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Patrick Dempsey and the rest of the ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ clan are back on set filming, and McDreamy has noticed something new in the air.
 “It’s a lot lighter, people are having more fun. The energy and the adjustments make a big difference,” he says, referring to the departure of Isaiah Washington after an on-set altercation between the stars last season.
Yep, sorry Isaiah Washington. No one is on your side.
Source: “Patrick Dempsey: Mood Is ‘A Lot Lighter’ on Grey’s Set” [People]
Image courtesy of Picture Perfect, for use on Gone Hollywood
It was Labor Day weekend, and we know what that means … another Jerry Lewis Telethon! And this year, Jerry Lewis decided to make it extra special and, after 18 hours of fundraising, called someone an “illiterate faggot”.
The telethon raised a record $63 million for muscular dystrophy despite the slur.
Check out the video here
What others are saying:
- Best Week Ever says, “That didn’t stop the telethon from raising a record $63 million after enormous last-minute contributions from Isaiah Washington, Ozzie Guillen, and Mel Gibson.”
- dlisted says, “Put this old, grouchy bitch in a home already! First, Jerry Lewis said that Merv Griffin “deserved” to die and now this?!”
Source: “Jerry Lewis Drops F-Bomb During Telethon” [TMZ]
Image courtesy of Picture Perfect, for use on Gone Hollywood
 No really, Isaiah Washington is still talking about the ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ drama. He dropped the f-bomb way back in October, when he tried to save face for a few weeks, and he got fired on June 7 or thereabouts - that’s three weeks ago, and he won’t shut up. First, he told E! that he was “mad as hell”. Then, last week, he told the Houston Chronicle that they fired the wrong guy and blamed T.R. Knight for the entire episode (no, Isaiah, no one but you used homophobic slurs).
Now, Isaiah is throwing race into the mix in an interview with Newsweek on the set of the upcoming indie flick ‘The Least of These’.
On how the f-bomb slipped:
“Patrick and I had a philosophical disagreement that got out of hand and that I regret a great deal. I said a lot of negative things that were never reported, but there was one word that caught everyone’s attention, particularly someone who wasn’t even in the room with us…someone heard the booming voice of a black man and got really scared and that was the beginning of the end for me.”
On the existing prejudice on set:
“Well, it didn’t help me on the set that I was a black man who wasn’t a mush-mouth Negro walking around with his head in his hands all the time. I didn’t speak like I’d just left the plantation and that can be a problem for people sometime. I had a person in human resources tell me after this thing played out that ’some people’ were afraid of me around the studio. I asked her why, because I’m a 6-foot-1, black man with dark skin and who doesn’t go around saying ‘Yessah, massa sir’ and ‘No sir, massa’ to everyone?”
On the lessons learned:
“My mistake was believing that I would get the support from my network and all of my cast mates across the board. My mistake was believing I could correct a wrong with honesty and sincerity. My mistake was thinking black people get second chances. I was wrong on all fronts.”
He goes on to say that he probably used that word because he’s from the South, and that it says a lot about the U.S. when a black man can’t get forgiveness.
I have an idea, Isaiah. Just stop talking. Trust me, people will like you more - you just keep digging deeper and deeper.
What others are saying:
- A Socialite’s Life says, “I don’t know if Isaiah was truly the subject of racial discrimination, but for someone just trying to do his job, as he says he was, he sure does have a lot of anecdotes that involve him losing his temper with co-workers.”
- dlisted says, “I can’t take it anymore. I’m going to go cut off my ears now. Click here to read the entire article, but please don’t. Unless you like the taste of bullshit.”
Source: Us Weekly
Now, here’s a headline you weren’t expecting: GAYS WANT AXED ISAIAH BACK. Page 6 has it, though.
ISAIAH Washington is getting some unexpected support in his bid to return to "Grey's Anatomy" - a petition drive spearheaded by a prominent lesbian and gay activist who insists he shouldn't have been axed for his homophobic remarks against co-star T.R. Knight.
Jasmyne Cannick, who worked with Washington on the Pan African Arts Festival, said she's infuriated ABC booted Washington from the show's upcoming fourth season for calling Knight a "faggot" during a scuffle on the set and believes it smacks of racism. So she's launched a petition - which had 1,233 signatures as of last night - to get the actor his job back.
The petition says Washington's firing "further adds to a disturbing new trend at ABC wherein  minority actors have been dismissed at an alarming rate over the past two years. Blacks, including . . . Star Jones ('The View'), Harold Perrineau ('Lost'), Alfre Woodard, Mehcad Brooks and Page Kennedy ('Desperate Housewives') have been let go . . . One must ask themselves, what is going on? . . . While we don't approve of [Washington's] use of the F-word at the Golden Globes, Washington has since apologized and gone on to perform community service by way of a public service announcement for the very organizations that have been orchestrating his dismissal. But it seems it wasn't enough."
The actor came under fire last fall after getting into an altercation with Patrick Dempsey, during which he slurred Knight. He later repeated the word at the Golden Globes. Washington later apologized, checked into rehab and met with gay leaders.
