Profiles In Sexy: Isaiah Washington, I Wish I Knew How to Quit You!

*As some have pointed out down thread there are legitimate reasons to hate Isaiah Washington. I realize he can be a horrendous douche. I realize he was fired for repeating a homophobic slur. I am not homophobic, but I have a hard time giving up my fascination with him despite his arrogance and sheer ridiculousness. So I've been between a rock and a hard place on the man for some time. So please realize that a good portion of this column is over-the-top humor (which I am fond of) and is not an endorsement of his douchebaggery. That said. Feel free to air your grievances towards me below and suggestions as to how I can pay penance. So, sorry. Please don't stop loving me! I'm not trying to be a jerk! I think Wesley Snipes is a wife beater but I still enjoy "Blade!" I tend to practice relativism in what art I enjoy even though the art is created by imperfect vessels. I will try harder and thank you for your feedback!

The Great Wall of Sexy

Isaiah Washington, Heaven Called. It Wants Its Sexy Back

Isaiah Washington. Classically trained actor. Martial artist. Sexy mutha fucker.

I won't apologize for my love of Isaiah as an actor/sex object.

Despite famously letting the fag word fly, fragging former "Grey's Anatomy" castmate TR Knight without closet outing shrapnel in the process, I have found it difficult to give up my love of all things Isaiah.

And, yeah. He wouldn't shut up about it. But dude was hurt. Isaiah does not hate the gays. He even shot a PSA for GLAAD in the midst of the whole drama. Isaiah's one fatal flaw is arrogance. He's proud and has good reason to be. He just doesn't know when to shut it up. But he was trying to defend himself, so I don't blame him.

I mean, look at him. LOOK AT HIM! He is the epitome of black masculinity, in its ideal form, in every role he plays. Even the marginal ones. It's difficult to see Isaiah ever being played for a sucker. He's to brilliant to be the rhubarb or the patsy or the thug or the lazy. It's dignity or damn. He's either going to be the hero or the arrogant bastard. There is no in-between. He will not shuffle for you. He will not "play nice." He will not tone back his intensity to convenience your anemic ego.

He is an actor with an emphasis on the ACTING. And on Grey's Anatomy he was, above and beyond, the best dramatic actor on the show. Fuck a Patrick Dempsey (Although I love the hair.) You felt Preston Burke in both his noblest and ass-holiest moments. And he's the second best black actor in Hollywood with the last name Washington. If Hollywood weren't so color phobic of Negroes who refuse to make nice they would beg him to prance about their cameras in all his Shakespearian splendor.

Instead he's shunted, stunted and pushed aside for more "safe" actors. You can't have that kind of intensity walking around reminding people of what a black man could, should and would be if he dared to dream at his highest.

And yeah, I'm dancing along the bridge of hyperbole, but I love Isaiah. I'm not going to apologize for this love affair that has been going on since Spike Lee all the way to Shonda Rhimes. You don't throw a good man away just because he got pissed off at that prissy hair bastard McDreamy and dropped an f-bomb out of anger. And my God, for all the indignation, Isaiah is in acting where 50 percent of everyone is gay and where he has played a gay man ("Get on the Bus"). As homophobic as black people are he chose to play a gay man. (And a gay who could beat the shit out of you, nonetheless.) I'm not saying you can't be a gay hater just because you played one, but I know PLENTY of black actors who can only play gay if it's a gross stereotype/drag queen act, rendering all gays mere sashaying, swishy, prissy caricatures. I don't know the man's heart, but I know the black community. You don't play gay unless you are rock solid in your stones and your self-esteem.