Charlie Sheen: the latest drug in Hollywood

Romina Julian
Contributor
There is a new drug from Hollywood – and its name is Charlie Sheen. This drug has been spreading around the world quicker than a needle full of heroin. It is more powerful than cocaine and ecstasy combined. Men and women, both young and old, can’t get enough of this drug and no matter how much they try to quit, they just can’t stop. Reported side effects include an unhealthy craving for “tiger blood,” the desire to become a warlock, and of course, occasional acid trips known as “winning moments.”
So, what is up with the world and Charlie Sheen? Why is the world fascinated with celebrities living on the edge? Whenever a celebrity is seen on the breaking point of his or her life, the media take advantage of this and treat them like the latest exhibit in a media freak show that has gone on for so many years.

It is as if the media is our drug dealer and the celebrities are our drugs. The media brings attention to the latest celebrity on the edge and we consume as much as we can. Even if we try to quit, the media would give us more. And like drug dealers, for the media it’s all about profit; as soon as a scandal occurs, the media try to convert every minute into a dollar.
We have exhausted celebrity drugs like Britney Spears, Mel Gibson and Lindsay Lohan. We consumed every moment of their life and once we had enough of them, they came back with more. And with Charlie as the latest addiction, we hooked on every moment of his intoxicating life.
I’ll admit I am addicted to Charlie Sheen – and it is difficult to go cold turkey. It is impossible to go a day without hearing about Charlie in the news. I would go to his Twitter account on a daily basis and see what he’s up to. I even quoted him on Facebook a few times. I have never gone a day without seeing someone writing “winning” on their Facebook statuses or hearing them say they got tiger blood.
Unfortunately, some celebrities had their lives followed by media all the way to their deaths. Anna Nicole Smith and Michael Jackson are prime examples of celebrities that still made headlines after their deaths.   Marilyn Monroe and Elvis still inspire conspiracy theories on whether they are alive or not. With Charlie’s webcasts showcasing his unhealthy appearance and bizarre behaviour, some are concerned about his physical and mental health, and claim he has gone too far.
Why do we love hearing about celebrities gone wild? We each have our own reason: we love to be entertained; we feel sorry they are risking their lives publicly; we like to feel better about our own lives. In the case of Charlie Sheen, we start to worship him like he’s the new Chuck Norris.
We tend to follow celebrities as a form of escapism; they embody a lifestyle different from our own, and we often compare their lives to ours to see how we’re faring in comparison.
If there is a way to quit Charlie Sheen, the best way is to ignore it. With reports on the earthquake in Japan, it seems Charlie’s about to be yesterday’s news, and everyone is about to move on. Only time will tell whether Charlie is winning, or losing, his life.