The Ballad Of Charlie Sheen

I've been largely ignoring the whole Charlie Sheen drama. Mostly, because for the most part, celebrity news bores me. But I've always liked the guy. He's been relatively entertaining in just about everything he's been in. I loved him in his cinematic peak, 1996's "The Arrival" where he plays a scientist who uncovers a link between global warming and... wait for it... aliens. (Ron Silver, whom I mentioned in my most recent entry, has a role in this movie as well) But I digress...

The news, and I'm talking every news channel, probably even The Weather Channel has been showing snippets from his various phone-ins to radio shows, his TV interviews, and his bizarre rants on webcasts. I've tried to stay above it. But, last night I broke down and actually watched one of his episodes or whatever. I just have to say that I find it to be one of the saddest, most pathetic and self-destructive things I've ever seen. I think it's appalling that people are actually enjoying this. It's clear to me, and should be to anyone who has been around someone that has had to deal with some sort of addiction or manic depressive type of behavior that there is something not quite right with ol' Charlie.

But the thing that is just pissing me off to the point to where I want to take my warlock machete and kill people** until they are completely drained of tiger blood, are these morons who keep saying "winning" like it's the most original and hilarious thing they've ever heard. Some of my friends on various social media sites have taken to using it, and now on their statuses (stati?) their friends are responding by saying "winning" and I'm sitting here getting really pissed off about it because I just watched this burnout make an ass of himself and here are these assholes encouraging more of this behavior because they're putting him up on some pedestal and turning him into some folk hero by using his stupid catchphrases. Not to mention he's struck some deal with some other asshole to trademark and market this garbage on t-shirts. So now I'm going to have to see stupid trendy wannabe teenagers walking around wearing t-shirts that say "winning" on them. It's worse than the morons who wouldn't stop saying "FML" or "FTW" or even "fail," even though I liked and used that last one. But whatever.

I've heard various theories as to what Mr. Sheen's issue is. Everything from drugs to bipolar disorder and everything in between. But he's becoming so popular based on his maniacal rants, that I fear something really bad is going to happen to him, and all of these people basking in his misguided hilarity are going to go awww... how tragic. Maybe somebody should have stepped in and tried to help this guy. Yeah, or maybe everyone, even the media should have just backed away and not given this guy such a humongous forum. On the other hand, can you really blame him? Who wouldn't be willing to take advantage of this? This guy is probably on the ride of his life, thinking that he is the king of the world knowing that everyone on the planet is hanging on his every word and move. This has the potential to end very badly, and who will be responsible? Well, only Charlie Sheen is ultimately responsible, but the online community is full of willing accomplices.

I for one am already sick of it. Tbere is only one Charlie Sheen and he should be the only one uttering these nutty sayings.

And I'm sure Carlos Santana wants his song title back.

**not literally