--- title: Charlie Sheen and his stage image: https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/file-1604447712-jpg/blog-files/6a00d83451f23a69e2014e87c5b8dd970d-400wi.jpg --- [Skip to main content](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/2011/04/charlie-sheen-and-his-stage.html#maincontent) [ «  View All Posts ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog) # Charlie Sheen and his stage April 13th, 2011 2 min read By [David Meerman Scott](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/author/david-meerman-scott) ![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/file-1604447712-jpg/blog-files/6a00d83451f23a69e2014e87c5b8dd970d-400wi.jpg?width=400&height=264&name=6a00d83451f23a69e2014e87c5b8dd970d-400wi.jpg) I caught the Charlie Sheen *Violent Torpedo of Truth* show last night in Boston. I was eager to check him out live because I have been fascinated with how he has used social media. I wrote about his amazing use of content (videos & Twitter) and how he has mainstream media talking about him: [Why Charlie Sheen matters](https://www.webinknow.com/2011/03/why-charlie-sheen-matters.html) [![Sheen in Boston](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/file-1604447712-jpg/blog-files/6a00d83451f23a69e2014e87c5b8dd970d-400wi.jpg "Sheen in Boston")](http://freshspot.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451f23a69e2014e87c5b8dd970d-popup) I watched his show as a professional speaker. I'm someone who knows what it's like to be given a stage for an hour or more. I know the feeling of walking out in front of more than 1,000 people. It is an incredible gift to be given a stage. People take time out of their day to hear what you have to say (and sometimes pay money too). The gift of an audience should never be taken lightly. **Once you're given a stage, you need to deliver. It is not easy.** I see a lot of bad presentations on the speaking circuit. Bestselling authors who think they deserve the stage and do not craft a speech. CEOs who talk incessantly about their company’s stupid products. An Olympian who thinks showing a few video clips from the race is enough. **What would Charlie Sheen do with his stage?** Sheen could have gone the standup comedy route but he did not. Sheen could have gone the professional speaker route and delivered a well-crafted speech with a story arc while providing his audience with motivation to act. But he did not. Sheen sort of hosted a variety show. It sort of worked in places. In others it fell flat. It worked best when Charlie Sheen was being Charlie Sheen. He led off by coming out from the back of the room boxer style, with security around him. The entire audience was on its feet. This was a good opener. He delivered his now famous one-liners often, throwing "Winning" "Tiger Blood" and "Trolls" around a lot. This was good because it got the audience on his side. Give 'em what they want. Early on, he turned his TelePrompTer around so we could see it. (It displayed "How do you like Boston?") He then went on a mini-rant about how "These TelePrompTers are the electronic tools of trolls." I thought that was hysterical. "How do you guys feel to be on the drug called Charlie Sheen – Now you know what I feel like! I'm like this all the time!" This line got a cheer. He lost much of the audience when he spent about 20 minutes hosting a "contest" to find "the third goddess" to add to his harem. A dozen women were invited up on stage (I think at least three were plants). Each had a short moment with the man himself as he asked why she should be goddess number 3. The audience voted by cheering who was the best. The intermission was fascinating. His YouTube video [Charlie Sheen: The Unedited Version](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2LtBSqGzi3o) played on the big screen. It was kinda cool actually – the virtual Charlie Sheen in the form of his own YouTube video serving as entertainment during the intermission to his live show. Fortunately the video and the intermission were short. The second half dragged because Sheen took a series of inane questions from the audience. As any professional speaker knows, when you open it up for questions, people can say anything. Rather than "dealing with the question" as a politician would and just riffing in any way he wants, he actually tried to answer the dumb questions. I did like how he took a photo of the audience and had a helper [tweet it out live](http://twitter.com/#!/charliesheen/status/57979978884718592). Nice. **Bottom Line: ** As a standup artist, Charlie Sheen stinks. As a motivational speaker, Charlie Sheen stinks even more. As the host of a variety show, Charlie sheen is terrible. But Charlie Sheen is damned good at being Charlie Sheen and that's what I paid for so I was satisfied. I’m glad I went. I'm convinced that Sheen is enjoying himself immensely during this process. He has the media hanging on his every word and millions of supporters. So who is #Winning? [![Boston show tweet](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/file-1604447737-jpg/blog-files/6a00d83451f23a69e20147e441241b970b-400wi.jpg "Boston show tweet")](http://freshspot.