Cannick told us: "Isaiah has done more for the gay and lesbian community than T.R. Knight did in or out of the closet. He did what they asked him to do, and now they want to make sure he will never work again. At what point is enough enough?"
A rep for Washington denied the actor was behind the petition but added, "We appreciate [Cannick's] support."
Last week, Washington, 43, said he was "mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore" regarding his dismissal. "I did everything that the producers and the network asked me to do," he told Entertainment Weekly.
Washington’s actions certainly don’t merit his firing from the show in and of themselves. Now, if he has become such a pariah among his castmates that they are having trouble producing the show, that’s a different issue. But you’d think they’d have known that before forcing him to undergo the humiliation of counseling for something that isn’t a disease.
Aside from the politics, Washington’s character is arguably the most interesting on the show. Frankly, I find not only Knight’s character (the wussified George) but Ellen Pompeo’s title character (Meredith Grey) much less compelling than that of Preston Burke. It’d be a shame to lose him from the cast.
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In an ironic twist, “Grey’s Anatomy” has won an award for its positive portrayal of homosexuals.
“Grey’s Anatomy,” the ABC hit show whose lead actor was criticized for using an anti-gay slur, was awarded outstanding individual episode Saturday by an organization that monitors depictions of gays and lesbians in the media. The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation awarded “Grey’s Anatomy” for the episode “Where the Boys Are.”
The show got unwanted attention last year when actor Isaiah Washington used a slur to talk about a castmate in an on-set dustup. He later apologized and sought counseling.
“Little Miss Sunshine” won outstanding film in the wide release category, while “Ugly Betty” won for outstanding television comedy series and “Brothers & Sisters” took home the outstanding drama series award.
La Opinion newspaper was awarded outstanding Spanish-language newspaper for overall coverage. The Vanguard Award went to actress Jennifer Aniston for her efforts to increase visibility and understanding of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. Tennis great Martina Navratilova was given the Stephen F. Kolzak Award, in honor of the late casting director who fought homophobia in the entertainment industry.
The 18th annual GLAAD Media Awards — consisting of 42 categories — are split into four ceremonies, held in Los Angeles, New York, Miami and San Francisco in March, April and May. The awards “recognize and honor mainstream media for their fair, accurate and inclusive representations of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender … community and the issues that affect their lives.”
Here’s a synopsis of “Where the Boys Are” from ABC’s official Episode Guide:
Derek decides to go camping, so he invites Burke and somehow all the men of Seattle Grace, except for Mark, tag along. When Richard doesn’t have a tent to camp in, he asks Joe and his friend Walter, if he can sleep in their tent but the realizes that Joe and Walter are a couple.
While fishing, Joe tells Richard they’re thinking about having children and Richard says he and Adele never did because she didn’t want raise them alone since he was always at the hospital Joe says Walter says the same thing, since he’s always at the bar, but that he’ll do whatever it takes to keep Walter.
Walter (Jack Yang) and Joe (Steven W. Bailey) are pictured above. It was actually a pretty good episode. I wonder, though, whether the Isaiah Washington controversy wasn’t a major reason for selecting it. Certainly, there are no shortage of positive portrayals of gays, hermaphrodites, and even transgenders on television these days.
If you were worrying that your favorite “Grey’s Anatomy” stars weren’t making enough money, you can now rest easy.
“Grey’s Anatomy” star Ellen Pompeo has closed a new deal for her services on the hit ABC medical drama. Original cast members James T. Pickens Jr. and Chandra Wilson also have agreed to new contracts, with Justin Chambers and T.R. Knight close to new pacts to continue on the Golden Globe-winning series.
Under the new deals, all actors will receive salary bumps. Pompeo now will be at nearly $200,000 per episode, while Pickens, Wilson, Chambers and Knight will be paid about $125,000 per episode, sources said. (A season consists of about two-dozen episodes.) It is understood that the new terms are retroactive, going back to the first episode of this season.
The contract status for “Gray” co-star Isaiah Washington was not clear. It has been rumored that he might continue on the show without a raise in light of the recent controversy surrounding his use of a homophobic slur, but his communication with the show’s producer, ABC TV Studio, has been kept under wraps. Representatives for the studio and for the actors declined comment Thursday.
Yet to close new deals are Patrick Dempsey, Sandra Oh and Katherine Heigl. Details on Heigl’s stalled contract renegotiations were leaked to the media late last month, which triggered a statement on the matter from ABC TV Studio. “Fortunately, we have a long-term contract to ensure she’ll be with the show for several years to come,” the statement said. “In recognition of her tremendous talent and value to the show, we recently approached Katherine with an offer to raise her compensation significantly above the terms of her current contract.”
All cast members on “Grey’s Anatomy” are under long-term (reportedly seven-year) deals with the studio. It has become customary for the original casts of hit shows to renegotiate their contracts and receive raises after two seasons. Since “Grey’s” debuted as a midseason replacement in March 2005, the renegotiations were held now when the show marks two full seasons on the air as opposed to the more common between-seasons period in the summer and fall.
