Charlie Sheen, Celebrities, Substance Abuse, and Barry Manilow
Brenda
due to the storm, so I took some time to watch the news when I got up
this morning.
And there it was ... the star of one of my favorite shows, "Two and a
Half Men," proving to the world in his latest (and craziest) rant that
if the Celebrity World has a King of Crap, he's their Emperor.
If you haven't heard it, here it is (courtesy of InsideTV):
Charlie Sheen slams 'Two and a Half Men' creator in multiple rants
by James Hibberd
Charlie Sheen ripped Two and a Half Men co-creator Chuck Lorre — as
well as Alcoholics Anonymous and women he parties with — in a stunning
live radio rant Thursday, and then followed up a few hours later with
a reported second rant to TMZ directed at Lorre specifically.
Calling into the Alex Jones Show radio program according to TMZ, Sheen
called the executive producer of his hit TV show a “clown” and said
his real name is “Haim Levine” (Lorre was born Charles Michael
Levine).
“I didn’t care about that vanity card, I went straight home and
dispelled that, that was actually one of the few compliments that
clown has paid me in frickin’ almost a decade,” Sheen says of the
vanity card Lorre ran after the Feb. 14 episode of Men, saying he will
be pissed if Sheen outlives him. “I embarrassed him in front of his
children and the world by healing at a pace that this un-evolved mind
cannot process. I’ve spent, I think, close to the last decade, I don’t
know, effortlessly and magically converting your tin can into pure
gold. And the gratitude I get is this charlatan chose not to do his
job, which is to write.”
Seemingly referring to women he parties with, Sheen says, “If I bring
up these turds, these… losers, there’s no reason to then bring them
back into the fold because I have real fame, they have nothing. They
have zero. They have that night. And I will forget about them as the
last image of them exits my beautiful home. And they will get out
there and they will sell me and they will lose. Bring me a frickin’
challenge. It just ain’t there.”
Regarding AA, Sheen called the organization a “bootleg cult” with a
five percent success rate.
“I have a disease?” he said. “Bulls—. I cured it… with my mind… it’s
all good guys. Quit panicking. No panic, no judgment… You can kill me
but you do not have the right to judge me… I can’t use the word sober
because that’s a term from those people, and I have cleansed myself. I
have closed my eyes and in a nanosecond I cured myself from this
ridiculous… It’s just the work of sissies. The only thing I’m addicted
to right now is winning. You know? This bootleg cult arrogantly
referred to as AA now supports a 5 percent success rate. My success
rate is 100 percent. Do the math! One of their stupid mottos is ‘Don’t
be special, be one of us.’ News flash: I am special and I will never
be one of you. ‘Oh, we have to all sit in here and touch ourselves and
frown.’ Well, you don’t look like you’re having a lot of fun. I’m
going to hang out with these two smokin’ hotties and fly privately
around the world. It might be lonely up here but I sure like the
view.”
“I’m so tired of pretending like my life isn’t perfect and bitchin’
and just winning every second,” he continued. “I’m not perfect, and
bitching and just delivering the goods at every f—ing turn. Because
look what I’m dealing with, man — I’m dealing with fools and trolls.
I’m dealing with soft targets.”
At one point he also refers to himself and the interviewer as “Vatican
assassin warlocks.” At another point, Sheen seems to make a threat
against unspecified attackers: “I’m done. It’s on. Bring it. As I say.
I ain’t hiding. You know? And if you’re part of my family, I will love
you violently. If you infiltrate and try to hurt my family, I will
murder you violently.” The interviewer suggests that Sheen’s talking
about “the info war,” and the actor agrees.
CBS, Warner Bros. and Sheen’s publicist all have no comment, for now.
Men is set to resume production on Monday, with Sheen due on the set
on Tuesday. Sheen was adamant that he was clean, but his comments
towards Lorre (who also exec produces CBS hits The Big Bang Theory and
Mike & Molly) do raise the question of how the network and studio will
respond.
