The Palm Beach Post
By Leslie Gray Streeter   |  Breaking news, Celeb Stalker, Concert Reviews, Drama, Events, Gossip, Live Shows, Sightings, Stand-up Comedy, TV, Theater, Weird news  |  April 24, 2011

More: Many Sheen fans at BankAtlantic Center unfazed by erratic behavior

So it wasn’t the complete and utter train wreck I’d been expecting.

Not that the “Violent Torpedo of Truth,” Charlie Sheen’s approximately 90-minute live grab bag of comedy, aggression, self-help and sparklingly unfiltered candor wrapped in catch phrases, was completely “winning.” It was, in parts, funny and good-natured, but still too random and unfocused. Even though the show has apparently evolved since its brutally received beginnings in Detroit, there’s still a reason to ask the question Sheen posed early in the show — “Why are we here?”

Answers seemed to vary: The audience appeared to be there, alternately, to support the former “Two and a Half Men” star, to witness the possible train wreck and to just be able to say they were there when whatever was about to happen happened. Sheen said he was there to tell truth. Renowned roast master Jeffrey Ross was there to add some much-needed structure and legitimate comedy chops. I think most people are still trying to figure out why Dennis Rodman was there. Most probably wished that unnecessary closing rapper Dirt Nasty, also known as former VJ/sitcom star/porn eye candy Simon Rex, had not been there. Well, at least I did.

But by the end of the show, when a Marlins jersey-clad Sheen, remaining Goddess Natalie Kenley and Ross left the stage to healthy applause, Sheen had certainly maintained most of the goodwill the enthusiastic crowd had extended. It moved at a fast, if sometimes rambling, pace. And it was helped greatly by Ross’ pointedly genial hosting skills, which kept Sheen from veering too far off into self-indulgence and whining about the Man’s attempt to take Sheen’s “magic brain” and “titanium spine.”

Who am I kidding…the whole thing was self-indulgent. But there were some genuinely funny moments, some incredibly uncomfortable ones, and whatever the heck was going on with Rodman.

THE TEN MOST NOTABLE MOMENTS OF WINNING AND LOSING AT THE “TORPEDO OF TRUTH” SHOW:

1) At around 8:35 p.m., about 35 minutes after the scheduled start time, Real Radio’s Johnny C introduced a video that would explain what was going on inside the mind of Charlie Sheen. According to the video, it’s mostly violent movie clips (“Scarface” and “Jaws,” among others), a scary superimposed image of ex-wife Denise Richards, and various ominous scenes of a very young Martin Sheen (his dad) in “Apocalypse Now.” Random? Sure. But it set the tone.

“Apocalypse, Jaws and violence!” Sheen described it. Well, now we know.

2) Australian radio host Scott Dooley, who led an early, unfunny Q&A before being booted in favor of the infinitely more talented Ross, was responsible for the evening’s first incredibly uncomfortable moment – He asked the actor to submit to a round of a party game to be known here as “Have Sex With, Marry or Kill,” where one is given the name of three people, one of which fits into each category. The names given were ex-wives Richards and Brooke Mueller, and ex-goddess Bree Olsen, meaning that Sheen would have to, even jokingly, consider killing two of the mothers of his children. Even the Warlock seemed initially shaky about it, but rebounded to say he’d move to Utah and become a polygamist so that he could “marry Brooke and Denise and get to see my f——- kids.” He then would exercise both with Olson – “If I gotta kill her, I might as well (have sex with her).”

Considering that just outside, Sheen was being protested by female radio hosts for his history of alleged domestic assault, the moment was not only unfunny but gross.

3) Former Hells Angel, bodyguard and actor Chuck Zito, of whose lethal skill Sheen gushed, acted as a defacto deterrent against shenanigans when audience members filed onstage to ask Sheen questions. Nobody started none, so there wasn’t none. It was surreal and awesome.

4) Filter guitarist Rob Patterson offered a musical accent to Sheen’s words, sort of like a stringed rim shot. The problem is that he offered those riffs after EVERY SINGLE THING SHEEN SAID, so the effect was lost. He is a pretty good guitarist, though.

5) Although Sheen went so far as to burn one of the signature retro bowling shirts that his “Two and a Half Men” character wore in his first show, there were an awful of of dudes wearing those things in the audience. Ironic tribute? Or just what you had in your closet?

