Exploiting Charlie Sheen

[didymus]

HuffPo:

Exploiting Charlie Sheen

March 1, 2011 Read Later When I arrived in Detroit to intern at the Free Press many years ago, I saw a local character dressed in a bright yellow rain slicker, no matter the weather, theatrically directing traffic in front of the Cadillac hotel. He was there every day. My troop of interns suggested to our editors that he’d be a story. Apparently every group of interns had the same idea. And the editor sternly admonished us that we shouldn’t exploit the man’s insanity. Nuts aren’t news.
I wish that same editor would give the same lecture to Piers Morgan at CNN and the news departments at NBC and ABC regarding Charlie Sheen.

So why are they interviewing him? Not because they expect him to say smart things that give insight. Neither are they trying to give a picture of mental illness, for they give no context. On Piers Morgan’s nightly exhibition of ratings neediness, the star dismissed doctors’ mentions of bipolar disease and then Morgan stepped up to give him a clean bill of mental health, telling Sheen he is “alarmingly normal.” I think in the field they call that enabling.

What Sheen does may be news. What his network didn’t do is also news – when he abused women, they kept him on the air to keep the ratings he gets. What his network did do is news – they yanked him only after he issued a manic rant against his producer.

But is what Sheen says in his haze of insanity or drugs newsworthy? I don’t think so. I think it’s exploitation. They want him to act nutty. Ratings, man, ratings.

Sorry to say even though I try to ignore entertainment news Sheen is one train wreck I’ve found irresistible.
But Jarvis makes some good points, exploiting people’s mental illness for ratings if pretty despicable even if they are seeking media attention (maybe a symbiotic psychosis?).
To me what’s more pathetic are so-called “reality” shows like Intervention & America’s Most Overweight (or whatever).

 

[Dale_M]

Yes, the media are exploiting Sheen’s mental meltdown. Bipolar disorder (or whatever Sheen is suffering from) is all too common and can be disabling. It seems likely to disable Sheen’s career.

Rather than respectful and educational coverage, I think we are getting far too many gleeful reports along the lines of “ZOMG… you’ll never guess what he said now!” Instead of protecting a person whose life is careening out of control, the media seem more concerned at getting while the getting is good.

I realize that Sheen is a Hollywood star, which makes him more newsworthy than the average person ranting on the street. However, he seems to be suffering from the same vulnerability and exploiting the vulnerable should be deplored.

 

[Thoughtfulone]

He’s not bi-polar, he’s bi-winning.

 

[Cat]

It seems to me that Charlie Sheen is exploiting us.

There are a lot of people, including people in the entertainment industry, who are more worthy of our attention for their good works and uplifting words. Why don’t we hear more about them? (Because they want their good works to remain anonymous, probably.)

 

[catsrus]

Charlie is melting down even as we watch. He desperately needs the help he refuses from friends and family. In the end though, no one can be helped if they do not want to be or deny they need any. Sheen is not a child that can be forced into mental health help. I think he’s just done so many drugs in his life that his brain is fried.
I do hope no judge lets him anywhere near his children. Not that the boys mother is a whole lot better.
I also wish the news stations would stop putting his every utterance on the air. I cringe for him every time he opens his mouth.

 

[Nec5]

He’s not bi-polar, he’s bi-winning.

hahaha. Hey, Men At Work was a pretty funny movie. And he was great in the first Young Guns before he got blown away.

 

[DaveBj]

Gah…I am so tired of hearing about superbrats Charlie Sheen and Lindsay Lohan. If I’m watching the news, I hit the mute button when something about them comes on.

DaveBj

 

[mary_bobo]

I think it is extremely sad that so many of our fellow citizens are so shallow that they are fascinated by this man and other Hollywood types like them. Sheen is obviously a very sick man and needs our prayers. Other than that, the less attention we all pay to him and his ilk, the better.

 

[didymus]

Here’s a much less exalted case of the same thing. A woman who just retired from the agency where I work got a new house from Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. I didn’t really know her since she only worked briefly at the same facility I do.
Anyway, she’s had some problems since being on the show resulting an article in the Albany Times-Union “No Fairy-Tale Ending for Extreme Makeover Family”. The T-U apparently got a lot of letters challenging them on what purpose the article served & I can’t find the ombudsman’s response right now.

Now, if I hadn’t known this woman I probably wouldn’t have asked “why is this news?”.

 

[CrazyRachel]

I must say I’ve always loved Charlie Sheen, especially as a kid because he cracked me up the Hot Shots films, and its just so sad to see him in the state he’s in at the moment. I really hope he gets better. Horrible media circus. I could never take a pic of someone who’s quite obviously in a bad way then sell it on and print a nasty caption along side it. I dont know how the paparazzi sleep at night. As if they’re so perfect and have never made any mistakes in life.

 

[StJudePray4Me]

The producers of his show, while paying him handsomely, have also exploited his personal problems.

Has anyone ever SEEN this show? It’s loaded with jokes about black-out drunkenness, drug use, and prostitutes.

I find it so totally tasteless to have a man who is an addict, play an addict on TV for laughs. It’s creepy.

 

[Pax2u]

I can’t help but think of his poor mother, and how much she must be hurting.

 

[exoflare]

Has anyone ever SEEN this show?

Unfortunately I have. It’s one of the most terrible excuses for a show I’ve ever seen, but my parents watch it a lot and sometimes I have no choice but to overhear/see parts of it when I’m in the same room. It seems to be really popular with old people for some reason.