Later, TMZ claims it reached Sheen in the Bahamas, where he escalated
his rhetoric against Lorre: “I violently hate Chaim Levine [Chuck
Lorre]. He’s a stupid, stupid little man and a p—- punk that I’d never
want to be like. That’s me being polite. That piece of s— took money
out of my pocket, my family’s pocket, and, most importantly, my second
family — my crew’s pocket. You can tell him one thing: I own
him.” (Additional reporting by Kate Ward)
UPDATE: CBS and Warner Bros. Television issued a joint statement
discontinuing production of Two and a Half Men for the rest of the
season.
(End of rant)
*********
The whole thing is pretty disturbing ... but this statement sent
chills right through me:
"And if you’re part of my family, I will love you violently. If you
infiltrate and try to hurt my family, I will murder you violently.”
The interviewer suggests that Sheen’s talking about “the info war,”
and the actor agrees.
Now, I liked Charlie Sheen. He was always one of my favorites. I
knew the guy had a problem with ego and excess, but I've always told
myself it didn't matter as long as I enjoyed his work. He was - and
is - entitled to live his life the way he wishes, and beyond watching
his TV show, I shouldn't give any of it another thought. But after I
heard these disgusting words he uttered on this morning's news - and
then read the transcript on EW's website - I knew I could no longer
make that separation.
He's an addict in denial. In spite of his public self-worship, he has
contempt for himself and for everyone with whom he's intimate. His
thoughtless words, spewed merely for his own self-gratification,
succeeded in shutting down production of a show that is going to
inflict financial harm on his own peers. But addicts never think of
others. Never. Whether that addict is a celebrity or a bum in the
park, they all have the minds of 12-year-olds, thinking the world
revolves around them and nobody else "understands." And that's why
they drink - not because of a disease, but because it's the only way
they can cope with the fools and losers they have to deal with.
Being a celebrity has its own scary temptations. Celebrities are
constantly told they're news-worthy, that they're special, that
they're somehow hovering above the rest of the planet in their own
gilded spotlights. They foolishly think they deserve this attention
because of their own hard work and talents - which is, of course,
bullshit. Lots of really talented artists never become celebrities.
And there's a lot of celebrities that have no recognizable talents
whatsoever. If the popularity of reality television has shown us one
thing, it's this: Anybody can grab the public's fancy at any given
time and for any given reason, be adored as a false idol, and then be
easily discarded when something shinier comes along. And I believe
celebrities secretly know this, so they starve and carve themselves to
be beautiful, spend money on sexier cars,bigger houses, flashier
wardrobes ... and keep assuring themselves that all of this will make
them special even if the world forgets about them tomorrow.
Very few stars have managed to rise above the tempations of the flossy
glossy bubbles in which they hold court and have managed to stay
"real." Some have managed to stay grounded...and I applaud them. And
no, sorry, I don't believe Barry is one of those fortunate few. I
think he tries, bless his heart, but never quite succeeds in rising
above his own self-importance, his own need for unconditional
adoration from his fans, and his own gnawing insecurities about his
closeted lifestyle, the public knowledge of which could send most of
that unconditional adoration screaming for the exits.
But when you couple the celebrity poison with toxins from the booze,
the pills, or even the sex addictions, you get a Charlie Sheen...a 12-
year-old in denial about his own disease who believes his own
press ... and it's a scary sight. The guy - once a young, handsome,
charming actor - has literally transformed himself into a bleary-eyed,
emaciated, middle-aged wreck who can't even see what his millions of
viewers see: the damage he's inflicted on himself while ever screaming
louder, "I'm wonderful, I'm wonderful, I'M WONDERFUL AND DAMN YOU IF
YOU DON'T THINK SO!"
When it comes to Barry, I won't speculate on whether he's dealing with
substance abuse. Some could argue that the tobacco addiction alone
could make him a member of this unenviable club. And I don't judge
anybody who has an addiction, knows he has it, and fights everyday to
find a way to beat it. We're all tortured by demons to some extent.
But whether a person suffers from too much celebrity or too many pain
pills, I think this much is certain - without humility, they are - as
we are - doomed. Humility tells us when it's time to stop and get
help... and would have, I feel, have saved the lives of Michael
Jackson, Heath Ledger, Anna Nicole, Elvis, John Belushi, and so many
others who died before they should have. I pray Charlie finds his
humility before his own arrogance destroys him, his family, his
friends and all he holds dear.
