If there are two words Americans wish they never have to hear again they are “Charlie Sheen” and his latest news. It’s amazing how celebrity gossip can steal the media headlines, especially at a time when real things are happening around the world such as the tsunamis in Japan and uprisings in the Middle East.
There is one very real and practical lesson to be learned, however following the Sheen fiasco which is… In 2011 if you have a loyal following you can monetize content yourself rather than relying on big TV networks to pay you a salary. As Sheen takes to his twitter account,
streams his own videos on ustream, hosts his own domain at charliesheen.com and tours the country talking about his ordeals with CBS it looks like he has decided he would rather be his own boss. He may not be making anywhere near the $1.8 million an episode he was making with “Two and a Half Men” but he certainly has a lot more freedom and works when he wants. Having witnessed Charlie Sheen’s latest news anyone can certainly see how he would have trouble fitting into any corporate structure with any sort of rules or policies.The massive coverage Charlie received after being fired, brought back memories of Conan O’ Brian’s divorce from NBC back in early 2010. As any unemployed person typically does, they take to twitter to have a look at potential employers. Conan was able to find a new home with TBS. We still don’t know where Charlie will land but he very well may decide to monetize his own content the best way he knows how.
Having one of the most popular accounts on Twitter, he can make hundreds of thousands of dollars, by simply sending a tweet to his millions of followers. The millions of viewers that tuned in to the live broadcast on ustream were exposed to ads which generated a pretty penny for Sheen as well. Love or hate Sheen he is taking full advantage of the technology that empowers the individual who takes the time and initiative to learn how to use it to their advantage. The exciting news for any original content creator is that they can do the same even at a much smaller scale.
Still haven’t gotten enough of the self proclaimed warlock? I found some funny Sheen t-shirts at Cafe Press or for more important issues you can put your money to work in aiding the Japanese relief effort to Peace Winds Japan, the Salvation Army, or the Red Cross.