As of late, the name Charlie Sheen seems to be the topic of conversation. By now we have all heard about his rants and arrogance about him being the greatest actor on prime-time television. However, when observing and really listening to what Charlie Sheen is saying, in some strange way, I have to wonder, does he have a point? I do not condone his behavior, his actions or his arrogance, but when observing the history of numerous drug-induced talents, is there some truth to what he is saying?
Some people are highly functional addicts-a proven fact. However, when performing their jobs well and act accordingly, we don’t question or punish them for their addiction. Once the job performance suffers, their behavior gets out of control or which ever comes first, then their addiction becomes a concerning factor. This is exactly what has happened in Charlie Sheen’s case. The public has known for years about his addiction to drugs and numerous liaisons with prostitutes, but as long as he behaved and performed well, not much was being said. When coming to the television set to film his weekly show ‘Two And A Half Men’, it was reported that he was a professional on the set and performed his job well. At times, he did this while being high. Even with the drug addiction rumors, the chaotic circumstances involving him and his ex-wife Brooke Mueller drug induced fights, and the all night drinking and partying that surrounded him while being employed at Warner Brothers, there was no outcry by his employers or the public for him to get help. He was doing such a damn good job, that Warner Brothers decided to give him a salary increase of $2 million per episode and the show ratings increased! Yet, as long as he behaved and performed well, the producers and creator of the show, didn’t seem to mind. Maybe because of the show high ratings along with the millions of dollars being made, no one at CBS or Warner Brothers noticed. It wasn’t until his public rants and unflattering comments about the producers and creator of the show, that it was decided that Charlie Sheen must be fired! The well-being of Charlie Sheen was not of much concern in comparison to the image of CBS and the creator of the show. That is what’s so shocking. He wasn’t fired due to coming to work late, not coming to work at all or poor job performance. He was fired for acting unprofessional while OFF the set! But being high ON the set is okay as long as you act professional and give a great performance? Wow, the standards of Hollywood never cease to amaze me! Depending on the circumstances of his contract, maybe he does have grounds for a lawsuit or at least he should.
When I think of actors such as Robert Downey, Jr., Colin Farrell and others, it is truly amazing to me that while high on dope, some of these people perform better than those who are sober. Could that be the reason why Charlie Sheen is so upset? To come to work on time, remember lines, perform well, and remain professional while high as a kite, yet your sober co-worker is bullshitting around, not remembering all their lines and acting like a clown–but you end up getting fired for some shit you said on your “off” time!?
When you look at it from that point of view, maybe he does have a right to be pissed-off.