Should Isaiah Washington be fired from Grey's Anatomy for the gay slur he made in reference to T.R. Knight last fall?
The remark - which has come back to dominate entertainment news again after Washington's denial of the incident at Monday's Golden Globe Awards and T.R. Knight confirming to Ellen DeGeneres today that it did occur - is fueling intense debate among Grey's Anatomy fans and various organizations.
Some think that the issue has been dead for some time and should just be dropped, while others believe Washington should be let go. Count Michael Ausiello - the TV Guide sleuth who can always be counted on to find the latest dirt and tell you how he feels about it - among the latter.
Here's what he says on his blog, the Ausiello Report, responding to a reader inquiry as to whether he witnessed the Golden Globe implosion:
"I certainly was there, and I have the internal scars to prove it. It was by far the ugliest, most uncomfortable press-room moment I have ever experienced. And judging by the shell-shocked faces on the cast â" particularly T.R. Knight and Patrick Dempsey, who have been class acts throughout this entire ordeal â" it was a new low for them, too.
What's ironic about the whole thing is that in Washington's attempt to clear his name, he came off as an out-of-control homophobe who throws the f-word around like it's candy. He's also playing fast and loose with the truth. Did he call T.R. a fa***t to his face? No. Did he refer to him as one behind his back? Yes. T.R. says so himself on today's Ellen DeGeneres Show.
His continued employment on a show that wears its diversity as a badge of honor is the height of hypocrisy. If ABC wants to be remotely true to the principles Shonda Rhimes so eloquently espouses through the show, it has to do the right thing and fire Washington. Anything else at this point is simply unacceptable."
That's just the opinion of one TV critic. But the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) is also demanding an apology.
The group's president, Neil Giuliano, said that the remark "does more than create a hostile environment for his castmates and the crew of Grey's Anatomy... It also feeds a climate of hatred and intolerance that contributes to putting our community in harm's way."
GLAAD has contacted Washington in hopes of setting up a meeting with the actor to raise public awareness about the destructive impact of comments such as this. No word yet on whether he or anyone associated with Grey's Anatomy have been reached or accepted the offer.
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105 Comments
January 17th, 2007 7:58 PM
I don't know that he should be fired from the show...i just think he should not deny saying it....he doesn't owe anyone but the cast and crew and those involved with an apology and that is if it causes problems on the set....
He doesn't need to apoligize to anyone else or any other organization. I think it was dropped until IW said what he said in the wrong forum....
January 17th, 2007 8:06 PM
I don't know that he should be fired... that's kind of jumping the shark don't ya think?
i think sticking him in that hospital bed all season is pretty genious punishment on shonda's part. i say keep his part minimal til he quits
January 17th, 2007 8:08 PM
okay .. let me be the first to say this .. if washington was fired from grey's anatomy it would totally ruin the future for the show. i could almost promise it. personally .. i don't think something that extreme would be in the picture. but i'm not in show business so i wouldn't know. but i do think that it's common sense that if you let go one of the main characters of a show .. it's going to go downhill from there. you can't expect the show to come back after a loss like that. even for a show as great as grey's anatomy. if it was one of the more "less important" characters .. say a nurse .. then it wouldn't be as big of a deal. but this is just taking the whole blow out to new heights. i think washington knows that he did the wrong thing when making the slur .. i don't think that he meant it at all the way it came out. i'm not one to take up for his character .. i'm not much for him .. but i do think it is 100% idiotic to let a character like that go. he helps build the base of the show. it would all come crashing down if washington left the show. yes i do think he needs to come to his senses a little and be more mature about the situation. but then again it is terribly hard to remain mature in situations where you are the blame. for many people .. including myself .. it's hard to accept the fact that you've done something wrong. especially in the show business .. and to own up to that is showing your loyality to your job. i think washington knows he did wrong .. and in that meeting i think he just went with his thoughts before he actually thought about them. you can't say you've never did that. he just did it at the wrong time. eventually .. i do think washington will come to his senses and say he did say the slur towards t.r and that he is sorry. i just think it's going to take a little more time for the whole thing to sink in. i still don't think he understands how truly hurtful it was. but i think if he gives it a little while to sink in .. he'll realize why everyones making such a big deal of it.
January 17th, 2007 8:25 PM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=asaAGUAcbSM
well click on this and you will hear IW saying his side and also KH....i personally am more upset by watching him deny it over and over on this clip.... what would TR have to benefit by saying IW said it if he didn't that would cause more problems on the set.
January 17th, 2007 8:38 PM
I feel that he owes a very big apology to not just T.R but to everyone. But to fire him is too drastic and he should be given the chance to accept his mistake and reform himself. It looks to me that he was trying very hard to clear his name during the Golden Globes and it just came out all wrong.