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451f23a69e20147e441241b970b-popup) [ David Meerman Scott ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/author/david-meerman-scott) David Meerman Scott is a business growth strategist, advisor to clever entrepreneurs who are building emerging companies, and the international bestselling author of a dozen books published in 30 languages. David’s high-energy keynote presentations, masterclasses, and virtual events educate, energize, and inspire. Connect: [mailto:david@freshspot.com](mailto:david@freshspot.com) Topics: [ Public Speaking ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/topic/public-speaking) [ Case Studies ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/topic/case-studies) [ Personal branding ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/topic/personal-branding) Don't forget to share this post: ## Related Articles [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/DMS%20speaking%20BM%20LAS.jpg?width=2048&height=1060&name=DMS%20speaking%20BM%20LAS.jpg) ### Book Me to Speak for Free! (Plus... Some Upcoming In-Person Events) April 29th, 2026|2 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/book-me-to-speak-for-free-plus-here-are-some-of-my-upcoming-events) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/your%20tedx%20talk.jpg?width=1536&height=828&name=your%20tedx%20talk.jpg) ### So, You Want to Do a TEDx Talk? March 9th, 2026|2 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/so-you-want-to-do-a-tedx-talk) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Peggy%20Sullivan%20TEDx.jpg?width=813&height=449&name=Peggy%20Sullivan%20TEDx.jpg) ### Breaking Free from Busyness: How Peggy Sullivan's TEDx Talk Inspires a Life Beyond the Hamster Wheel December 3rd, 2024|2 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/breaking-free-from-busyness-how-peggy-sullivans-tedx-talk-inspires-a-life-beyond-the-hamster-wheel) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Kamala%20Harris%20is%20a%20Bob%20Marley%20fan-1.jpg?width=1386&height=935&name=Kamala%20Harris%20is%20a%20Bob%20Marley%20fan-1.jpg) ### Kamala Harris Told Me She’s a Music Fan and Is Especially Fond of Bob Marley October 7th, 2024|2 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/kamala-harris-told-me-shes-a-music-fan-and-is-especially-fond-of-bob-marley) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Trump%20Biden%20shutterstock_2384408337.jpg?width=1500&height=1000&name=Trump%20Biden%20shutterstock_2384408337.jpg) ### US Presidential Debate: Hype, Spin, Memes, and Newsjacking June 24th, 2024|2 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/us-presidential-debate-hype-spin-memes-and-newsjacking) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Bill%20Walton%20MLGD.jpg?width=803&height=465&name=Bill%20Walton%20MLGD.jpg) ### Shine On, Dream On, Play On Bill Walton May 28th, 2024|2 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/shine-on-dream-on-play-on-bill-walton) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/with%20logo.jpg?width=2500&height=1875&name=with%20logo.jpg) ### An Incredible Ten Years with the Tony Robbins Business Mastery Community January 17th, 2024|2 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/an-incredible-ten-years-with-the-tony-robbins-business-mastery-community) [![HubSpot CMO, Kipp Bodnar and Katie Burke, HubSpot's people and communications leader,](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Obama%20INBOUND_2022_OBAMA_BESAKOF-14_63787.jpg?width=1024&height=683&name=Obama%20INBOUND_2022_OBAMA_BESAKOF-14_63787.jpg) ### 'Show Don’t Tell' Makes HubSpot’s INBOUND22 Conference Awesome September 14th, 2022|2 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/show-dont-tell-inbound22) [![Me presenting at Tony Robbins Business Mastery. Bottom: Me moderating a the “Future Proof Marketing” panel at RECon MENA in Dubai in October 2018, an event organized by the Middle East Council of Shopping Centres.](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/DMScott%20speaking%202-1.jpg?width=1500&height=990&name=DMScott%20speaking%202-1.jpg) ### Don’t Be Boring! Top 10 Ways to Effectively Moderate a Panel Discussion September 6th, 2022|2 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/dont-be-boring-top-10-ways-to-moderate-a-panel-discussion) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/CEO%20of%20your%20health.jpg?width=2614&height=1805&name=CEO%20of%20your%20health.jpg) ### Fit for Business: Make Yourself the CEO of Your Own Health February 16th, 2022|2 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/fit-for-business-make-yourself-the-ceo-of-your-own-health) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hubfs/WEB_20200123_MILLA%20KUHTO_4875%20copy.jpg) ### Professional Speakers vs Corporate Speakers: Which Is Right For Your Event? September 28th, 2021|2 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/professional-speakers-vs-corporate-speakers-which-is-right-for-your-event) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hubfs/DMS%20new%20home%20studio.jpg) ### Home Video Studio Setup: Recommendations from a Professional Virtual Speaker July 27th, 2021|2 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/home-video-studio-setup) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hubfs/COVID%20shutterstock_1643947495.jpg) ### COVID “Immunity Bubble” for Small In-Person Event Goes Wrong February 16th, 2021|2 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/covid-immunity-bubble) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hubfs/virtual%20reality.jpg) ### The Future of Virtual and In-Person Events in 2021? 