Critic's Notebook: Brooke Smith's firing is bad for 'Grey's Anatomy,' and the world

The recent firing of Brooke Smith from "Grey's Anatomy" is a grim reminder that certain prejudices are still ascendant in television, that time-honored rules continue to apply, often to the detriment of actual drama. In fact, when Smith got those first fateful pages sending her character, Dr. Erica Hahn, into the arms of Dr. Callie Torres (Sara Ramirez), she should have made darn sure it was just a single drunken interlude, or an ongoing but unconsummated girl crush. Because most gay characters are allowed to have sex on network television only if they are part of a single-episode story line, and all actively sexual lesbian characters must be sylphlike, gorgeous and preferably under 30. For obvious and irritating reasons.

Yes, complaints that the Erica-Callie romance took a graphic and ghastly turn midmonth, with far too much discussion about the mysteries of the female genitalia, were excruiatingly valid, but how is that Smith's fault? She didn't write all that "south of the border" nonsense. And that was a single-episode problem, easily resolved and much more quickly forgotten than Meredith's drowning or the George and Izzie debacle.

No, I suspect what irked whoever made the call (and Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello said that it was the network's decision, not the show's creator, Shonda Rhimes) is precisely what made the Erica/Callie relationship worth talking about. Not that they were both women -- good heavens, how dull -- but that they were, how shall we say, average size. With hips, you know, and actual breasts. Not two girly waifs exchanging a stolen kiss or a grope in the women's room stall over a line of coke, not an androgynous club kid putting her best moves on some sitcom heroine. But two women of substance, physically and psychologically, falling in love and talking about it way too much, the way women tend to do.

As Dr. Mark Sloan (Eric Dane) might say: "Girl on girl is hot. Woman on woman? Just a downer."

Smith probably got the boot not because her character wasn't interesting enough or sympathetic enough but because she, especially when paired with Ramirez, just didn't fit the visual template of "Grey's" or indeed, of most of network television. She is a character actress, not a tabloid star.

In other words, and they are words I deeply regret, Ramirez, with all her lipglossed lusciousness, may be beautiful enough to be bi, but Smith is not beautiful enough to be gay. At least not on network TV.

Some ground, it would appear, is too calcified to be broken.

-- Mary McNamara

Comments

[julia]

I think the chemistry between the characters Callie and Erica were just wonderful and, honestly, I just started watching GA for this particular storyline. Now that the storyline will be eliminated I'm not interested in the show anymore. ABC is ridiculous.

[Kristin]

That's it for me ABC. Which really annoys me, since I loved this show! I have probably watched every episode, but this is just not right. I expected this from FOX, not ABC. Guess it turns out the republican network aren't that bad in visibility compared to the 'so called friendlier' networks anyway. Hope GLAAD kicks every ABC character off their awards ceremony.

Ridiculous. After being so hung up on Isaiah being a homophobe, the network is 10 times worse than he ever was. ABC can walk straight back into the stone age, with their clubs and ancient mindsets!

[Jana]

I really can't believe this. What a HUGE step backwards. Really, who cares about Meredith and Derek anymore? Meredith has intimacy issues, Derek does something to aggravate them, they realize they care enough about each other to keep working at it. Wash, rinse, repeat. Throw in a drowning for fun. Callie and Erica were a thousand times more exciting than those two. Brooke Smith is a fantastic actress and I'm confident she'll land on her feet. Preferably somewhere a little less homophobic.

[Jas]

Shame on ABC.....
How can they call it an end all of a sudden? They are handling the whole stuff in a truly horrible manner, not to mention the hypocritical claim made by Shonda

[Lekili]

Just another case of stupid behind the scenes meeting of the minds. The two characters on this show had chemistry when they were alone. Both were coming to grips with their sexuality and that is something done in private. The producers and writers more than likely gave into pressure from outside sources to end this story line. In doing so you just lost a viewer.

[Pearce]

Disgusting.

Firing an actress who dares to play a decent role?! (Brooke Smith, Rebecca Romijn) Re-writing Melissa George?

Last season I didn't bother to watch Grey's because it fell from entertaining to nightly soap trash. Today's news however eliminated all other ABC shows as well ... wait, are there any?

[antiorario]

Actually Rebecca Romijn wasn't fired from Ugly Betty. On the one hand, her pregnancy was becoming too visible for her to keep playing a transsexual (makes sense, no?), and on the other hand the actress herself wasn't too happy with the way her character was being developed. Romijn hasn't left the show for good, but she'll be back as guest star in the future.

