Stanford Medical School Blog has a short take on how Charlie Sheen’s addiction has now become fodder for allegedly funny lines on his current sit-com. I thought I had already said my piece about this man and the way he is being enabled by everyone around him, but the NY Times news story mentioned in the Stanford blog brought me to a new level of anger and disappointment.
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Charlie’s the new Foster Brooks….
“Gross. And not that funny, right?”
I believe in the industry, that show what is known as a “sit-com”.
Jokes about drunks are right up there with mother inlaws and blonde bimbos. The fact that the guy is a real drunk just makes the punch line more pointed.
The truth is that most comedy is firmly based in tragedy and usually a tragedy the audience can personally identify with. You gotta laugh so you don’t cry. Complaining about this reality is about as productive as complaining about the weather. Right up there with complaining that Rock’n'Rollers are leading our youth astray.
Comics are known for leading miserable and self destructive lives offstage. It is often the well from which they draw their inspiration. There is something fascinating about a flaming high wire act when to acrobat does it with real style. No doubt if real life Charlie cleans up he will still be as funny but you gotta suffer to sing the blues.
On another note: The linked article mentions a new maid. I hope they haven’t let Conchatta Ferrell get away. She is the real star of that show, the punctuation that makes it all make sense. I’m off here in rerun land on the other side of the pond so I’m out of the loop.