People who are in any kind of entertainment business live in the public eye. That being said, there should be a certain distinction between certain kinds of stars. For example, I do not expect a star in the porn industry to be held to the same standards as a star of a show on CBS or the Disney Channel.
People look up to these stars when they really should not, but because they do networks have to protect their name and simply cannot back a coke-head, womanizing pig as a star of one of their prime time television shows. It is as simple as that.
— Stephen Barry, First-year broadcast journalism student
America has a way of tying one’s personal and work lives together in a way many other countries do not do. Personally, I think they should be kept separate. What a celebrity does in his or her free time is not our business at all, and our culture is built around a strange desire to pry into dark corners. There are, however, some situations in which we must do so, and that is when the actions of a celebrity become disruptive to our society. Sheen is a good example. His womanizing scandals may not be our business, but public drunken escapades and domestic violence are. While this behavior may be acceptable for Jersey Shore, it is certainly not for an actor of a network televison show.
— Alice Chang, First-year international business student
People need to see the issue from another lens. FDR, JFK, Strom Thurmond, MLK Jr., Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton are all political idols who I admire. They are also all adulterers who would have never gotten nearly as far in the political and social arena had the media publicized their personal lives. People aren’t perfect, and we all like taking certain liberties that are subject to the judgment of others. You can either choose to float the mainstream, or live the dream as you see fit in your own terms, and back then it was a lot easier to do and not get it “out there.” I would never support doing some of the things they did: JFK’s amphetamines and lust for bestiality, Strom Thurmond’s affair with a death row inmate (read about it). But the point is, those days, the media had a certain respect for the individual, and the personal side of life. Maybe all the media attention and being in the spotlight 24/7 is what’s fueling Sheen’s crazed winning spree anyway.
— Robert Sinners, First-year public administration graduate student
Charlie Sheen’s recent actions are undoubtedly inexcusable. While his antics may entertain some, I’m almost certain they reflect the thoughts of a man who is not mentally stable. Like many who have roles on network television, Sheen is expected to act in a manner that reflects the ideals people have of the character he plays on television. Is that a lot to ask of a person? I’d say it is. I’d much rather place the responsibility on parents to teach their children right from wrong, but we live in the real world. We live in a world where children idolize celebrities and do whatever it takes to be more like them. Since this is the world in which we find ourselves, those with highly visible positions in our society, including those who are paid to act on television, should be held to a higher standard in both their personal and professional lives. Those who don’t like the heat should stay out of the kitchen.
— Hakeem Jefferson, Fourth-year political science and African-American studies student
Charlie Sheen isn’t the first actor on television to behave in a less-than-respectable manner. His behavior definitely isn’t that of a role model, but I don’t think many kids look up to Charlie Sheen. The media attention Sheen is getting is what is making children become aware of who he is. If our culture didn’t glamorize insanity, then parents wouldn’t have to worry so much about bad role models infiltrating their children’s minds.
— Kristyn Winch, Second-year print journalism student
