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"Grey's Anatomy" Fires Brooke Smith, De-Gays Melissa George's CharacterIn a Q&A with Ausiello, Smith shared her surprise at her character’s shocking exit: “I was floored when they told me [I was being let go]. It was the last thing I expected. In fact, when they told me I asked, ‘When is this happening?’ And they said, ‘The [next episode] is your last,’ which is the one that airs this Thursday. So it was very sudden.”
Smith said she learned about the network’s decision in mid-September, following the filming of Erica’s touching realization after her first time sleeping with Callie. Her speech, which aired in last week’s episode, poignantly related the lightbulb moment of her sexuality with the first time she put on glasses.
Smith revealed that her character won’t be written out, but rather just drives away. Smith told Ausiello, “My final scene is just me heading to my car. I honestly don't know what happens in the next episode. I heard not much.” Her departure coincides with the arrival of Battlestar Galactica alum Mary McDonnell’s new cardiac doctor next week. Smith, who just moved her family to Los Angeles to be closer to her work on Grey’s, said Rhimes was upset about having to deliver the news and Ramirez was similarly shocked by the decision. Sadly the wholesale dumping of lesbian storylines is nothing new to queer TV fans. In 2005, the once-promising relationship between Mischa Barton’s Marissa and Olivia Wilde’s Alex on The O.C. ended in a jarring, jealous rage that was completely out of character. In 2003, the lesbianism/bisexuality of Alan’s ex-wife, Judith (Marin Hinkle), on Two and a Half Men was dropped unceremoniously and without explanation by its second season. Of course, the landmark example of the disappearance of lesbian storylines was Ellen DeGeneres’ former ABC show, Ellen. After its historic coming-out episode in 1997, the show strained under the network grew increasingly uncomfortable with its openness about her sexuality. The series was cancelled shortly after in 1998. Grey’s viewers and fans of Erica and Callie (Callica) will no doubt be upset about Smith’s abrupt dismissal. The slow build-up to the doctors' burgeoning relationship had been, for the most part, refreshingly cliché free, and Smith said she was "psyched" that her character was exploring her sexuality in a July interview with AfterEllen.com.
While Callie had fleeting moments of gay panic where she slept with friend and fellow surgeon Mark Sloan (Eric Dane), the interaction between the two women was both organic and romantic. Callie and Erica's relationship stood out as one of the few bright spots for lesbian and bisexual characters on primetime TV. Now it seems all we’re left with is taillights. UPDATE: Shonda Rhimes has issued the following statement:
Have an opinion about this? Let ABC know here. RELATED AFTERELLEN.COM ARTICLES: |
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And don't forget Melissa George's character
According to this E! Online article Melissa George's character is no longer bi/lesbian.
http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/watch_with_kristin/b66996_greys_degayed_...
Wow. How chickenshit. Just wow.
Let them know you how feel!
The direct email address to contact abc is abc.audience.relations@abc.com.
What about Brooke's?
Damn it, I'm so upset about this I can't even form a coherent post! I e-mailed ABC, though.
I wanted to ask, does anyone have a contact address for Brooke? I REALLY wanna write to support her. We protect our own (grrrr) even if you only played one on tv!
Who you gonna be if you can't be yourself,
you can't get it from t.v., you can't force it on
anybody else.-- Ani Difranco
YES!
Yes! I also want to show my support by writing her!
I am SO mad right now. I don't know what to do.
me three!
Me too. Support Brooke
Those assholes!
Off with their homophobic heads
ok, nevermind..
had a moment of slight silliness...the email addy works...thank you thank you :-)
www.myspace.com/wickedanomaly
www.allfuqdup.blogspot.com
Thanks, I emailed them
BOX of LEAVES
sending ABC a BOX of LEAVES...
awesome idea!
i couldnt even put into words how disappointed i am at ABC.
ABC, go fuck yourself!
sad and disappointed
I think the storyline
I think the storyline between Callie and Erica was complicated, smart, and thoughtfully portrayed. There was so much that the writers got right. This was especially refereshing because writers and executives get so much wrong. For instance, Dr. Bailey's analogy of the vagina to "the dark continent" and all of her references to dis-ease (personal syringes, shots) and the whole "undiscovered terriotory" allusions link lesbian-type sex to disease, Africa, and black bodies. The linkage was very disturbing and degrading to lesbians, people of African descent, and those who may be infected with sexually transmitted diseases. But, I digress ... it's a shame that Smith got axed. And, what's even more disturbing about her dismissal from the show, is the way that it was done. I mean c'mon. Doesn't the woman have a famiy? And, what about the loyal fans?!
After watching the show last week, I wondered, How Callie and Erica's relationship would end? Of course, I knew the relationship wouldn't, or should I say, couldn't last. I thought it was going to be some psychodrama break-up. I was more prepared for that. I did not see this coming.
I'm kinda angry at Grey's and ABC. U think if we make enough noise, we can change things! Isn't the gay community one of the most economically powerful communities in the country?!
How bout e-mailing all
This Sucks!
NO! No. How can this
NO! No. How can this happen? I thought the production of an episode took place weeks before it was screened - how can they change the entire season? This is ridiculous. I'm so unbelievably angry.
