[Editor's note: I originally prepared this post before Charlie Sheen got on Twitter. I guess we don't have to wait any more - the real stuff is heads and shoulders above anything I could have come up with on my own.]Almost four years ago (!) when Twitter began to hit a fever pitch coming out of SXSW Interactive, I found a post called What Would Jesus Twitter? Leaving aside that we now know the verb is "tweet," I attempted to jump-start a meme by creating my own (What Would Sherlock Holmes Twitter?) and tagged some other people to develop their own.
In the spirit of that, I jotted down a few thoughts on the plane back from Europe yesterday, blissfully unaware of the goings-on at the time.
What would @CharlieSheen tweet?
10. I need more roles like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRbzZG_JxYY
9. My publicist must like Apocalypse Now too. I just heard him say "The horror! The horror!"
8. Chuck Norris is such a wuss. #tigerblood
7. You know that virulent bacteria strain at the Playboy Mansion? Guilty.
6. @Gaddafi, you need to more #winning. Follow me for lessons in public image.
5. The only drug I'm on is
4. Those aren't porn stars. They're libido management specialists.
3. Hey Dior, I'm available as a spokesperson.
2. @EmilioEstevez You don't have any Mighty Ducks sequels I could appear in, do you?
1. I've been sober since noon.
Sheen's ascent on Twitter has been getting some headlines lately, including a Guinness World Record for "Fastest Time to Reach 1 Million Followers." With his recent barrage of surprise press appearances - which caused his publicist to resign - he is clearly taking the tactic of bringing his message directly to the public.
Is this a dangerous practice for someone whose stability is questionable? What role does or should a public relations effort play with such a volatile client who is annexing social media platforms to get his message out? Are there wider lessons for clients in crisis mode?
And just for fun: what other outrageous statements do you think we'll see from @CharlieSheen? Please leave a comment below.
