Gay Slur Gets "Grey's" Goof an Image Award

76. JCW - Yes, the title of the awards show is NAACP Image Awards, but Isaiah was given the award for the category for Best Performance by a Male Actor on a TV Drama Series. He was given the award based on his portrayal of a character on a drama. The little boy from Everybody Hates Chris was not given best actor in a comedy based on what he has done for minorities and done as an indvidual. He's only 14. He hasn't lived long enough to do anything. He was given the award based on acting.

The Image Awards presents awards under two main categories. One of those is outstanding achievements and performances in the arts. That's the one Isaiah was in. The other category is outstanding achievement in promoting social justice. He was not given one of those awards. Those awards went to Bill Cosby, Soledad O'Brien, and Bono.

Posted at 8:04PM on Mar 5th 2007 by Sarah

77. once the black community is able to be critical of their own, and stop this adolescent "keepin it real" garbage....then maybe they will be taken seriously. What a group of fools.

Posted at 9:46PM on Mar 5th 2007 by Michael

78. Grow up Michael; your ignorance is showing! There are plenty blacks in the "black community" that are critical of their own. Now you need to "keep it real" and consider writing about a subject that you are an expert on. Your comment shows that YOU are the fool!

Posted at 10:30PM on Mar 5th 2007 by KeepWhatReal?

79. He apologized. Yet you continue to carry stories on Paris without a word.

#15 the white commuinty has a long standing bias against gays. The overwhelming majority of white people vote to keep gays from having any rights. Look in a mirror why aren't you concerned about Paris. Little kids look up to paris. They try to emulate her.

Posted at 10:59PM on Mar 5th 2007 by red hat

80. Sarah,

Point taken regarding categories. Entertainment and Social Justice.

Still and all, it seems to me the entire point of the awards is to lift up Black individuals as examples of the best of their race, To hold them up as examples of what African Americans can achieve despite adverstiy. These were founded when African Americans were'nt routinely selected for the Oscar or the Emmys.

It's about role models - people who have achieved in spite of adversity, in spite of bigotry and predjudice. When you look at the awards through the lense of what they were intended to represent, Mr. Washington was a poor choice to be honored this year.

He's a fine actor - quite possibly a good man - albeit, one with an anger management problem. Nonetheless, Given what the award represents, it gives the impression that the NAACP has no problem with expressed homophobic behaviour in the workplace, or in society at large - and that is unfortunate.

You'll note that Mel Gibson was more or less excluded from this year's Oscars, and rightfully so. It would have done credit to the NAACP to have done the same with Mr. Washington, at least for this year.

Considering what the NAACP stands for, honoring an actor mere months after he uses a homophobic slur towards a coworker makes them look like a bunch of hypocrites.

Posted at 12:07AM on Mar 6th 2007 by JCW

81. Um, no, baby doll I'm not just going to "get over it". This whole issue is becoming a farce. I'm almost expecting Ashton Kutcher to bust out and say, "We've punked society, of course Isaiah is NOT coming back next season, logicly he won't be getting a RAISE for coming back, and Homophobic Anger Rehab dosen't exist." I'm sick of people spouting of "He apoligized" like it means something. He never said a word of regret when he did it, when we found out he did it, or at the awards show. When the world hates you, its easy to say "Oh sorry". But although I think "taking care of their own" is a horrible statement, but where would this situation be if TR had dropped the N-bomb on him. I'll tell ya, the world would stand up for him and TR would be the fryer at Taco Bell. Really an award from the NAACP? Who the f--- was running against him? OJ Simpson and Michael Jackson?

Posted at 1:37AM on Mar 7th 2007 by RantGirl

82. Can someone tell me why there is even an award show that excludes white people? Aren't all races invited to Miss USA, Grammy's, Oscars, Golden Globes, etc.?

Anyway, it's wrong to celebrate any person that is using any kind of racial slur in a public venue. What is wrong with the naacp??

Posted at 2:29AM on Mar 6th 2007 by Feely

83. This Isaiah Washington should have been bounced off the show at the speed of light. This was his SECOND offense. The first was a fist fight he started with Dempsey. Get this loser off television. He's simply nuts.

Posted at 6:59AM on Mar 6th 2007 by deedee

84. The whites are losing their edge, Its like Farrah said African Americans are excelling in Entertainment. Whites are being left out of the loop,Its a black world honey ,get used to it.

Posted at 9:21AM on Mar 6th 2007 by I'm number 1

85. It's comical at this point, after reading all of these ignorant and obscene comments, made by people who claim to be "adults"; to think that anyone has offered a valid position on the issue from any moral standpoint.

You condemn a man for using a derogatory term for homosexuals, that's fine... but then you turn around and use another derogatory term regarding his race? That makes you absolutely no better than him, for those of you who think it does!

