I am the first to admit that I love celebrity gossip. I guiltily take pleasure in watching the latest Hollywood train wreck happen right before my eyes.

However, when I am seeking out this type of gossip I have specific places I turn to (Perez Hilton and E! News). I certainly don’t expect to turn on CNN or ABC and be inundated with the latest in the Charlie Sheen saga.

I can see where mentioning that he will no longer be on CBS’s “Two and a Half Men” qualifies as news. It was the channel’s highest rated show and his dismissal occurred during the February sweeps period. This information, I suppose, can be justified.

Instead, most of the stories focused on Sheen’s alleged drug use, hooker scandals and rampant alcohol abuse. Maybe I’m judgmental, but don’t all celebrities do drugs of some kind?

So why should all of this Charlie Sheen “news” matter to me?

Yes, his quotes are funny (“I am on a drug. It’s called Charlie Sheen. It’s not available. If you try it once, you will die. Your face will melt off and your children will weep over your exploded body.”), but so are a lot of crazy peoples quotes.

Moammar Gadhafi, the leader of Libya, also had some pretty delusional and interesting comments, but Gadhafi hasn’t been bringing in the ratings the way Sheen has.

Sheen’s appearance on Piers Morgan helped the CNN show gather the highest ratings since the series’ premiere.

I watched the clip. Charlie Sheen successfully wriggled his way into my news agenda and I took time out of my day to see what was going on with him. It was hysterical and I was not surprised so many people were enjoying laughing at him.

But where was my news that mattered? Where was the inspiring call to action or the greater impact that I can take away?

I want news. I hunger for knowledge of international affairs and would like to be at least competent when it comes to discussing politics. I depend on stations like CNN to deliver this kind of information to me.

But this week I was told to forget about the protests in Libya, Texas budget cuts and the heavier side of news, apparently all I was supposed to take away from the news is that Charlie Sheen is “tired of pretending [he’s] not a total bitchin’ rock star from Mars.”

Ashley Withers is a junior journalism major. She can be reached for comments at [email protected].