Why don't they just go the whole hog and start issuing statements about how we don't exist? It's clearly what they're aiming for. How completelyunbelievably effing ridiculous.
Suckered In
I was suckered in because I read interviews saying how the relationship would be developed. I am beyond pissed off about this. It's just wrong. I have already let ABC know my opinion and plan to continue to let them know. MF'ers.
I do hope the cast at least speaks out with their opinions about the matter. Whatever they may be. After thurs.. it's off the DVR as is Ugly Betty. The only ABC shows I watched.
Shonda Rhimes comments on the situation
"Shonda Rhimes has just released the following statement in response to this story: "Brooke Smith was obviously not fired for playing a lesbian. Clearly it's not an issue as we have a lesbian character on the show – Calliope Torres. Sara Ramirez is an incredible comedic and dramatic actress and we wanted to be able to play up her magic. Unfortunately, we did not find that the magic and chemistry with Brooke's character would sustain in the long run. The impact of the Callie/Erica relationship will be felt and played out in a story for Callie. I believe it belittles the relationship to simply replace Erica with "another lesbian." If you'll remember, Cristina mourned the loss of Burke for a full season.""
This makes no sense whatsoever. 'The magic and chemistry with Brooke's character'? Erica was so smitten with Callie and Brooke played that so well, so how can they blame this on 'the magic and chemistry'? If anything, the writing for Callie was bad. Callie was the one who wasn't all in. How can anyone tell me that the 'leaves, you are my glasses' monologue wasn't pure magic? I think this is pure and utter bullsh*t. Callie isn't gay, remember, she's an all forest girl and besides, her magic? What magic? All Callie did since the season premiere was freak out. That's not magic, that's just freaking out. If you feel like the 'magic' isn't working out then change the f*cking script! Besides, with whom is Callie going to be gay? Certainly not with Mark, because that would make Erica an experiment. If they are planning on having Callie recover from Erica just walking away then this would be an EXACT copy of the Cristina/Burke storyline which would be just really, really LAME. I am so angry right now... This whole thing is so disappointing and I wonder why they would throw bread crumbs at us and then just take it away from us again, probably with no real ending.
http://babydyke.blogspot.com/ - my take on all things lesbian
Yes Callica had no chemistry...
and pigs can fly, Grey's Anatomy really is a good show, and Shonda Rhimes isn't full of shit. Guess which one of these is true...I'll give you a hint the answer is E, none of the above. I appreciate that Shonda has to do damage control but if she thinks we're buying it I've got news for her. Let's see here, who should we believe, the talented actress who got fired and told us the truth or the minion underneath the bigoted execs who fired the talented actress? Wow, that's a tough one...let me sit on that for a while.
And I happen to agree with you Nelfy. If the story has gone no where fast, it's because of the writing not the actresses. I said that on YouTube not more then 30 minutes ago.
Now Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't ABC one of those stations suffering from budget cut backs for all their soaps? Also, correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't they bring Eden (Bianca) back to AMC because Alicia (Kendall) is going to be absent for two months on her honeymoon and they needed someone to keep the show interesting? Wait wait isn't Bianca *gasp* the lesbian character! Not to mention isn't this the same station that couldn't manage to keep a majority of their new shows a float last year...including Private Practice which went through a dramatic re-write just to stay alive? I never heard any of their failures blamed on poor chemistry. And don't even get me started on their longer running shows. If you ask me, ABC should be firing their writers not talent.
I agree with you
I so agree with what you say - the way that Erica looked at Callie made me believe in their magic. When Callie slept with Sloan TWICE in one day, I was terribly disappointed in her. Seriously, if the writers felt that they were having a hard time writing for Erica, what does that show about their talent? Katherine Heigl even turned down her nomination for (was it an Oscar? an Emmy? I didn't pay too much attention) because she didn't think the writing warranted a nomination for her. HEY ABC! GET NEW WRITERS!!
This is such a shock, I'll never watch Grey's again.
Shonda Rhimes' damage control
... not buying it.
Brooke Smith and Sara Ramirez, they're awesome.and Brooke's performance in episode 6 was just wow.
ABC, you're a waste. go fuck yourself!
LAME
just heard about this...
ARGH!
I am SO. PISSED. OFF!!
I had to finally create an account just so that I can comment on this BS. This just makes Callie's endless episodes devoted to gay panic ALL THE MORE AGGRAVATING because now there isn't even anywhere to go from there! I am SO PISSED that networks will cut out and totally eff up a storyline before it even makes any sense yet. If they had given me the Callie/Erica of last season, then I would be looking upon this now with less bitterness but I simply cannot believe that they would ruin my night like this. I am trying to write a paper, now I am severely distracted.
And I LOVE BROOKE! How can you not love Brooke? It's not her fault they kept writing her as a total bitch to all the other characters-- where they had callie going one step forward, two steps back with her relationship with Erica, they had Erica going one step forward, two steps back in terms of her likeability! WHY, GOD, WHY.
TOO PISSED TO FUNCTION.
I had such high hopes for this and look how abruptly it is going to end!!!!!!!!