6) Sheen’s response to a question about what brother Emilio Estevez was doing? “‘Men At Work 2′ and ‘Mighty Ducks 4,’” a reference to some of Estevez’s cheesier works. Then again, Charlie was in “Men At Work,” too.

7) Sheen noted that the tour had originally had “3000 b—–hen” sponsors, including New Era, who’d made a special hat. But all of them had fled, including New Era, who had later hired Alec Baldwin, who happened to use the word “winning” in his ad. “F—-ing lawsuit?” he asked. He also had an oddly complimentary reflection about the opening night Detroit crowd who’d booed him offstage after his cluttered first show, which was full of “smoke and mirrors. They rejected it. And I realize I didn’t need it.” Wait…are we actually learning life lessons on this tour? What is going on?

8) Rodman’s bleary, good-natured rant included a defense of Sheen’s ex-wife Richards (“She’s a good girl”), something or other about how nobody else in the NBA stood by Magic Johnson when the legend’s AIDS diagnosis was announced, and some other stuff that didn’t make any sense. Sheen, who gets referred to as rambling and irrational, was the supportive, clearheaded one – “Love your style, brother!” he said supportively. “Epic.”

9) If it’s possible to upstage a warlock, Jeffrey Ross did – “What’s up, enablers?” he asked the crowd. The curly-headed comedian staged a Sheen roast or a “comedy intervention”, complete with podium, and fired off most of the evening’s funny lines. Among the best – ‘Kobe Bryant’s wife doesn’t have that much jewelry,” he said as Rodman lumbered offstage; “‘Two and a Half Men’ is how many people were left in the theater in Detroit at the end of the show;” “Mubarak has a better chance of getting his job back;” “If you’re winning, this must not be a custody hearing;” “You’re the black sheep of a family responsible for three ‘Mighty Ducks’ movies. Your dad is ashamed to share his fake last name with you.”

10) In the end, Sheen seemed to do the best when he had someone like Ross or questioning audience members to bounce things off. He got a few laughs roasting roastmaster Ross (“I lost a goddess and gained a larda–”), and seemed truly interested in giving constructive advice to fans, sweetly kissing an 82-year-old night auditor seeking romantic advice, encouraging a hot young female fan to confront her boyfriend about why they weren’t married yet, and hugging everyone. He even had a funny story explaining why he wasn’t going to be supporting Donald Trump as a presidential candidate – apparently the Donald tried to pass off some fake cuff links he gave Sheen as platinum – “You’re fired!” Sheen said.

I’m still not sure what the whole point of the tour was, besides making that CBS money back. And he’s still not a comedian. But the crowd was mostly into it, and Sheen, who still looks worn and tired, seemed to appreciate it. Would I pay to see it again? No. But it was interesting to witness.

4 Responses to “Charlie Sheen brings his “Truth” to South Florida”

  1. Nelle Eus says:

    Sheen resembles the kind of guy who would rather beat up on a woman than throw down with a man. Why would any real man want to even be near him? Makes ‘em all look bad.

  2. Craig says:

    We all have our comments, views and objections with Charlie Sheen but we are still there listening, watching and reading about him.
    Remember Howard Sterns Movie Private Parts? When they did a survey and asked how long the average Howard Stern loving listener listened to his show and the answer was 1 and a half hours, when asked why, they answered because I wanted to see what he would say next.

    When asked to the Howard Stern HATER how long they listened to Howard, they answered 2 and a half hours. When asked why, they replied I wanted to see what he would say next.

    So everyone who puts him down should just keep it to themselves.
    People have thrived, lived, loved and have been entertained by Charlie,so now that things have been made more public and people are more aware of what has gone on, they all now have an opinion. OH please find a life and leave the guy alone. Either he will self destruct or get his life together, not much of a choice

    • Paul Bellerose says:

      The same class of people who listen to Howard Stern also listen to Charlie Sheen! I guess those people are the ones who need to get a life…..

      “So everyone who puts him down should just keep it to themselves.” Yeah right….Like he kept his relationship with his employers and all the other people that surround him to himself. When he STFU we won’t have to express our opinions.

  3. sue says:

    “He will self destruct or get his life together, not much of a choice” I agree on that part, but I didn’t waste my time or money to figure it out. I WAS NOT there, nor could I care to waste my time or money on a self destructing fool, idiot, wife beater, our of job, loser. Life has so much more to offer than wasting my time and money on this person that is clearly screaming for help.

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