Posted at 9:25AM on Mar 6th 2007 by Danielle

86. #35 First of all, I don't defend IW's comments. I think anyone who makes those comments is an ignorant person. However, to say how would it look if a white politician were to join the white caucus is even more ignorant. ANYONE who knows their history knows that many white politicians have had back ties to the KKK (which you coyly chose to not even mention) and even used segregation on their ticket. No shame there, eh? Today, they feel the same way, they just don't come right out and say it. The KKK and the NAACP are no where near the same type of organizations. The KKK has a legacy of violence, death, and horrific acts against blacks. The NAACP doesn't have a history of violence against whites and they don't promote BLACK SUPREMCY as the KKK or SKINHEADS do. They promote equality and fairness, so that the things that happened to blacks in the 50's and 60's WILL not be forgotten and won't be allowed to happen again. If things had been fair for blacks all along, there wouldn't be a need for the NAACP in the first place, and you know it. As far as the Image Awards go, to say that they only honor blacks, well, that's a falacy. If you had watched the show, you'd see that they honored BONO who, last time I checked is white. They also gave image awards to people of other ethnic backgrounds whom have created a positive image either on SCREEN or in LIFE. In IW's case, on screen he plays a medical doctor which IS a positive image and that's important. Nobody says anything about Paris Hilton continuing to grace the cover of every possible magazine in America although she's been exposed as a racist so many times it's crazy. She hasn't apologized and if anyone should be taking sensitivity training or going to "rehab" it ought to be her. Yet she continues to be praised as if she's come kind of goddess...

Let's not get it twisted people, being black isn't the same as being gay, so stop comparing the two. I'm black and I can't hide that (not that I would want to) but gay people don't HAVE to come out, nobody can dislike you if they don't know what you are. You know I'm black no matter what I do. And there are people in this world who don't like me merely because of the color of my skin without even taking the time to get to know me. If I were a gay person, I'd have a choice as to whether or not I'd choose to let people know I'm gay. And if I decided to let people know, I'd also understand that I've chosen at that point to allow myself to be vunerable to criticism, ridicule and bigotry (not saying it's right) but it's true. As a black person, there is no "don't ask, don't tell" policy. You clearly can see what I am, it is what it is. Just food for thought...

Posted at 10:33AM on Mar 6th 2007 by Renee

87. While everyone's getting their tights in a twist, has anyone taken the time to realize that these shows are planned sooo far in advance and that awards may have been decided possibly even before the comments that IW made were even a thought inside his head? Timing was wrong, and I don't think that maybe he should have gotten it, but, he is a fine actor and his image as a doctor on that show is larger than life because it is such a popular show which is why he probably was chosen. Outside of the subject on IW, this awards show was designed to give people of other ethnic backgrounds a chance to celebrate what they consider to be great shows, artists, actors and people. Let's face it, in the mainstream, good sitcoms like Girlfriends and Everybody Hates Chris are overlooked. Friends and Seinfeld were great shows but so were Living Single and Martin, yet mainstream America hardly noticed them. These artists deserve a platform to be told that they are doing a great job and that there is a place for them. Why is it ok to ignore them or to say that it is racist? It isn't...

Posted at 11:12AM on Mar 6th 2007 by Renee

88. #93 White people weren't excluded. There were whites invited some of whom obviously didn't come. However, there were whites in the audience who thought it was important to be there as a show of support and who felt that blacks and others of different ethnic backgrounds should be recognized. AGAIN, BONO who is WHITE was highly recognized for the work that he has done in an effort to combat issues of poverty and equality. At that show, EVERYONE...black, white, hispanic, asian-- were standing in the audience side by side and shoulder to shoulder and applauded as he and others were recognized for their work. People who didn't watch this show or past shows to get a clue as to what it's about and stands for shouldn't even be posting on this blog. Once again, I'm going to explain that the need for THIS particular awards show is there because although some blacks are honored for certain movies, roles, or shows, still the overwhelming majority of the categories and people to be nominated and actually win, are...not black. Many of the most popular shows or movies that are nominated on the mainstream awards shows have huge casts that may only include one black...if at all. And even if there is one, they are in a supporting role which hurts their chances on being noticed in the first place. Why do people act as if they don't really see that black people and people of other ethnic backgrounds are grossly under represented in America? Why must some (not all) whites act as if they feel EVERYTHING should be about them? Hasn't it always been throughout history? And then when it isn't...they throw a fit about it? If white people hadn't made it a policy in the past of excluding anyone who is non-white, there wouldn't be a need to have shows like this in the first place. Now that there is one, people want to complain about it? Too little, too late!

Posted at 11:49AM on Mar 6th 2007 by Renee

89. #93 - As a matter of fact, the NAACP has given awards to white people for their volunteer and charitable work. Now, as far as the acting, music, and literature awards are concerned, only minorities (black, hispanic, asian, etc.) have been given awards. The main reason for this is because as far as acting is concerned, it is difficult for minorities to get recognized for their work. It wasn't until very recently that the Oscars and Golden Globes began to nominate more minorities.

And let's face it, it is still extremely hard for minorities to get leading roles in movies and on television. As far as movies are concerned, you'll still see black men mainly hired for the role of the pimp, felon, abusive husband, or cop (usually crooked cop unless Morgan Freeman is playing the role). If you ever flip through daytime tv, you won't see many non-white faces. If you flip through nighttime tv, you won't see many non-white faces unless you're watching the CW or Telemundo.

Posted at 11:54AM on Mar 6th 2007 by Dina

90. It's funny how no one has responded to the earlier comment about Roman Polanski. That man is a child molester, child rapist, and fugitive; and yet, he's won numerous times at Cannes and the Academy Awards. Why is it okay for him to win awards?

Posted at 3:30PM on Mar 6th 2007 by DJ