Charlie Sheen, the Hollywood star and leading actor from the television sitcom “Two and A Half Men, has been the admiration of many lately for his flamboyant remarks and bad boy imagine. Interestingly enough headlines about his children’s sippy cups and lascivious living resulted in public scrutiny and focus from lawsuits.
While I have nothing against freedom of speech and situations where public figures share reflections about their personal lives, what concerns me is that there is a fan base of followers admiring seemingly courageous behavior. Sheen has gone on random tirades via daily Internet blog videos and made disparaging comments about women and former employers.
A central theme that seems to resonate with Sheen followers on social media and news reports is that he is an appreciated movie star because he does and says whatever he wants to do. In fact, one woman mentioned how much more she liked Charlie Sheen as an actor since he does what he wants without worrying about what others think about him. Seriously? Gutsy behavior and courage, within the right context, are to be admired but his behavior does not warrant him to be an admired public figure.
Instead, this situation is an opportunity to examine the courageous traits of so many women leaders and those celebrated during Women’s History Month. For decades, the women’s rights movement has included tireless action and women who “did whatever they wanted” in the name of justice and equality. We only have to look at a leader who courageously spoke out like Dolores Huerta, co-founder of the United Farm Workers human rights campaign, who was arrested more than two dozen times for speaking out as an advocate of oppressed farm workers and the national grape boycott in the 1960s and 1970s. And let us not forget about Sojourner Truth who was a tireless abolitionist who delivered a rousing 1851 speech “Ain’t I a Woman? Finally, another gutsy leader who “did and said what needed” has been Gloria Steinem, a feminist activist, journalist, and leader within the women’s rights movement who co-founded Ms. Magazine.
If courage to speak up and be original is what is admired, then here are some traits that should be considered admirable rather than Sheen’s childish antics:
• Survey the landscape before commenting on any situation.
• Think carefully before commenting knowing that what you do/say will follow you and likely brand you.
• Be inquisitive and ask focused and direct questions.
• Find creative ways to speak with conviction about perspectives and beliefs.
• Respectfully disagree without attacking others.
Let’s put aside Charlie Sheen’s behavior and public display, miscalculated judgment, and instead look at centuries of courageous women who spoke out long before a Hollywood bad boy.
-Dawn McCoy, author of Leadership Building Blocks: An Insider’s Guide to Success
