Charlie Sheen...what in the world happened?
Whatever it is, apparently tons of people are interested. Last week, YouTube's blog offered the following bit of info on Mr Sheen:
OK, the masses aren't necessarily interested in what happened, they just want to see the consequential train wreck. Entertainment on and off the screen is hard to pass up.
I haven't seen the videos mentioned above by YouTube, but being a link clicker of CNN and other news site's "Entertainment" sections, I've read over the years about the build up to the most recent drama: his divorce from Denise Richards, follow-up remarriage and subsequent divorce, arrests, rehab, etc. He's definitely giving the late night show hosts and any YouTube videographer with too much time on their hands more than enough material to work with.
Part of being in the public eye is having a target on your chest for public scrutiny. No one can really deny it, argue it, or avoid it. The backlash, opinions, commentary, jokes, skits, and videos will come, asked for or not.
Compared to the elevated interested there was last week, things have died down somewhat. Well, maybe just a little. OK, not really at all.
As of this morning he is still a headline on the CNN, Fox, and HuffPost websites. The big thing now is how fast his Twitter followers have increased. I wonder how many of the two million plus people following him are doing so simply because they want to know what in the world he’s going to do next.
As of this morning he is still a headline on the CNN, Fox, and HuffPost websites. The big thing now is how fast his Twitter followers have increased. I wonder how many of the two million plus people following him are doing so simply because they want to know what in the world he’s going to do next.
I'm almost positive that the last Charlie Sheen movie/show I watched was Major League 2, and that came out in 1994. Seriously, I checked his IMDB page and I haven't seen anything he's done since, not even an episode of 2 and a 1/2 Men. To me, Charlie Sheen is the pitcher from Major League, the lieutenant from Hot Shots, the responsible member of Billy the Kid's posse, and the dude Ferris' sister hooked up with.
Regardless of my lack of Sheen interest over the years, everything that we’re seeing about him recently points out two big things for me.
#1 – Charlie Sheen is no more of a crack pot than you and me.
Charlie seems to be a loser in relationships – we are losers in relationships.
Charlie seems to be making bad decisions – we make bad decisions.
Charlie seems to be hurting people – we hurt people.
Charlie seems to be lashing out in anger – we lash out in anger.
Charlie seems to be missing out on opportunities because of pride – we miss out on opportunities because of pride.
Charlie seems to be turning on the crazy – we go nuts as well.
Sure – if you compare details to details you can make yourself look pretty good in light of the Sheen man. You only turn your crazy up to 4 or 5, he is obviously cranking his up to 11.
But do this – remove Charlie Sheen from the equation. In your mind’s eye, pretend that he doesn’t exist. OK, got that? Charlie Sheen is gone?
All your junk is still there!
We’re all messed up. We are all train wrecks. We’re all cracked pots.
We just like public eye train wrecks because compared to Charlie Sheen, Mel Gibson, Lindsey Lohan, or Snooki – we all look pretty good.
Sorry…we are all still the same total messes that they are. We just don’t have paparazzi following us around to point out our junk to the masses.
#2 – Charlie Sheen deserves grace as much as I do.
Go ahead...try to justify yourself. Say you're "not that bad."
Try to make yourself out to be a miniscule mess up compared to Ricky Vaughn (if you don’t know who that is then go to Blockbuster and rent Major League RIGHT NOW!).
Try to shine the limelight on Sheen, Gibson, Lohan, and Snooki and make a reason why they should be withheld grace.
But if they don’t get grace then none of us do!
Grace allows Charlie Sheen to not have a target on his chest.
Grace allows Charlie Sheen to not be a spectacle of the masses, because who else wants their junk made into a headline?
Grace allows any truth communicated to or about Charlie Sheen to be done so through the filter and heart of love.
Grace allows Charlie Sheen to deal with his junk and bounce back.
Grace allows Charlie Sheen a second chance. And then another one. And then another.
If Charlie Sheen doesn’t get any of that – then neither do any of us!
The whole, "grace is getting what you don't deserve" thing is between God and people, not between people and people. I don't deserve God's grace, and yet He offers it freely to me. Based on that fact alone, how can I not then bestow grace upon anyone and everyone else? Even Charlie Sheen.
It all comes down to who you are comparing yourself to.
It all comes down to who you are comparing yourself to.
When I compare myself to Charlie Sheen I look pretty darn good.
When I compare myself to God I see that I am nothing, a mess.
When I compare myself to Charlie Sheen I can point and laugh, retweet and ridicule.
When I compare myself to God I look at everyone else as being just like me: lost, hurt, and guilty - needing rescued and restored.
May we see the world from that perspective.
May we see the world from that perspective.
May we communicate how God is the God of second chances.
Charlie Sheen is a crack pot. I am too.
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:30-31
Charlie Sheen is a crack pot. I am too.
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:30-31
2 comments:
I liked your post and I get the point - I really do. But.. I still have mixed feelings.
I get that's it's not about Charlie Sheen... but also, it is about Charlie Sheen. I disagree with the media blitz and fascination and have personally been trying to tune it out. But I do think that it's time for people to step up and admit that what he has done and is doing is unacceptable (and not just in a ohmigod, he's so CRAZY!! type of way). For crying out loud, he got his kids taken away from him.
He has a history of abusing women - that people have ignored because he made people laugh in Two and a Half Men for 10 seasons. Not a one time incident a la Chris Brown (not that one time is excusable) - but a long sordid history of abuse (http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/04/opinion/04holmes.html)
Is he in need of grace, certainly. Am I? certainly. Of course I would agree that I fall short of God's standards, but I can't truthfully say "I am just as much of a crackpot as Charlie Sheen." Sorry - just can't.
I don't want to point and laugh, retweet and ridicule Charlie Sheen. What I want is for him to get help, to admit he abused women in his life, and to be a good dad to his kids going forward. I hope he gets another chance to do that, I really do.
Kim,
Totally hear and agree with you. The things he has done to women is incredibly detestable. And he does need to be brought into account of that. But the manner in which people talk about him and approach the issue should be one of grace, not making fun. I think that's really important.
The 4th paragraph that you wrote though, I think that goes back to the comparison issue. It is looking horizontally, not vertically. However, only comparing ourselves to God and not other people doesn't minimize Charlie Sheen's actions, nor does it elevate yours. It puts them on the same level of, "God forgive us, we know not what we do."
The last paragraph that you wrote is really what it's all about. That's really where the issue of grace becomes a reality.
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