Charlie Sheen
I cannot help but be entertained by the Charlie Sheen saga, especially since I unfortunately have too much personal experience dealing with people in my life losing all semblance of coherent thought. However, in all of Sheen's craziness, he actually raises a couple of really good points.
First, Sheen is right on the money when stating that he should not be a role model and act in accordance with artificial standards strangers place on them. Now, he may not be doing a great job with his fatherly duties, but his behavior should only affect those immediately involved with him and not people who have no affiliation with Sheen.
Also, I have little tolerance for behavioral standards placed upon Sheen due to his role on the show. Trying to guise Two and a Half Men as a family show is laughable. Furthermore, from what I have seen of the show, Sheen's character seems to be similar to that of his real life persona. Before this latest episode, Sheen was actually lauded for his professionalism on the set and only recently did his actions compromise the production of the show.
Now, I hope for Sheen to find a good place in his life, as he is a very funny actor and I am one of undoubtedly millions that loved his work in the Major League movies. However, Sheen is making some sense in some of these ramblings, and I hope that something comes of these increasingly gratuitous interviews (and hey, I watched his CNN one, so I cannot pretend to not be entertained in some fashion). And really, the entertainment industry is the last place to be expecting a code of conduct from its workers.
America's Restaurant
Okay, I realize that NBC needs summer programming filler. However, this America's Restaurant show irrationally bothers me. The Chili's, Olive Garden's, and Applebee's, and other national restaurant chains have already been over exposed and we do not need another chain restaurant.
In most areas of my life, I have become reliant on these national chains and brands, and will be reliant on them for the foreseeable future. However, I think the food and drink industry remains strong on a smaller scale basis, with thriving microbrews and excellent independently owned restaurants. Now, I luckily live in a metropolis that has countless quality local options. That being said, I am making a point to avoid major chain restaurants and enjoying craft beers. In this case, it makes both good business sense and is a somewhat amiable cause.
