It's been almost two weeks since the Isaiah Washington controversy exploded a second time, and while the actor has not been fired by ABC, reflections on his behavior continue to circulate.
Why was it not addressed by the network sooner? What does it suggest about the working culture of entertainment these days? Most importantly, can Grey's Anatomy weather the storm?
Below is an article appearing this week in USA Today that chronicles the incident's aftermath, and explains why it was initially downplayed, and that Grey's Anatomy can still survive the situation. For another take on the issue, which some say falls into the typical - and insufficient - pattern of entertainment industry remorse, check out Entertainment Weekly.
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There's no question that ABC's biggest show has been hurt by its shamefully tardy public response to Isaiah Washington's now-infamous October outburst, which the show initially buried under a veil of vague apologies.
But TV has a long history of nurturing, exposing and then forgiving shameful backstage behavior in a burst of PR-inspired public repentance â" and never mind the possible damage done to the viewing experience.
Much of this tawdry process could have been avoided had the network and the producers responded more forcefully when Washington, who plays Dr. Preston Burke in the hit drama, first used a homophobic slur to refer to co-star T.R. Knight. But that isn't what occurred.
Instead, they waited until the angry reaction to his repetition of the insult at the Golden Globes forced their hand â" sending the troubled actor to a meeting with gay leaders and now, apparently, to a stint of counseling.
Had they dealt with the problem the first time, the show would have been spared weeks of bad publicity that has left fans wondering if the stars will ever play nice together again.
And make no mistake, playing nice is all that's required. Despite all the nonsense casts feed the press about being one big, happy family, actors don't have to be best friends and often aren't.
Vivian Vance and William Frawley bickered throughout I Love Lucy, setting a lack-of-love pattern that remains to this day. They're actors; their job is to convey emotion, not live it.
They do, however, have to be able to keep their animosity off camera and under control. More than one actor has been smoked out of a series because his or her co-stars had to be forced to share scenes at gunpoint.
Apparently, Grey's Anatomy creator Shonda Rhimes is convinced her actors can get along, because if she thought Washington's continued employment would hurt her show, he would be fired by now. Despite the rush in some quarters to show Washington the door, Rhimes' wait-and-see approach may prove to be wisest.
Yes, Rhimes should have rebuked her star more swiftly than she did. But on a social level, we're better served by a publicly repentant Washington preaching tolerance than by an unemployed Washington claiming mistreatment.
What's more, on an artistic level, his loss would damage one of TV's best shows. To think otherwise is to buy into the mistaken notion that talent is near universal and instantly replaceable.
Last week's Grey's Anatomy shows how valuable Washington is to the series.
The episode (which was shot before the Golden Globe Awards debacle, as was this week's "Great Expectations") included a lovely scene between Burke and Knight's George O'Malley that played off the unexpected and still-vital friendship the show has built around these two very different characters.
It was possible to look at the great scene through a current-headline lens and find it unconvincing. But it wasn't possible to read discomfort or discord into the actors' performances. And as long as that continues, the audience will eventually fall in line.
Think of the stories of brutal backstage squabbles at Roseanne, Grace Under Fire, Martin, Sex and the City and other shows. If viewers could push reality aside in those cases, they surely can do it here.
In a way, Grey's Anatomy may have an easier time with viewer perceptions because Dr. Burke has always had a snappish streak. Although he's admirable in many ways, Burke has a habit of saying hurtful things to his colleagues, most recently Derek and Cristina.
It's not beyond the realm of possibility that somewhere down the line, the character may have to face his own anger management issues.
Until then, let's look at the one bright side. Had word come out 20 years ago that a TV star had been called a homosexual, it's the gay actor whose career would have been over. Now, it's the bigot who's in danger.
That, at least, is a healthy sign.
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26 Comments
January 27th, 2007 10:28 AM
I totaly agree with this article....i think that they are all wonderful actors and actress' and they will be able to do their job no matter what....and until it starts to make the show fall then why should we care....as long as they continue to deliver awesome shows like they are have i think we should all let this die down and sit on our couches and enjoy the show.
January 27th, 2007 9:15 PM
This is one of the first columnist that is speaking with some degree of objectivity, right up until he called Isaiah a bigot. There is no history of bigotry in this man's past. You can bet if there was it would have surfaced by now. He called someone a name in the heat of the moment. Everyone needs to get a little perspective. Name calling is not uncommon and neither does it reflect what is a person't heart nor does it maim anyone for life. It wasn't a nice thing to do, but it wasn't criminal either. This is the down side of the electronic age. Everyone knows more than they need to and yet not enough to make a rationale judgment about the situation so they leap to conclusions with very little evidence to go on. I do hope that in time everyone immediately involved can forgive each other and the rest of us can get over it so that everyone including Isaiah stays on the show. If we can believe George is a heteosexual male who is currently a sex addict with Callie, we should be able to believe that Burke is a kind and caring doctor who is known for his integrity and skill as a surgeon.
