Isaiah Washington Taught Me if You Say Something F*cked up, Just Own It.
Don't let the title of this post throw you. I'm in no way condoning Mr.Washington's use of a homophobic slur - I know how hurtful being on the business end of said slur can be, based on me having a picture of the doctor who gave me a prostate exam in my wallet and my affection for those Ethan Hawke "Before Sunset"-dialogue driven movies that make an asshole like me believe in love again. It's just that I believe if you say something utterly regrettable then simply go and apologize to the offended party, possibly make a solitary statement to the press for public relations purposes - but that's it, if people want any more apologies out of you just inform them that they are shit out of luck like constipated degenerate gamblers. Unfortunately that's not the approach that Mr. Washington took, after embarrassingly denying that he had even used the slur at the Golden Globes he proceeded to so a stint in rehab like all embattled stars do - not to mention working with the Gay and Lesbian community in an add that I felt seemed heartfelt, concerning the circumstances. That being said, after jumping through more hoops than a trained circus seal, his contract wasn't renewed - read any article on the situation and you'll read where ABC studios claimed it was done "quick and neat," even though I think stringing a guy along for the better part of 8 fucking months is neither "quick" or "neat."
Again, what Mr. Washington said was utterly deplorable, but the media has a way of severely punishing black entertainers for the most pedestrian of offenses. Recently Washington Redskins running back Clinton Portis simply gave his opinion and stated how Mike Vick should be allowed to do whatever he wants on his own property, told the reporter that dog fighting was common where he came from, and expressed that he was surprised that dog-fighting was even a felony - by the way the media pounced on him like a pack of rabid dogs (pun intended), you would have thought that he had just publicly endorsed child pornography. Remember a few years ago when Allen Iverson attempted to come out with a rap album, I'm fully aware that the subject matter on it was questionable - but the media was so outraged by the lyrical content, you would have thought that Iverson's entire album consisted of him reciting chapters of Mein Kampf to Hip Hop beats. Mr. Washington made a mistake, but if the last 8 months taught me anything it is to apologize whenever something disgraceful comes out of my mouth - then keep it fucking moving. Especially when you think about the absolute lunacy that has transpired since that verbal career speed-bump Isaiah Washington let fly out of his mouth with reckless abandon.
When I saw T.R Knight tell whoever would listen that Isaiah Washington's slur forced him to come out of the closet, I hadn't belted out so many childlike chuckles since my 5th grade homeroom teacher showed me her tits after class once. I don't know what it's like to be a closeted gay man in Hollywood but I'd imagine it would take some intricate planning to hide your sexual preference, immediately I envision a group of the actors' handlers huddled around a bulletin board with blue schematics on it - everybody on board to execute what would be called "Operation Not Gay." Publicists, close friends of the actor, lawyers, and even the actors personal chef would have to be involved in the rouse - I'm sure not being seen with gay lovers, exiting gay bars, and other behavior deemed to be "homosexual" are the lengths it takes to maintain a very hetero facade. That being said, being called a "faggot" on a movie set, an episode that no one outside the cast and crew can even proved happened - that's what yanked you out of the closet? Get the fuck outta here with that bullshit.
I found it pretty funny when that wet gremlin-looking blogger himself, Perez Hilton, took it upon himself to continuously rip Mr. Washington a new asshole (figuratively of course) on that bowel movement of a blog of his. How can someone seem like they are championing the rights of gay people one minute, then go about outing closeted celebrities the next? I have a question for you: if you mercilessly back-hand a gay guy because he's a douche-bag and not for his sexual preference - is it still a hate crime?
The outrage from the gay community was understandable, what Mr. Washington said was truly reprehensible - if I wasn't already a black man I would have followed my last statement with "I can only imagine what its like for a gay man in America." But the continuous vitriol was a bit much, I can't tell you how many debates this sparked from gay and lesbian people that I know about the "F-word" versus "The N-word" - arguments in which they found themselves on the business end of a beheading based on the murderous history of the "N-Word" and that little known gem that people are unable to hide their color.
Listen, I'm smart enough to know that there are gay people out there that find him offensive - but I've recently learned about an individual named Charles Knipp, a hit in gay bars and throughout the gay community with a character he does called "Shirley Q Liquor." Did I mention that he does this character in blackface, portraying an illiterate, heavy set black welfare mother with 19 kids - pleasing crowds with his broken English, and side-splitting tales of going to "K-Mark" along with other routines. According to this Rolling Stone article, the cast of "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" hired Knipp to perform at their wrap party, and actress Sela Ward hired him for her husband's 50th birthday party. I don't claim to know the Queer Eye Guys, Sela Ward, or the slew of gay people that find Mr. Knipps comedic stylings a laugh riot - but I bet you dollars-to-donuts that they probably had problems with what Isaiah Washington said, and rightfully so. But can you really claim the moral high ground, when the foundation of said surface is as shaky as publicly supporting something with such an oppressive history as minstrelsy?
Lastly, didn't it seem that Isaiah Washington's co-star on "Grey's Anatomy," Katherine Heigl, went out of her way to invoke Mr. Washington's name every chance that she got. Listen, if your mission in life is to get a black man fired then I suggest you aim for goals with a higher level of difficulty - but she couldn't go an interview without expressing how angry she was at her co-star, she kept his personal business on her tongue more than Mrs. Washington. The same way Mary J Blige decides to express some historic hardship that she encountered at the most inopportune moments, Ms. Heigl took it upon herself to steer any conversation to a slur that an actor will regret for a lifetime.
I wanted to call the treatment of Isaiah Washington by the media and by his castmates as a high profile lynching, but maybe that's just hyperbole on my part. But I suddenly get the urge to put Public Enemy's "Burn Hollywood Burn" on repeat in my Ipod.
de.licio.us
digg
Furl
Reddit
YahooMyWeb
Comments
1.
Katie says:
"you would have thought that Iverson's entire album consisted of him reciting chapters of Mein Kampf to Hip Hop beats."
and
"she kept his personal business on her tongue more than Mrs. Washington."
Your wit makes the situations we deal with on a daily basis a little more palatable. You rock!
08/09/2007 at 11:50 PM
2.
Dantresomi says:
it is messed up how he got played. but he is a brother. Hollywood got no love for brothers unless he enjoys dressing like a woman
07/01/2007 at 4:36 PM
3.
Anonymous says:
I agree. When I saw the Golden Globes, I was like why did you go and do that? I knew it was over then. I don't understand why he would allow that to occur knowing how the media would construe this. I definitely hope that he never used the "f" word since we as African Americans know prejudice first hand. Since then, I think he demonstrated he was contrite in many different ways and yet, crackheads and druggies like Robert Downey Jr or Danny Bonaduce can go off the deep end. This hasn't stopped their careers or workload. Hollywood has double standards. That part about the drag queen skit is really disturbing.
06/26/2007 at 1:42 AM
4.
thoreauly77 says:
HC- no doubt. washington is a dick for saying what he said, but a minstrel show, by a gay white man? what in the fuck? that's disturbing man.
06/20/2007 at 11:43 PM
5.
lilkunta says:
I agree. Charles Knipp needs to stop. His skit aint funny at all. He is trying to detract from the fact that his homo ways/ actions/ lifestyle/relationship are immoral , wrong, and against the bible.
Instead of being rude to afrikan americans he needs to pray for salavations from his homo lifestyle.
06/15/2007 at 10:07 PM