There's one place where Charlie Sheen is definitely winning — the race to become media's most drawn-out, overkilled and oversaturated news story.
It's a classic PR mantra: "All press is good press." While that may hold true for inherently controversial topics, blowing your load in the media can cause you to exhaust an already fickle public.
He's a hot topic and a household name for every despicable reason. In the past few weeks, Sheen's drug adventures and sexcapades have landed him time slots on nearly every major news network and inches of print in several major newspapers.
The publicity is well-earned attention that could help bolster Sheen's ailing career if he ever decides to schedule a comeback. But there's only so long public figures can milk their own "shock value" before their reserves run out.
Take Britney Spears:
The transition from America's sweetheart to tragic pop star was devastating yet all too familiar. Nowadays, when we see Spears' face light up our TV screens, we don't care for her work or what she's singing and saying. Our first reactions are, "What now?"
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Photo courtesy of celebrityrush.com
Or Michael Jackson:
Without question, Jackson will always be the King of Pop. His talents allowed him to create timeless hits and videos and shatter standards for American pop music. But between Neverland, child molestation charges and obscure body modifications, when we remember Jackson, do we really remember his music first? He branded himself as an iconic performer, but for some people, his track record precedes that.
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Photo courtesy of celebs.com
Crisis is inevitable, but I think it's important for PR agents to remember that the press we generate, and subsequently bask in, has consequences. A small amount of positive press is worth much more than a plethora of negative flack.
