What if Charlie Sheen was Japanese?

[MMM]

The highest paid TV actor in America got in trouble for some very well publicized drug fueled freak outs and short rehab stint, recently. Now the #1 sitcom in America has been shut down and the seemingly manic actor has booked himself on every morning tv and radio talk show he can get on to rant and rave about everything.

I was wondering, could this ever happen in Japan? What does the Japanese media do when a star goes over the edge?

http://www.spearhead-entertainment.c...arliesheen.swf

[Ryzorian]

Sheen went over the edge a while ago, he's been dangleing ever since.

[Nyororin]

Wow... I`m so far removed from US media culture that I had no idea this was happening.
And another wow to the stunning behavior. Truly cringe worthy.

I find it very hard to think that this sort of thing would happen in Japan. The sort of background structure just doesn`t *exist* for it to happen... And when there is something big that happens, people don`t easily forget it. I mean, I know people who still think that Takeshi Kitano sucks because of the Friday office attack back in the 1980s. The very fact that I know that something like that happened at all is evidence in itself how long it takes people to forgive and forget celebrities acting out.
One single event is enough to get people shaking their heads and expressing disgust, and leading to the celebrity losing their access to the public - a continual string of events would lead to them being cut off altogether, with pretty much no chance of reappearing. As stupid as Japanese mass media can be, I don`t think there is as strong a desire to see someone go down in flames as there is in the US. (Which is what I think is giving Sheen the audience he has at this point.) People cringe and turn away instead of pulling out the popcorn to sit down and watch a train wreck.

[Ryzorian]

Hey, if someone like one of us did that we would be in the nuthouse, not on TV...well ok, maybe Youtube.

[MMM]

Who was the pop singer from the 70s or 80s that recently got busted for meth, I think, in Japan?

[MMM]

Aha... found it... Noriko Sakai.

She was convicted for possessing 0.008g of amphetamine. Sheen goes on TV and talks about "rocking 7g rocks" and he still is in his home with his twin sons, and two live-in girlfriends.

[GoNative]

I don't really understand why we should care one way or the other. I've never understood fascination with the personal lives of celebrities. I couldn't care less what Charlie Sheen or anyone does with their personal lives. It doesn't affect me in anyway and wouldn't make a difference to me appreciating whatever they do in their professional lives.

[MMM]

Originally Posted by GoNative

I don't really understand why we should care one way or the other. I've never understood fascination with the personal lives of celebrities. I couldn't care less what Charlie Sheen or anyone does with their personal lives. It doesn't affect me in anyway and wouldn't make a difference to me appreciating whatever they do in their professional lives.

I don't know that anyone is saying you should care. And it isn't what Charlie Sheen is doing in his personal life that I am asking about, but what he is talking about on the radio and on TV.

But it is interesting that you say what they do off camera has no affect about your opinion of them what they do on camera. Is that really true?

[Nyororin]

Originally Posted by MMM

Aha... found it... Noriko Sakai.

She was convicted for possessing 0.008g of amphetamine. Sheen goes on TV and talks about "rocking 7g rocks" and he still is in his home with his twin sons, and two live-in girlfriends.

It doesn`t look like this is still true. I did a single search to see the context of that quote... And hit this:

Police remove Sheen's twin boys from his home - Entertainment - Celebrities - TODAYshow.com

---
ETA;

But it is interesting that you say what they do off camera has no affect about your opinion of them what they do on camera. Is that really true?

In my case, I would prefer to know as little about people off camera as possible. I prefer to see them as the person they are playing for the length of the role and not have some strong back drop of personality linked to them.
It`s sort of depressing to have some skilled actor be infamous for something or other, and to have that seep through when watching them in something... Inevitably taking away from the suspension of reality that should be happening.

[MMM]

Originally Posted by Nyororin

It doesn`t look like this is still true. I did a single search to see the context of that quote... And hit this:

Police remove Sheen's twin boys from his home - Entertainment - Celebrities - TODAYshow.com

---
ETA;


In my case, I would prefer to know as little about people off camera as possible. I prefer to see them as the person they are playing for the length of the role and not have some strong back drop of personality linked to them.
It`s sort of depressing to have some skilled actor be infamous for something or other, and to have that seep through when watching them in something... Inevitably taking away from the suspension of reality that should be happening.

I see. It looks like this just happened. I am glad to see there is some sense going on, at some point.

And this isn't directed at anyone, but is just a general statement. If a topic doesn't interest me, I don't comment on it.

Although I find this story interesting, it is hard to be in the US right now and turn on the TV or radio and not hear people talking about it. That won't be true in a few days, but the level of media coverage is so massive right now, it is hard not to bring it up. That's partially why I wondered if this would be the same in Japan. I know the wide shows will spend three hours in an afternoon talking about the same things over and over, but does it permeate all media in Japan? Radio, magazines, newspapers? (even the Wall Street Journal talked about Sheen today).