It’s actually interesting that the whole cast was locked in to such long-term deals. It seems reasonable enough, though, for them to get pay raises if the show is incredibly popular.
T.R. Knight is so upset over how the “faggot” controversy has been handled that he’s ready to quit “Grey’s Anatomy,” reports Jeannette Walls.
Is T.R. Knight about to exit “Grey’s Anatomy”?
The actor was the subject of a widely-publicized homophobic slur by a cast mate and he “is so upset about the situation and so disgusted by how it was all handled,” that he’s planning to leave the show, says a source.
“He was told not to say anything about the whole incident,” says the insider, referring to an on-set dust up in October when fellow cast member Isaiah Washington referred to Knight, who plays Dr. George O’Malley, with a derogatory word used to describe gay men.
“He kept his word, but then the whole thing blew up again at the Golden Globes, and when he was asked about it, he basically called Isaiah a liar,” says the source. “He feels that the atmosphere there is so toxic and unhealthy. I suppose things could change and we would stay, but for now, he’s planning to leave the show.”
George is probably my least favorite of the regular characters, so his leaving wouldn’t bother me much. It would be odd, though, if the one that left the show after this mess was the guy who was the victim.
13th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards® Recipients:
Female Actor in a TV Movie or Miniseries
Helen Mirren / ELIZABETH I – Elizabeth I - HBO
Male Actor in a TV Movie or Miniseries
Jeremy Irons / ELIZABETH I – Earl of Leicester - HBO
Female Actor in a Comedy Series
America Ferrera / UGLY BETTY – Betty Suarez - ABC
Male Actor in a Comedy Series
Alec Baldwin / 30 ROCK – Jack Donaghy - NBC
Ensemble in a Comedy Series
THE OFFICE - NBC Leslie David Baker - Stanley Hudson Brian Baumgartner - Kevin Malone Steve Carell - Michael Scott David Denman - Roy Anderson Jenna Fischer - Pam Beesly Kate Flannery - Meredith Palmer Melora Hardin - Jan Levinson Mindy Kaling - Kelly Kapoor Angela Kinsey - Angela Martin John Krasinski - Jim Halpert Paul Lieberstein - Toby Flenderson B.J. Novak - Ryan Howard Oscar Nunez - Oscar Martinez Phyllis Smith - Phyllis Lapin Rainn Wilson - Dwight Schrute
Male Actor in a Supporting Role
Eddie Murphy / DREAMGIRLS – James “Thunder” Early Paramount Pictures
Life Achievement Award
Julie Andrews
Female Actor in a Drama Series
Chandra Wilson / GREY’S ANATOMY – Dr. Miranda Bailey - ABC
Male Actor in a Drama Series
Hugh Laurie / HOUSE – Dr. Gregory House - FOX
Ensemble in a Drama Series
GREY’S ANATOMY - ABC Justin Chambers - Alex Karev Eric Dane - Mark Sloan Patrick Dempsey - Derek Shepherd Katherine Heigl - Isobel “Izzie” Stevens T.R. Knight - George O’Malley Sandra Oh - Cristina Yang James Pickens, Jr. - Richard Webber Ellen Pompeo - Meredith Grey Sara Ramirez - Callie Torres Kate Walsh - Addison Montgomery Shepherd Isaiah Washington - Preston Burke Chandra Wilson - Miranda Bailey
Female Actor in a Supporting Role
Jennifer Hudson / DREAMGIRLS – Effie White - Paramount Pictures
Male Actor in a Leading Role
Forest Whitaker / THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND – Idi Amin - Fox Searchlight Pictures
Female Actor in a Leading Role
Helen Mirren / THE QUEEN – The Queen - Miramax Films
Grey’s Anatomy star Isaiah Washington has issued an apology for using the word “faggot” in the press room during the Golden Globes.
The statement reads:
 “I apologize to T.R., my colleagues, the fans of the show and especially the lesbian and gay community for using a word that is unacceptable in any context or circumstance. By repeating the word Monday night, I marred what should have been a perfect night for everyone who works on Grey’s Anatomy. I can neither defend nor explain my behavior. I can also no longer deny to myself that there are issues I obviously need to examine within my own soul, and I’ve asked for help.
I know the power of words, especially those that demean. I realize that by using one filled with disrespect I have hurt more than T.R. and my colleagues. With one word, I’ve hurt everyone who has struggled for the respect so many of us take for granted. I welcome the chance to meet with leaders of the gay and lesbian community to apologize in person and to talk about what I can do to heal the wounds I’ve opened.
T.R.’s courage throughout this entire episode speaks to his tremendous character. I hold his talent, and T.R. as a person, in high esteem. I know a mere apology will not end this, and I intend to let my future actions prove my sincerity.”
His apology comes after ABC issued a statement saying that they were going to deal with Isaiah using the slur twice in four months. GLAAD also demanded an apology.
Via Dlisted
Eh… I call bullshit. I’m so sick of excuses… less people need to have them!
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