January 28th, 2007 5:30 PM
I agree with you burke backer i can't wait until this all goes away.......no more name calling
January 28th, 2007 6:46 PM
Great post, Burker Backer. I agree with everythng you said, and IW is not a bigot. He's been in the business more than 20 years. If that was true, we would have seen some signs long before now. I'll always be a supporter of IW - 100%.
January 28th, 2007 8:30 PM
Yes, Isaiah Washington's slur is unfortunate, and he should be held accountable. However, the show is the thing. Are we supposed to think that every cast gets along? I want to see Dr. Preston Burke. Washington's politics, and what he thinks of homosexuals, doesn't have anything to do with his portrayal of Dr. Burke. Hopefully, Shonda Rhimes will continue to write wonderful lines for him and not back away from the character, who is crucial to the story. If she can write T.R. Knight as a heterosexual sex machine, she can write anything.
January 29th, 2007 3:04 PM
Well said Burke Backer...I agree 100%!
January 29th, 2007 7:43 PM
Have y'all seen the item on MSNBC.com referring to the possibility that TR might leave the show? I hope, hope, hope that it is only picking up on a rumor - especially after the incredible performances that he's given this season. I think he has really come into his own as an actor, and the character is really getting some depth. Frankly, I'd hate to see anyone leave, but I can see how it would be difficult to continue the quality performance as an ensemble if one or more of the cast was uncomfortable......I just hope they can work it out.
January 30th, 2007 10:49 AM
I think he was extremely wrong in his behavior and that it is totally inexcusable!! He grew up in the sixties and when blacks were in the throws of getting equal rights. He had to have grown up knowing what it was like living in a white persons world back then, being looked at as being different! He should look back on those times when he felt like an outcast due to the color of his skin! He no more chose to being born a black kid back then as did any gay choose to being born gay in a straight society! He of all people should know what it feels like to be looked down on for being different and always having to prove yourself!! NO ONE asks to be born gay and live in a world of bigots that are going to be mean to you and possible kill you for being different (remember Matthew Shepard)!! I being a Mother to a 33 year old daughter that is gay, there isn't a day or night that goes by that I don't worry about her being hurt emotionally or physically for something she can't help (SHE CAN'T CHANGE HOW SHE WAS BORN)!! No more than a child that is born without limbs can wake up one day and say, "you know what, I think I will grow some limbs today, I am tired of being different!!! To list just a few of the talented and wonderful gay professional people that have provided us with hours of their ended talent, I applaud the T.R. Knight, Ellen DeGeneres, Tracy Chapman, Joan Baez, Portia deRossi, Jodi Foster, Sara Gilbert, Patrick Neil Harris,Tab Hunter, Elton John, K.D. Lang, Johnny Mathis, Kristy McNichol, Sinead O'Connor, Rosie O'Donnell, David Hyde Pierce, Charles Nelson Reilly, Rip Taylor, Lily Tomlin, Rock Hudson, Michael Jeter,Barry Manilow, Liberace, Richard Chamberlainand, Paul Lynde's of the world. Isaiah Washington, you were and are wrong in your school of thinking! Maybe for one or two years, you and your family ought to go live in one of the southern states (like Georgia or Mississippi) that still are anti black and get a refresher coarse in humanity!! Even though you grew up in a household that was semi professionals in Texas! But you have forgotten where you come from and what it was like being a little black boy growing up!! And you seriously need to attend some anger management classes too!!
January 30th, 2007 2:49 PM
Great post and THANKS! I'm so sick of reading and hearing about Isaiah being a bigot,what should ABC do about him?, etc. ABC shouldn't think of doing anything besides moving on. I'm sure there are several other networks who would LOVE to pick up Grey's Anatomy & allow humans to make some mistakes.
He simply chose the wrong description/word for "homosexual men", hell I know people that still call them sissies, "chemically addicted"=Junkies, "lesbians"=Dykes, LOL :)
you can't keep up with the politically correct language, it changes almost daily.
Unfortunately, we've become a society that tries to CONTROL EVERYONE and EVERYTHING . . .who amongst us hasn't said, done or thought something we regretted later?. . . give me a break
again . . .GREAT POST
January 30th, 2007 4:12 PM
Saying IW used the 'wrong word' to describe homosexual men is about the stupidest thing I've ever heard. I suppose you would say that Micheal Richards used the 'wrong word' to describe african americans. IW has a LONG history of having a temper on the set (well before Grey's Anatomy) with verbal and physical assults on other actors. If ABC has any balls, they would fire him. What bothers me, is when they talk about who should replace him, they always suggest another african american male. What's up with that?