Normally, we address our editorials to the people of California and our neighbors here in the state's capital.
This one is an exception. It goes out to the rest of the country.
People of the United States, you may have heard of this guy, Charlie Sheen. It was hard not to miss him this week. Comparing himself to a "warlock," bragging about "banging seven-gram rocks" and claiming his body ran on "tiger's blood," this troubled Hollywood star sought out serial interviews with three TV networks and a celebrity gossip website, reinforcing the stereotype that California is a giant loony bin.
We want to set the record straight. While Charlie lives in California, we share little in common with him and cannot be held accountable for his actions.
True, Sheen grew up in Malibu and attended Santa Monica High School. But he was born in New York City. And even if you were to define him as a Californian, it should be noted that Sheen has spent most of his life south of the Tehachapis. That makes him a Southern Californian, a special breed indeed.
Numerous Hollywood celebrities have engaged in spectacular public meltdowns. Think Lindsay Lohan, Mel Gibson, Colin Farrell, Britney Spears and Robert Downey Jr., to name a few.
But Sheen seems intent on setting a new standard in the genre.
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