So upsetting. I can't even
So upsetting. I can't even deal with this. I've already written to ABC and Ellen and plan on writing to Brooke
WHAT!?
me too
what the hell! this is just
what the hell! this is just ridiculous.. that's all ive got to say. RIDICULOUS!
This is crazy
Wow...
that's horseshit!
Anyone for a boycott?
Sarah Warn I love you with all my heart and soul, but I hope to God you will not make your writers suffer through Grey's after this! We all know that Callie will be going back to men after this and I'm certain we will never see a bisexual Janina on the show. This is absolutely ridiculous. You know what, I'm moving to Europe so I can be closer to gay marriage and queer characters on television. I guess we know what ABC stands for, A Bigoted Company.
Boycott!
I agree. I was really
I agree. I was really looking forward to seeing Melissa George on TV again, not to mention Mary McDonnel(wich would have helped with my battlestar withdrawl). But I can't watch if they are going to just drop Erica like that.
I think what bothers me the most is that it sounds like she doesn't get an actual ending. She just is there for one episode and gone the next.
And in all fairness to Shonda, droping both Erica (from the show) and Melissa George's character's bisexuality at the same time makes it pretty obvious that the lesbian storyline had something to do with this. Otherwise, just leave the new character alone.
Don't shoot! I'm a friendly! We're all friendly! So lets just be... friendly!-Starbuck (Battlestar Galactica)
Boycott
I agree. I loved Grey's and the inclusion of the lesbian story line made me love it more. But now I'm completely pissed. Im not gonna watch it now, all it is basically is a bunch of ross and rachels, ie the will they get together or wont they, interrupted by the occasional medical emergency. Case and point with Meredith and Derek, Alex and Izzie, and the newest one George and Lexi. Whats the point anymore? Callica was the only thing that it had going this year and the prospect of a new bisexual character. Plus no ending for Erica? Screw that! Boycotting it now
There is a rumor going
There is a rumor going around that Sara Ramirez was also let go.
wat?!
Yeah, you can't swing a cat
Yeah, you can't swing a cat without hitting a gay character on NBC...
That's just.....completely
BOYCOTT!
SECONDED.
after all that noise about kicking mr. faggot washington off the show, what the hell is this? they made such a huge deal about getting a lesbian storyline into the show, doing it well, and doing it authentically... and then they decide to throw it in the trash anyway? Do the idiots not realize what kind of message this sends???
WTF.
I don't care whose fault it is; I'm done with this show. They've had more than enough chances to score points with the queers and they've fucked it up every time. No more chances k.
omg I totally forgot about
BOYCOTT
You read my mind. We should definitely write ABC and express our sentiments towards this ridiculousness. Someone in a post above left ABC´s email address.
Pro-Callica Campaign
I think that this whole situation is so outrageous that we should let ABC know how we feel. We should start a campaign pro-Callica. We gotta show our support, Brooke Smith deserves it, Sara Ramírez deserves it.
I suggest sending letters with leafs, let them know we've seen them too and that we cannot let go. Remember what happened when "Jericho" was cancelled? Fans from all over the world sent tons and tons of peanuts to CBS to show how badly they wanted the show to go on. Guess what happened: They did an entire second season.
I'm pretty sure we won't get Brooke back but at least we could get a decent ending for the Callica story. The least they could do is give Brooke Smith and Sara Ramírez an ending worthy of their talent.
Let me know what you think.
Let's do it!
I think this is a great idea, sending the letters with leafs! I sent an e-mail to ABC but that just does not feel like enough. I'm so outraged and disappointed that I need to do more. Any idea where we send this?
We can send the letters to
We can send the letters to ABC's Audience Relations Department. This is the address they provide in their web:
ABC, Inc.
500 S. Buena Vista Street
Burbank, CA 91521-4551
I'm certainly going to send them a letter (maybe even a box full os leaves hehe).
count on me
for sure!! If they get letters or boxes with leaves they will get the message... and as you say, maybe we cannot get Brooke back.. but at least they will know how we feel about this terrible decission
GO LEAVES GO!!
(if Jericho fans made it.. why can´t we?? :) )
Leaves
Definitely hit them in their wallets
Don't just stop watching Grey's Anatomy. Stop buying the products or services of the homophobic advertisers that buy ad time on that show. The companies that advertise on these shows are the ones who dictate the storylines. Buy from lesbian or gay-owned companies whenever possible. HRC has a list of pro-gay or gay-friendly businesses on their website. Until Big Business gets a kick in the wallet, they're not going to give a fig what we think.
http://www.ComeTogetherGiftBaskets.com
I'm pissed !!
This is just great....I don't know what's more insulting; that she got fired or that they didn't pull a kerry weaver stunt and just de-gayed her for the rest of the series. And they do this just when prop 8 is on the table. I feel like I just got slapped in the face with another discriminatory action. And I do believe that she was fired due to the character being gay, because her character is great and adds so much to the series. Why do we only get to be happy about a series when it's all hypothetical character development, and then they take it away from us when they get cold feet. It's disgraceful. On the good note, it's one of those things in life that makes me wanna stand up proud and say "i'm gay and I do not tolerate this".
yeah
same here , this just makes us stronger ..