First we had Charlie Sheen Night with the Bakersfield Condors, an ECHL hockey team (free admission to anyone who brought a clean blood test). Next up is baseball’s Lake Elsinore Storm and their festive Sheen-co de Mayo celebration, scheduled for May 5. The Storm, a Class-A, California League Padres affiliate, has been planning Sheen-co de Mayo since January, and has even invited Charlie Sheen himself to throw out the first pitch (no response so far).
One group is not amused, however. Inland Empire Council of the League of United Latin American Citizens president Joe Olague told the Riverside Press-Enterprise that the Storm promotion “diminishes a significant day in Hispanic history.”
Among the activities planned by the Storm are a limited edition Charlie Sheen bobblehead and a “Wild Thing” glasses giveaway, an in-game taco eating contest, and a rehab-style party on the exclusive Tiki Terrace featuring “#tigerblood cocktails” and a “two-for-one Ho Hos” special. From the Riverside Press-Enterprise:
“This makes the day less significant for the Latino community,” said Joe Olague, president of the Inland Empire Council of the League of United Latin American Citizens.
As an educator, Olague said he is concerned that hosting the event in concert with minor league baseball — often a family outing — will misrepresent Latino history to youngsters.
“We’ve got to go ahead and promote the positives to them,” Olague said. He equated the timing to holding a Charlie Sheen Day on the Fourth of July.
Storm president David Oster says the intent isn’t to hurt anyone but provide people with a good laugh.
But Tanya Nieri, an assistant professor of sociology at UC Riverside, chimed in with: “What’s being modeled here is making fun of people who are ill and making light of serious issues. I can have a good time without making fun of people.”
This is just a guess, but no, Tanya. I don’t believe that you can.
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Sheen-linked Cinco de Mayo promotion criticized [MSNBC]
Sheen promotion draws ire [Riverside Press-Enterprise]
