This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2011, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
CBS and the producers of "Two and a Half Men" have been accused of "enabling" Charlie Sheen - of contributing to his drug and alcohol problems.
As I've argued here before, that criticism is more than a bit of a stretch. If any of us shows up to work and does a good job, is our employer responsible for what we do off the job?
And if anyone is "enabling" Sheen, it just might be the viewing public. His very public problems have not hurt his sitcom's ratings. If anything, you could argue the publicity had helped.
And the results of a poll commissioned by The Hollywood Reporter are sort of shocking. Would you believe that some of Sheen's fans have a higher opinion of him than ever?
The poll, done by Penn Schoen Berland, showed that 26 percent of those questioned view Sheen "much more" or "somewhat more" favorably after his recent spate of bad press.
Really.
The poll of 700 Americans also found:
— 90 percent of those who call themselves "avid fans" don't think Sheen's personal life matters as long as he's good on the show.
— 96 percent of "Two and a Half Men" viewers want Sheen to return to the show. (Production has been shut down while he rehabs. At home.)
— 34 percent think Sheen should continue to work on the show while he rehabs; 50 percent say he should take time off.
As long as "Two and a Half Men" remains a hit - and it's a huge hit - it will remain on the air. And Sheen will remain one of TV's highest-paid stars.