January 17th, 2007 9:06 PM
How does it benefit the show by TR going on Ellen, unless he's leaving and wants to sabotage the show out of revenge. If TR was hurt by the statement then he should let IW know, and give IW the opportunity to apologize. Like I said, he wasn't doing it to hurt him. No one knew he was upset.
No, IW shouldn't be let go.
January 17th, 2007 9:18 PM
No IW should not be fired.
I agree that IW used inappropriate words to reply to the media at the GG Press Conference and used the wrong forum to respond to the media about this issue. He spoke in the heat of the moment.
This man has been judged on what has been perceived to be the truth based on sound bites and conversations out of context. This is so wrong.
We were not present when the altercation first transpired. We are depending on others perception and their own biases of the situation to provide us a synopsis of the truth. It has been analysed and misconstrued, rehashed and everyone with a spin has put their two cents in. Even by their own earlier admissions KH and TR were not present when IW and PD had their altercation. Words "sound" different in print.
KH was just as inappropriate in talking to the media - talk to your HR department, your boss or have a face to face with IW. I perceive this to be a self serving headline grabber and she is now out there 293 on AP wires all over the word. Should translate into more roles for her.
Who is Michael Aisello - who cares? Is he an executive at ABC does he sign the cheques at GA. Ah...another headline grabber - should work for him too.
What is needed is understanding that to err is human, that everyone needs forgiveness and to soothe raw nerves. These individuals need to resolve this issue minus the world and heal the wounds.
We need not circle the wagons and lynch Mr. Washington for his words. He made a mistake...just like Natalie Maines (Dixie Chicks), he said words, some which may never be taken back but it is just words. He didn't kill anyone.
"Let the first person without sins cast the first stone...".
January 17th, 2007 9:32 PM
I don't think Isaiah should be fired. Yes he said something he shouldn't have. Yes it hurt someone in the process. But should be be fired for that? I don't think so. The hypocrisy would be massive if they did. The only reason this came to the public eye is because Grey's Anatomy is the biggest show on network television. If it were a smaller show then nothing would have been said about it. It would have slide under the table and have been forgotten. But because Grey's is so big this incident has received lots of publicity. I'm sure that this happens on many other sets for shows, movies, etc. If they fire Washington they should go to the set of every single show and fire everyone who has ever uttered the "F" word.
Another thing to consider. Shouldn't it be up to TR if he doesn't want to work with Isaiah anymore? TR was the one hurt most by it and he seems to have been able to get over it. He has actually become stronger because of it.
I'm not defending hate slurring against homosexuals. But this has been taken way out of proportion. I say just let it die and let us enjoy our show. To me this is just another blip on the radar that needs to be forgotten not brought up time and time again.
January 17th, 2007 9:50 PM
I think it would be a great loss to the show without Burke, and I would hate for the show - the material - to suffer after this public blow.
I don't think IW is homophobic, and i don't think he should be fired. I do think what he said was completely inappropriate, especially after the excitement of winning a golden globe as a team against some pretty tough competetion. The fact that he ran out from the outside of the line, grabbed the mic, all to make an immature comment like that infront of the entire cast (including TR) was completely stupid on his part. I get he wants to move on - we all want to move on, but he obviously did something wrong back in October. He came clean, explained his actions on Oprah, and now, he comes out and says the exact word he was in trouble for saying in the first place. In context or not, a HUGE mistake.
And now theres TRs story that completely contrasts with IW's newest statement, which varies from his November Oprah interview. Its such a mess, and of course the medias making it messier. I don't blame TR for talking about it on Ellen. He was schedualed to go on before the GG anyways, and obviously it was gonna be brought up. I think he handled it well. He kept his cool, he didn't really lash out against IW, I don't think he wants anything more than a resolution, as we all do.
As Patrick said on Oprah, the argument helped them connect further as a cast - be open with each other and communicate. I hope that after this episode they can all be open with each other and set things straight for themselves and for the public. It would not be smart to just let this slide in the manner they did in the fall. There's already too much emotion and anger and confusion from the public. We need something straightforward to grasp and move on. This shows amazing. IW's a great actor, and i would not want his talent, along with anybody elses' to leave in response to this.
January 17th, 2007 11:31 PM
How refreshing to read peoples comments that are thoughtful and not filled with hatred. It is interesting that the Gay and Lesbian Alliance are calling for an apology while Ausiello is calling for Isaiah to be fired. Who is he to pass judgment? Is he even a fan of the show? If TR says Isaiah called him a faggot behind his back, how does he know it is true? If it was behind his back, doesn't that mean he wasn't present? Who is he choosing to believe? This just doesn't ring true to me. It is like the rumor mill in high school. She said this and he said that and in fact neither is quite the truth and neither is quite a lie it is just a misrepresentation of what occurred. No one should be fired. The actors in question need to address the problem and move on and the Ausiello's of the world need to find something less destructive to do for a living.