And I hope celebrities like him serve as warnings to other celebrities
- especially those facing their own addictions - to humbly reach out
to anyone willing to help, if only to say, "Tell me when I'm out of
line. Stop me when I've gone too far. Show me you love me by daring my
wrath or rejection if you dare tell me the truth."
This is what I wish for Barry - because, like Charlie Sheen, he's a
celebrity I always really liked.
So to Barry's manager - if you're out there - please stop badgering
his fans with mind games, identity quizzes and the like. Go talk to
Barry. Counsel HIM. Encourage HIM, tell him when he's doing good,
tell him when he's screwing up. Help him stay humble - or get back to
humble, if he's strayed too far off that path. He needs you more than
we do.
Brenda
Nash's Gramma
I can only imagine the pain Charlie Sheen's family is going through. I
have always admired his father's work, and wonder if part of Charlie's
problem is because he grew up with Martin Sheen as a father. Tought
act to live up to. Someone seriously needs to intervene before he
kills himself or someone else. So very, very sad.
I don't think Barry's situation is anywhere near as bad. He certainly
doesn't go around ranting and raving in public, or critcizing others
with profanity. I read something on another group recently that gave
me insight into Barry that I hadn't had before. It concerned an
episode that happened back in 2004. I had taken a break from Barry for
a few years, and didn't know about this incident at the time...it was
when he was hospitalized for heart problems. I have a heart
problem...I have an extra electrode in my heart that sometimes tells
it to beat out of sync. It causes fibrillation, which brings on chest
pain and light-headedness and difficulty breathing. It can be treated
with drugs, and if that doesn't work, surgery. I didn't realize Barry
had a similiar problem. I know that the problem can be temporarily
fixed, but I don't think it ever really goes away. It just makes me re-
examine the past and wonder what something like that does to your
state of mind. I know what it does to me. I know that I hate the
episodes when they come, I know that someday my heart might just not
recover, and I worry that I might have an episode while I'm alone with
my grandkids.
I don't know if Barry's problem was permanently "fixed" (it seems
unlikely, since there are few real cures) but even if it was, living
with the constant threat of heart problems is tough. I'm not excusing
anything he or tptb have done or will do. I'm just saying, knowing now
that his heart is as funky as mine is, makes me want to cut him some
slack. Not those around him, mind you. Just him. :-)
CA Sharon
Junie
Barry Manilow and Charlie Sheen should not be mentioned in the same
thread subject line, much less trying to work your take on Barry into
the same article.
I'm disappointed in your effort.
Brenda
That's okay - I welcome opposing viewpoints, and I appreciate your
reading mine. I would have liked it, however, if you could have, for
the sake of discussion, explained why you don't feel these two
celebrities have anything in common. To simply declare they "should
not be mentioned in the same subject line" doesn't do much to convince
me.
I think anyone who's a celebrity is living on the edge. It's not an
easy world they live in. God knows I would never want to live in it.
None of us can possibly know what Barry really faces, day in and day
out, when he has to go "on." As Sharon pointed out, he's had a heart
condition for years ... plus he's got the creaky hips ... a smoking
habit I'm sure he'd love to quit .... and it seems no reviewer can
write about his show without some ugly adjective describing his
appearance. It has to be hell, and I'm sure he has his own private
ways of coping with that kind of stress. And I think that most
celebrities - with very few exceptions - can easily fall into a pit if
they don't have the proper support in their lives...support that's a
lot more than being surrounded by "yes" men.
I sincerely hope he has it. I hope that people like Garry and Marc and
Suzanne and Lorna are there for him ... not just to encourage and
support him, but protect him from himself when the occasion warrants
it. I hope they are not afraid to anger or disappoint him if it means
looking out for his health and well-being. I do think Barry is his own
worst enemy at times, and it would take a couple of good, strong
friends to protect him from that surly twin.
He's not a god - he's just a man who's fragile just like the rest of
us.
And, God willing, if this man always has friends like that, he'll
never end up like poor, pathetic Charlie Sheen.
Cheers -
Bren
Angel
I`m sure Barry will look upon your post with great amusement IF he
ever reads it.
