Charlie Sheen is an inescapable fixture in the media right now. There is no question that he is a defensive, stubborn, bitter, angry and unreasonable drug addict. But, is he really #winning?

Conventional wisdom is that when someone displays inarguable signs of addiction, when they shun the help of their family, when they babble on about their super-human power and endanger themselves and those around them, then they are losing. But something is different about Carlos "Good-Time-Charlie Sheen" Estevez. When he says that he is a rock star and he is getting along fine without the help of others, it's tough to argue with him. When he says that "Two and a Half Men" will lose without him, he also makes a valid point. In fact, through all of his ranting and raving, he makes very few statements that are patently wrong.

The difference between Sheen and characters like Mel Gibson, Lindsy Lohan, Bobby Brown and Britney Spears is simple: Charlie Sheen is a rock star, tigerblooded winner. He isn't in a temporary stupor. This isn't a one week melt down. This is who he is. This is who he wants to be. Is it a sustainable life? Probably not and I pray that he gets it figured out before it's too late. But, from a branding perspective, this guy is really on to something. Charlie Sheen is engaging because there's a bit of Charlie Sheen in all of us. We all want to tell our bosses to pay us more money and to publicly talk trash about our exes. He is like a grown version of the kid on the playground smashing things with Tonka trucks, eating cupcakes and pointing at Corvettes saying "That's my car!"

Of course, my argument isn't that Charlie Sheen is healthy or making the right moves. He isn't. His behavior is completely erratic and deeply troubling. But, he raises an interesting point. Maybe he IS different from the rest of us. There is no rule that says everyone has to follow the same benchmarks of success. In Charlie Sheen's world, happiness has always been about making lots of money, having lots of sex and getting lots of attention. Well, he makes millions of dollars a week, has TWO live-in girlfriends (one of whom is porn star Bree Olson) and has single handedly dominated all of TV, radio and social media. Not to mention his little acting career that currently includes starring on the number one sitcom on television. So, who are we to say that he isn't #winning? In fact, if he is orchestrating this fiasco on purpose, he has made Joaquin Phoenix's faux melt down look like amateur hour.

But, is Charlie Sheen a genius or simply a lunatic devoid of all reality? Unfortunately, only he knows that... good luck getting a straight answer.