Grey's Anatony pimps Isaiah Washington one mo' time

Grey's Anatomy used to be my favorite prime time show.

It was quirky, hip, emotional, fast-paced, and definitely had a diversified cast.

You had a sister in Shonda Rhimes from Chicago that was the creator, and it starred two native Houstonians, Washington and Chandra Wilson.

Then came the drama last season with Isaiah Washington as his reported use of a gay slur on the set during an argument, and later at an awards show, which resulted in his termination from the show.

Grey's figured they could get back to be ABC's highest-rated show, but the show has been like a boat at sea with no compass. What used to flow naturally has turned into utterly dumb story lines, and some of its characters have turned into wretched human beings who now whine and complain all day.

I used to run to catch the show and would shut everything down while watching. Now? I can barely get through an hour without going mad.

But last night I REALLY got ticked off.

The departure of Washington was a mess, so why all of a sudden did his picture pop up last night?

They used his likeness to sort of provide closure to the Christine character he lefct at the altar last season. At the outset they posted him winning a major award on a bulletin board, and from the moment Christine saw it, she had to re-live the whole nightmare again.

It was a cheap way to inject some life into a floundering show that has seen its ratings tank.

If ABC wanted nothing to do with Washington and his Dr. Preston Burke, don't pimp him for a few ratings by making him a central theme of an episode that he wasn't in!

ABC has made no comment why all of a sudden Washington's likeness was used in the show, but Washington wasn't happy, blasting the decision on TMZ.com.

I emailed him last night to see if ABC paid him for using his photo, and he said, "No check."

I guess ABC will do anything for ratings.

Roland S. Martin www.rolandsmartin.com CNN Contributor

Sent from Blackberry

Comments

[hbf]

I haven't watched Grey's Anatomy all season. I loved the series the first two seasons, I felt the writing was awesome and the characters were engaging. Last season, the only storyline that was interesting was Burke and Yang. I really felt Isaiah got a bum deal and decided to protest by not watching this season, and it appears I haven't missed a thing.

[Carolyn]

Roland

I too watched the show, but now I forget it is on. Groups can decide a person future. I believe Isiah's version and one of his friends that is gay came to his aid.

[Regine]

Yea I stopped watching it when they kicked him off...don't pay to be nasty, that's why the show ain't doing good anyway...

[Pamela]

I know...I always made sure that I was available to watch Grey's!

This was my second time watching it this season and it pissed me off to see how they handled that. The show has been lacking something ever since they had to restructure it to exclude the Preston Burke character.

Whiney is right...but also tacky, tacky, tacky!!!

[Songbird, SC]

I was addicted to Grey's beginning with Season 1. Now...not so much. Putting Isaiah's picture on the show for ratings was a page right out of Hillary Clinton's desperation play book.

[Canuck]

I don't care that they used his likeness for ratings. I am still upset that IW's EGO got rid of one of my favourite characters on GA, and sent the storylines into a tailspin as the writers scrambled to write him off the show. I will NEVER EVER watch another tv show, movie, or even commercial that IW is in. He blew his support from this viewer by being a jackarse.

[D'Anne]

Yeah, Roland I was kind of like you initially when it came to Grey's, but when all that Isiah Washington messed went down I said that I would not watch it again.

[Dahlia]

I had hoped they were just putting the picture on there to gauge the reaction from fans and maybe put him back on the show. Also, the two guys kissing up a storm was a total turn off for me. Does every show have to involve some type of gay issue? Can I have just watch one show where it is a man and woman and no gay issues talked about or shown?

[Tee]

I never watched the show and was not going to esp. once they put Washington with the Asisan character. I'm sorry people but I will not watch another show that places a black man with someone other than a black female. In my opinion this sends a bad message to our kids. For one it says that a professional black man can only find love with someone outside of his race, as though there are no professional black females out there. We all know that is not true, but that is what they continue perpetrate. Sadly this time it was done by one of us.

[Markton]

I enjoy this blog faithfully, and will continue to write and comment, but I sense a bit of homophobia in these comments posted.

I think that we should all strive toward trying to be more understanding and inclusive of others (as Senator Obama has shown) and I personally feel that I. Washington was fired because he didn't do so.

I really wish we could get beyond this 'gay issue' in the Black Community. We insult all of our Black Gay Brothers and Sisters when we make comments like these.

[babygirl]

I didn't like how they handled Washington's character. They turned a strong, confident black man into a sissy. When he left Grey's I left Grey's.

[Denise]

To Tee: The world was made with Adam & Eve, not Adam & Steve. That kissing scene was disgusting, they could have made that point without showing all of that! They did that for the ratings, period.

[TopNotch]

Denise: That comment was posted by Dahlia not Tee. Tee commented about never having watched Grey's. (just an fyi)