
LOS ANGELES (LALATE) – As Christina Walsh aka Capri Anderson (photos below) continues to fume about the Charlie Sheen Plaza Hotel meltdown, CBS and Warner Brothers are supporting Charlie Sheen. While Christina Walsh is allegedly pursuing legal avenues against Sheen, and may head to Aspen to ask to meet with Pitkin County prosecutors, Charlie Sheen is getting complete support from CBS and Warner Brothers.
And yet while news that Sheen allegedly was found, unclothed with illegal powder substance all over his face in his New York Hotel, CBS is business as usual for its runaway, cash cow, ratings bonanza, Two and a Half Men. While the question might be why CBS is still backing Sheen, the answer across news sites Saturday is the same: money and context.
Capri Anderson Pictures
Capri Anderson Photo 1
Capri Anderson Photo 2
Capri Anderson Photo 3
Capri Anderson Photo 4
Forbes, the LA Times, and TV Guide all this weekend come to the same conclusion why CBS is standing behind Sheen, despite the latest of a series of media meltdowns, now with allegations of illegal substances and paid working women. They claim that money and the role that Sheen plays has prompted both CBS and Warners’ positions.
First, all three news reports say that the series is one of the most profitable franchises on television; because that, don’t expect a broadcaster’s cash cow to be thrown to the side quickly. The show generated $155.1 million in revenue from advertisers last season alone. The show has aired for eight seasons. It remains under contract for more seasons (as ad revenues go up) because of recent contract renewals. The show is the second highest earning live action comedy in prime time, after The Office (NBC), earning $207,000 per ad, per week. Of course, none of that money accounts for the hundreds of millions from syndication as more seasons are delivered.
Second, all three reports assert that viewers have no problem with Sheen’s off screen antics because they are no different than the role that he plays on the show. Intoxicated, behaving badly, and patronized working women are character traits of Sheen’s Charlie Harper. As Scott Collins notes, “In other words, he’s a thinly veiled surrogate for Sheen himself.” In fact, Sheen came to the role eight years ago after decades of allegations about similar conduct. But now, with Harper a top tv character, and Sheen, dominating supermarket shelves, Sheen’s on-camera and off-camera antics in fact compliment each other. “[For the viewers'] minds, actor and role merged long ago.”
Sheen has said the whole Plaza Hotel matter has been blown out of proportion. CBS and Warners have not commented about Walsh’s allegations.