This week's perspective from Bob Reid: At least Mel Gibson probably didn’t know he was being recorded. But Charlie Sheen knew full well he was live on a syndicated U.S. radio show yesterday when he went on a vitriolic tirade against (among many others) the producer of Two And A Half Men, the TV show that had gone into hiatus while Sheen was in rehab (and which made him America’s highest-paid TV actor). The show’s writers, the women he picks up and Alcoholics Anonymous were similarly pilloried by Sheen, who says he conquered his addiction demons in mere minutes using solely the power of his own brilliant mind. Why all of this is a bad idea is obvious. But it also shows how being broadcast (a la Gibson) making an angry, bitter, nasty rant suddenly makes a celebrity’s foibles very in-your-face ugly. Sheen’s wild parties, drug problem and other misbehavin’ used to be viewed somewhat comically, like Keith Richards in the 70s – “He’s in rehab again? Quelle surprise …” But when a tape like this gets heard around the world, audiences very quickly cross the line into not wanting to watch the guy anymore – which may be a moot point, given that the show’s producers pulled the plug within hours of the broadcast. They say it’s just for the rest of the season, but I’d be astonished if another episode of Two And A Half Men ever gets filmed.
0 comments:
Post a Comment