Recently, several news agencies have reported that a Hollywood superstar with a long list of famous exes is HIV positive. Several sources speculate that the A-list actor in question is none other than Charlie Sheen, although no official reports have been made confirming this without a doubt as of November 13, 2015.
Charlie Sheen who is known for is roles in "Platoon" (1986), "Major League" (1989) and "Two and a Half Men" (2003 - 2015) among other successful films and television shows. More recently, however, the 50 year-old actor has become more of a mockery. Sheen's public and highly publicized meltdown in 2011 was broadcast through several media outlets, including television, radio, and several numerous social media forums, in which he made strange, outlandish statements about himself. Sheen claimed he was a "warlock" who possessed "tiger blood" and who was always "winning" among other strange self accounts. In addition, Sheen posted videos of himself smoking cigarettes through his nose along with other out-of-the-ordinary videos.
The media and the world reveled in Charlie Sheen's public meltdown. According to John Cryer, American corporations clamored to "capitalize on the marketing opportunity that Charlie's epic flameout was presenting. Ustream gave him a webcast platform to continue his rants in a monetized, worldwide fashion. Live Nation immediately offered him millions to go on a stage tour across the U.S., which he christened his 'Violent Torpedo of Truth.'"
In September of 2011, the year of Sheen's public meltdown, Sheen was roasted on Comedy Central. It was the most viewed roast in Comedy Central's history, with 6.4 million viewers. In many ways, Sheen became his meltdown and everyone wanted to know everything about him. And then, suddenly, they didn't. Sheen seemingly dropped off of the face of the Earth with the exception of the occasional tabloid story, typically speculating about the extent of one of the many women Sheen was spotted with.
It wasn't until recently that Sheen graced the news media with his presence, this time under the speculation that he may be the unknown Hollywood actor who is HIV positive. While there has yet to be any confirmation as to whether or not this actor is in fact Charlie Sheen, the public has taken it as fact and has run with it.
That is a problem.
It may be easy for people to hide behind the virtual world and their Twitter profile. What we have failed to do is remember that the profiles we hide behind are run by us, people. We, the people, often find people to be the most interesting subjects during our discussions and one-liners on social media, and often these people of discussion are celebrities.
The actor in question is clearly uncomfortable with the fact that his diagnosis will soon become public. He will likely be faced with a massive lawsuit brought against him by women he has slept with. He worries that this will instead become his legacy.
People, no matter how famous or not famous they are, have feelings. We have all been the victim of harsh words, and it seems we come across it even more so today with technology becoming more and more a part of our lives as we slowly become more and more insensitive to the world around us. I am by no means endorsing Charlie Sheen's behavior, but if this actor in question is in fact Sheen, we must remember how critical it is for us to be sensitive to the situation unfolding in front of him.
As people tweet about Charlie Sheen's "reckless behavior" and the fact that he has AIDs, even though the public does not know for certain whether or not he is even HIV positive, they not only bring more attention to a clearly uncomfortable situation for Sheen, but they also slander those who are HIV positive. By tweeting things like what @VenomV12 said: "If Charlie Sheen is really HIV positive you can't say he didn't deserve it. You live the lifestyle he does you are going to pay the price," we are linking being HIV positive to reckless behavior which is an unfair generalization. Being HIV positive has become a joke to some people who are talking about Charlie Sheen. Some things I just don't find funny at all.
Anyone, like the women the Hollywood star in question slept with, can become HIV positive through one sexual encounter. Many with HIV are completely unaware and innocently pass it on to their partner. That could happen to anyone.
Today, we know that HIV is not limited to the promiscuous, the poor and the homosexuals. Everyone is susceptible. Rather than drag people linked to HIV through the mud, we should focus on educating people to become a more HIV-educated and sensitive public.