Brenda
>
> I`m sure Barry will look upon your post with great amusement IF he
I doubt anything I write has any interest for Barry. :-)
But hey, if I did have the power to amuse him, I would consider myself
very fortunate.
Cheers -
Brenda
marvin
> On Feb 25, 5:23 pm, Junie <woooot_woo...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> > You're really reaching here Brenda.
> > Barry Manilow and Charlie Sheen should not be mentioned in the same
> > thread subject line, much less trying to work your take on Barry into
> > the same article.
>
> > I'm disappointed in your effort.
> >
>
> That's okay - I welcome opposing viewpoints, and I appreciate your
> reading mine. I would have liked it, however, if you could have, for
> the sake of discussion, explained why you don't feel these two
> celebrities have anything in common. To simply declare they "should
> not be mentioned in the same subject line" doesn't do much to convince
> me.
>
Barry and Charlie Sheen are not at all alike is the issue of the
public forum.
Charlie Sheen has publicly denounced the creator of the TV show
that he is well paid for to be the lead of the series.
Whatever agreements/disagreements Barry may have with either his
musicians, support staff, Clive Davis or others at his record company,
the Vegas venue he now performs at, Barry will never publicly diss
anyone because he knows this is unprofessional. Barry is professional
enough that he will never say anything negative regarding anything
with his shows or his music because it benefits nobody and would make
him look like a diva who does not value his team.
Charlie Sheen seems to take for granted that he is a well paid
actor and does not care enough about his show or people in his private
life to refrain from commenting in public about his antagonism.
Charlie Sheen needs to discuss his issues he has with others in
private. All that Charlie does by going on and on on how he is above
some of the people he has problems have is show that he is not a team
player and has put doubt in the future on a producer to cast him in a
show- wondering if he is worth putting up with.
Although this is not the same situation, there is some similarity
to the situation years ago when Suzanne Sommers wanted to be paid as
well as lead actor John Ritter in "Three's Company" and when she did
not honor her contract and started to criticize the producers of the
show, they decided she was not worth all the headaches and dumped her.
It would not surprise me if Charlie Sheen will suffer the same fate.
For all that we may complain about Barry, he has always been
professional through his career and would never criticize any of his
musicians or staff in public. Marvin
AbiMoore
>
> read more
Good God. You really do like the sound of your own voice.
What a pile of pontificating clap-trap.
dianekreis
>
> read more »
Hello-- I am new here bit have been reading alt fan for awhile now...i
am not sure where to reply on here so I am using this message ..I
think CS is a crackhead. He looks terrible. Looks like he has aged
alot
I also enjoy reading about Barry on here.lately I see some fighting
going on. Kind of reminds me of the Manilow Network which for some
reason I was booted from. like so many others
form what i see no one can get booted off of here..or am I wrong?
Brenda
Don't worry - nobody can boot you off the newsgroup - except for God.
It's totally unmoderated.
And pay no attention to the occasional cat fights or troll
infestations ... Any veteran here will tell you this crap has always
been with us - just ignore it.
As for Charlie Sheen, I've heard this lunatic raving for a couple of
days now (because he's everywhere on TV these days), and I have to say
that nobody - Barry included - could EVER be this delusional.
How did he get this bad?
I feel so sorry for his family.
Anyway, nice to see you posting here.
Cheers,
Brenda
dianekreis
>
> - Show quoted text -
Thanks Brenda
I will try to ignore those messages
it is just crazy sometimes..
I think CS is really falling apart these days
It is a shame..wish he would get help
I do not watch his show much..but i liked him in the movie platoon
you are right about Barry that is for sure
Hope to be here more and thanks for the welcome
Diane K
Junie
> Kind of reminds me of the Manilow Network which for some
reason I was booted from. like so many others
you have a difference of opinion with? lol Or, what was it you said
that you think got you done in? I thought they were finished with that
banning/suspension thing on MMN.
Just curious - was your $10.00 BMIFC membership paid up? Wondering if
they're suspending people for non-payment.
Whatever - you're welcome here.
Spread the word of alt.fan to your Manilow friends...whether they're
MMN members or not.