6 Key Predictions. January 19th, 2021|2 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/the-future-of-virtual-and-in-person-events-in-2021) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hubfs/social%20engagement%20shutterstock_1751653490.jpg) ### How To Drive Social Interaction At Your Virtual Event December 16th, 2020|2 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/how-to-drive-social-interaction-at-your-virtual-event) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hubfs/Inbound%202020%20hashtag.png) ### Building Audience Interaction at Virtual Events November 11th, 2020|2 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/building-audience-interaction-at-virtual-events) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hubfs/Microsoft%20events.jpg) ### Swimming into the Torpedo: How Microsoft Transitioned to Virtual Events October 28th, 2020|2 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/how-microsoft-transitioned-to-virtual-events) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hubfs/Business%20Mastery%20virtual%202.jpg) ### The High Energy Yet Intimate Experience of Tony Robbins Virtual Business Mastery October 13th, 2020|2 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/tony-robbins-virtual-business-mastery) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hubfs/Standout%20Virtual%20Events.jpg) ### Announcing My New Book Available Now: Standout Virtual Events September 28th, 2020|2 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/standout-virtual-events) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hubfs/Virtual%20Events%20and%20Customer%20Relationships.jpg) ### Virtual Events and Customer Relationships September 2nd, 2020|2 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/virtual-events-and-customer-relationships) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hubfs/Cramer%20episode%201%20thumbnail.jpg) ### Raising the Bar on Virtual Events August 5th, 2020|2 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/raising-the-bar-on-virtual-events) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hubfs/LM%20Simulator%20cue%20cards.jpg) ### Cue Cards in 2020: A Powerful Analog Presentation Tool Adapted from the Apollo Lunar Program July 29th, 2020|2 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/virtual-speaking-tool-apollo-cue-card) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hubfs/David%20Meerman%20Scott%20virtual%20speaking%20multi%20camera.jpg) ### Top 5 Problems with Hiring a Great Virtual Event Speaker July 20th, 2020|2 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/top-5-problems-hiring-virtual-event-speaker) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hubfs/virtual%20control%20room.jpg) ### 5 Key Benefits to Hosting Virtual Events July 8th, 2020|2 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/5-key-benefits-to-hosting-virtual-events) ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "David Meerman Scott", "url" : "https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/author/david-meerman-scott" }, "datePublished" : "2011-04-13T13:56:01.000Z", "headline" : "Charlie Sheen and his stage", "image" : [ "https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/file-1604447712-jpg/blog-files/6a00d83451f23a69e2014e87c5b8dd970d-400wi.jpg" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/2011/04/charlie-sheen-and-his-stage.html", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hubfs/_Assets/Logo/david-meerman-scott.png" }, "name" : "David Meerman Scott" } } ``` ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@id" : "https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/#person", "@type" : "Person", "description" : "Marketing and sales visionary, international bestselling author of 12 books, keynote speaker in 47 countries, and advisor to emerging companies.", "email" : "mailto:David@DavidMeermanScott.com", "image" : "https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hubfs/DMS-Homepage-Featured.jpg", "jobTitle" : [ "Keynote Speaker", "Author", "Business Growth Strategist", "Marketing Advisor" ], "knowsAbout" : [ "Content Marketing", "Fandom Marketing", "Newsjacking", "Real-Time Marketing", "Public Relations", "Sales Strategy", "Business Growth" ], "name" : "David Meerman Scott", "sameAs" : [ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Meerman_Scott", "https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidmeermanscott", "https://x.com/dmscott", "https://www.instagram.com/dmscott/" ], "url" : "https://www.davidmeermanscott.com" } ``` ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@id" : "https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/#website", "@type" : "WebSite", "author" : { "@id" : "https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/#person" }, "name" : "David Meerman Scott", "potentialAction" : { "@type" : "SearchAction", "query-input" : "required name=search_term_string", "target" : { "@type" : "EntryPoint", "urlTemplate" : "https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/search?q={search_term_string}" } }, "url" : "https://www.davidmeermanscott.com" } ``` ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "David Meerman Scott", "url" : "https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/author/david-meerman-scott" }, "dateCreated" : "2014-09-10T23:17:44", "datePublished" : "2011-04-13T09:56:01-0400", "description" : "", "headline" : "Charlie Sheen and his stage", "image" : [ "http://cdn2.hubspot.net/hub/413105/file-1604447712-jpg/blog-files/6a00d83451f23a69e2014e87c5b8dd970d-400wi.jpg" ], "inLanguage" : "en-us", "keywords" : [ "Public Speaking", "Case Studies", "Personal branding" ], "learningResourceType" : "article", "name" : "Charlie Sheen and his stage", "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://413105.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/413105/_Assets/Logo/david-meerman-scott.png" }, "name" : "Freshspot Marketing LLC" }, "timeRequired" : "2 minutes", "url" : "https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/2011/04/charlie-sheen-and-his-stage.html" } ```