happy that you don’t see the cliff coming.
Sheen is hard partying all the time — “epic,” as he says. He’s using stimulants and drugs. He probably isn’t sleeping. After all, if you have “tiger blood,” it’s a waste of time.
But once you start doing that it’s a stopwatch on your life until someone intervenes.
Mania.
Bipolar diorders don’t discriminate between rich or poor. Or famous, infamous, or the average Joe. The poor man’s high are the cheap drugs—caffeine, alcohol, adrenalin. Celebrities have access to more expensive, destructive stimulants.
Celebrities seem particularly vulnerable because they apparently don’t have someone willing to punch them in the nose, sit on top of them, force them to get 12 hours of sleep, and stop them from taking the drugs or the alcohol. Of course, we just happen to know their names: Chris Farley, Kurt Cobain, Heath Ledger, Michael Jackson, John Belushi, Michael Hutchence, Jim Morrison and Janis Joplin and list goes on.
Elvis.
None of Elvis’ friends wanted to tell him he was fat and in trouble because they wanted to be invited to next week’s party. They chose the party. When you have phonies in your life instead of friends, that’s what you can expect.
It would take the love of a single real person to help Charlie Sheen. Apparently, he doesn’t have that.
“Good Morning America” could have done something really important and meaningful this week. Instead of exploiting Sheen, they could have done an intervention right there on the air with Sheen’s friends and family. However, Good Morning America didn’t do that because they’re phonies. If a guy was about to commit suicide on top of their building, they’d interview him. Then tell him to jump.
Charlie Sheen is a sick man, but watching and reveling in someone’s self-destruction is even sicker.
With TV, comes a responsibility. Being on TV is not just for being on TV’s sake. "Good Morning America," "20/20," Piers Morgan, and the rest had an opportunity to do something good for a change.
If they had, it really would have been winning. For everyone.