[German Engineering]

I disagree. Callie and Hahn were put together for ratings and controversy totally against Calle's character. Her marriage with George ended because he was paired with Icky (another mistake) not because she was bisexual or lesbian. I will say this however, the fact that McSteamy and Callie did not get any real sex scenes to me was indicative of Callie be full figured which did annoy me. This lesbian crap was forced and she have gotten axed. Hahn, as well said when she first started to McSteamy that she was "too much woman for him" which to me says she should have been paired with him. How cool would it have been to see Hahn act out a "Two Can Play That Game" type scenario with McSteam? Totally. Meanwhile, they are adding a new bisexual intern chick.

[Ann]

I don't get it. Why did they have to fire the actress? I liked her and she was believable as a heart surgeon.

If it's a homophobia issue, why didn't they just have her and Callie break up?

[Simmard]

I stopped watching the show when they ended Gizzie, the best couple on the show, and a couple who has many fans despite your stupid comment on them above4, to please the shallow losers who didn't think George was hot enough for Izzie. If Shonda ended a couple like Gizzie who had a huge fanbase tyo please people like you and haters, are you that surprised she would do it again this time with a lesbian couple? You can't hve it both ways. You demanded she drop Gizzie to please a few people ignoring all their fans but now get mad whe n it is a stroy you love she drops. How about hypocrit?

[Rick]

See ya ABC. When you decide to arrive in the 21st century I might consider you again.

[chixmix]

I don't think her firing was motivated by the fact that she wasn't a beautiful enough lipstick lesbian. GA is all about extraneous characters flitting through the story lines. When a character is compelling enough, he/she gets to stay for a bit. Erica was just too one-dimensional and boring to stay on the show. I mean, she's a hard-ass tough as nails surgeon, but she's so not likeable. Even throwing her in a lesbian story line didn't make her likeable, and there was zero chemistry w/ Ramirez. I didn't look forward to her scenes and could care less as to what happens to her character. I wish Brooke Smith all the best, she's a fab actress. It's not her fault that writers where graspng at straws and wrote lame story lines for her character.

[Catherine]

So much for a civilized society. So much for 2008. So much for lesbian visibilty and equality of representation. Brooke Smith was and remains a fantastic addition to Grey's and delivered one of tv's most heartbreakingly honest, moving, substantial and outstanding coming out speeches that has ever been written. I am lesbian and I experienced one of my most momentous experiences to date watching the Callica storyline develop. I know that everyday for the rest of my life I will experience difference and distrust because of who I happen to love. What a load of rubbish, one of the things that helps elevate people's knowlegde and enlighten the world that, actually, gay people are the same as everybody else and deserve to be treated with dignity and respect is to be represented as such. Shonda Rhimes may have to spin sugar-coated words to mollify a justly angry group of people, but she - and anyone with half a brain can see what this amounts to.

WE ARE INVISIBLE IN 'NORMAL' SOCIETY, WE DO NOT COUNT, WE SHOULD NOT BE REPRESENTED AND WE SHOULD NOT COMMUNICATE OUR NEEDS AND HUMAN RIGHTS.

[Liz]

Too bad. I liked Grey's Anatomy. I liked Dr. Burke, but supported his exit from the cast list. In fact, it made me support the show more becuase they were showing support for ending hate speech. I guess this is the end of me and my Thursday's with ABC. Maybe if they figure out that all women are beautiful, not just the waifs, I'll back :)

[In Brooklyn]

What is GLAAD going to do about it?

They were in bed with ABC on this....

[Mia]

Good thing we are all getting bent out of shape about average size lesbians instead of how they stabbed pigs (fake ones) on the same show.
So, class lets remember, violence against animals GOOD, two adults falling in love BAD

[Art Marriott, Seattle]

What the heck did you expect from the network that brought you "The Path To 9/11"?

[Claire UK]

I completely agree it's an absolute abomination that Brooke was fired! She is such a good actress and i personally loved Erica as a character. She was different, yes, but that's what was so refreshing about her! And Brooke played her to a tee, she's a fantastic actress and anyone who says otherwise should watch Erica's "glasses" moment in last week's episode! THAT is acting!!

This firing and sudden back-peddling is senseless, it's outdated and it's unjust!

I hope whoever was behind this decision has a good few sleepless nights thinking about what they've done, it's just wrong!!!

[Gregory]

I doubt this was anything to do with a lesbian theme and probably more to do with the bad dailies of the actresses. It might have been two gay men ( which maybe would help the show ) or another straight couple. In these days the industry is probably not going to be concerned with gay/straight issues. For gods sake Ellen is a top star and openly gay.. so my point is that this was just an exercise in the network reading the numbers and seeing that the scenes with he gals did not sell. This being said...if it comes out that there is an anti gay bias in some network executives office he / she should pay the consequences and not be allowed to exercise any more scene changes. But it is probably all about economics.. sorry to dampen all of the conspiracy theorists that are reading or adding to this post

[Dora Glasberg]

Maybe the actress had wanted out.
Although being a regular on a TV series is pretty heady and steady work.
Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm