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 Yet Another Actor Acting OutPosted on Jan 25, 2007By Jabari Asim WASHINGTON—Long before he became a co-star on the hit TV show “Grey’s Anatomy,’’ Isaiah Washington distinguished himself as an actor with an intellectual bent. In an essay published in Essence magazine a little more than a decade ago, he lamented the shortage of good roles for black male performers. After complaining about being offered five “drag-queen’’ roles in less than a year, Washington expressed his determination to “infuse the characters I play with some level of complexity and humanity.’’ In eloquent, thoughtful prose, Washington assured readers that he had no problem with gay characters or characters in drag. He recalled his first amateur acting job, the role of Sweetie Pie, “a flaming drag queen and gospel singer.’’ Later, as a member of a touring repertory company, he played a cross-dressing character with AIDS. “That role gave me a firsthand look at gay-bashing,’’ he wrote. “I was the target of angry expletives, jeers and nervous laughter and was even spat upon by a junior-high-school student who took my performance just a little too seriously.’’ He went on to praise the gay transvestites shown in the documentary “Paris Is Burning’’ while condemning Hollywood’s “narrow depictions of African-American male characters.’’ That essay and other comments strongly suggested that Washington was a man of sensitivity and conscience, not just another hunk with cheekbones and charm. He confirmed this early impression with memorable appearances in films such as HBO’s “Always Outnumbered’’ and Spike Lee’s “Get on the Bus.’’ In that film, Washington played one half of a gay couple. All of which makes his recent meltdown as puzzling as it was repulsive. In a brief, tumultuous span, Washington notoriously invoked the word faggot—twice—with regard to a gay castmate. His cruel slur-slinging makes one wonder if his previous musings on “complexity’’ and “humanity’’ were merely pleasantries spun from a publicist’s clever imagination. Television and movie stars are seldom confused with brain surgeons, and hardly a news cycle passes without some dimpled dimwit choking on his or her own foot. Still, Washington, who won an NAACP Image Award just last year, has never seemed a likely candidate for such an appalling celebrity stumble. Unlike, say, Mel Gibson, whose father had been linked to anti-Semitic sentiment, or former Sen. George Allen, who had been known to keep a noose in his office, Washington had never toiled under a cloud of suspicion. If anything, he was known as a performer who could be counted on to say the right thing. Describing himself as “always sensitive to my own community,’’ he told the theater magazine Backstage, “I finally decided, ‘I’m no longer going to play thugs or debauched cops that I can’t possibly make complex characters. I’m bigger than that.’’ Now it seems that Washington has become a complex character himself; he doesn’t just play one on TV. While rumors of his imminent dismissal swirled through cyberspace, Washington ran the gauntlet of repentance now required of errant celebrities: He fired his publicist, issued an abject apology and rushed to meet with representatives of the aggrieved party. Officials from the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation and the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network met with the actor on Jan. 22. As might be expected, they’ve adopted a polite, time-will-tell stance. GLSEN Executive Director Kevin Jennings said Washington “seemed to particularly appreciate the impact these words have on young people in schools and expressed an interest in becoming an ally in GLSEN’s effort to educate young people about the negative impact of name-calling and bullying.’’ Young people like that junior high student who spat on Washington some years before.
Such a mission would certainly have appealed to that forthright essayist in Essence magazine, who impressively asserted, “I’ve always viewed acting as a way to explore important issues of the day, such as gender differences and sexuality.’’ That’s the kind of performing we’d all like to see from Washington, instead of merely acting out.
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By Ana, February 8, 2007 at 5:05 pm # Hi Guys-
By Dr. PhD, PhD, January 27, 2007 at 7:22 pm # There are a lot of mean people around, many of them in entertainment. Trouble is, we don’t hear too much about rank and file mean people unless they’re beating up some minority and it makes the evening news. Then we tsk, tsk. Kids are mean to each other because they see it in adults and then they grow up to be mean adults. They watch sports heroes go at one another on the playing field. That makes it o.k., even though adults tell them it isn’t. We murder people on the other side of the world we don’t even know. Violence and nastiness get trivialized. There’s no such thing as civility anymore. It’s every man for himself at any cost. Rodney King said after he was beaten silly, “Can’t we all just get along.” My answer to that remarkably succint and profound question is, “HELL NO!!!”
By robert puglia, January 27, 2007 at 3:10 pm # ps; it ain’t like “grey’s anatomy” is a worthy endeavor. it ranks with the rankest of unwatchable trash. i have been duly warned away by the promos which make me feel the need of a shower if i am not quick enough with the remote. fate forefend the sick should stagger into such a petri dish of venereal turpitude. shakespeare it ain’t though it is much ado about nothing.
By robert puglia, January 27, 2007 at 1:20 pm # what weight could there be to his opinion that he would promptly (if unsuccessfully) try to disown it when met with criticism? like the drunken gibson, the overwrought and uninspired edwards now this simp joins the fray. counseling won’t disabuse one of being an asshole not that i think he needs to be disabused of it. i sympathize with his distaste as he evokes that same feeling of him in me. you people said what?
By Derek, January 27, 2007 at 12:53 pm # Playing a gay character does not mean you like gay people. In many cases it’s just a career move to show variety or gain recognition.
By Christopher Robin, January 27, 2007 at 7:33 am # What makes gay people so funny? stereotypes? revulsion? could it be based in fear? His words offended. Period. Sorry if my taking offence is some problem? I don’t. Entries found for 1. a powerful feeling of dislike toward somebody or something considered to be worthless, inferior, or undeserving of respect. I won’t go so far as saying Mr. Washington hates gay people. Often someone on the receiving end of society’s contempt often, grabs at the very same poison to make themselves feel accepted and belonging to the “group” I would never even think to call anyone the that vile “N” word. That is exactly how he made me feel by his use of “faggot”. I think Mr.Washington can understand that. I forgive him, if he sincerely wants to be forgiven.
By Matt Elmore, January 25, 2007 at 11:37 pm # What I’ve never understood is why there are never jokes about heteros. For example, there are black comedians who pace the stage for hours telling jokes about white people. But I’ve never seen a gay comic doing something similar to straights. There’s a real vacuum there that you guys need to fill. Tit for tat is what makes equality, not squelching the tat.
By Sandyh, January 25, 2007 at 1:45 pm # Whenever someone lashes out at gays, it always makes me wonder if they are completely comfortable with there own sexuality. It makes me sad because I really liked his character on Grey’s Anatomy and thought he was a great role model for young black men. Now......not so much.
By Woody, January 25, 2007 at 1:10 pm # I’m a working cowboy, and I hope I’m a “resilient” one. I’m also gay ... and have got pissed off enough with one gay friend or another in town to use the word faggot myself. Ummm, maybe Isaiah was angry about something? I expect that would bring me a whole lot of damnation for being “self-loathing”, but luckily I’m far enough out in the wilds that I won’t be able to hear it.
By Matt Elmore, January 25, 2007 at 6:36 am # Whatever happened to the stoic American? Why is it necessary to react at mere words as if they somehow can cause mortal wounds? Sadly, the resilient cowboy is dead and to the whole world we look like a bunch of whining wimps. http://intimationsofubiquity.blogspot.com/2007/01/soci ety-whos-faggot-now.html
By Christopher Robin, January 25, 2007 at 6:26 am # I have not seen Mr.Washington’s earlier portrayals.
By MFG, January 25, 2007 at 3:10 am # Why are people so scared of the GLBT community? They should be far more scared of the GWB’s of the world than people who love those of the same sex as themselves, or both, or live in a different skin, but are always themselves. To tell the truth, I have always been able to count on the GLBT community to be there for me when I needed someone to talk to. These people listen and they never preach. Add Your Comment |
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