A beautiful bouquet for Johnny
So Johnny landed safely yesterday or tomorrow or something (there's a thirteen-hour time difference from where I am and I always have trouble with that because I don't live normal hours as it is and then when I realize that I'm writing this at 3:30 p.m. tomorrow where he is it makes me wonder what I'll be doing yesterday which for him is now and then my vertigo kicks in) and was greeted by the amazing Chinese Angels, who brought him those incredible roses as well as a huge banner and some stickers featuring really cool original fan art plus I don't know how many panda partners for Ping, and I think they made him feel just completely loved, which is how we all want him to feel 24/7 no matter what time zone he's in. So yay for China!
The next day (which I don't evan know what/when that is, but I'm assuming it's a day with the word "day" in it), Tara discovered that Starbucks does not open until 10 a.m., which we learned from her forlorn and slightly panicked tweet, but fortunately no international incident resulted from this baffling cultural difference which I'm not sure a lesser woman such as myself would have been able to avoid, and then she kindly twitpic'd this for all of us of her and Johnny at the Forbidden City, which is not, in fact, in Utah:
So I think they're having a good time, and in the meantime back here we are having a good time with Part 3 of the interview done by the incredibly perceptive, sensitive, and articulate Shigesato Itoi, who is now my new favorite person in the universe and who brought tears to my eyes via this exchange:
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| Johnny is surprised to see so many fans waiting for him at the Beijing airport. Photo and explanation courtesy of Melissa Wong. |
Shigesato Itoi: I think you have a strong self, and also a more fragile self. The way that you express your fragile self, or your weakness, seems to be your source of strength. It may sound somewhat contradictory, but your strengths reside within your weakness.
Johnny: I agree. I understand that I’m not perfect. I understand that I have weaknesses. It frustrates me to have weaknesses, but at the same time, I fight everyday to overcome them. I fight to become stronger than my weaknesses. You know, you are the first person to make that observation. ... We are like kindred spirits.
Shigesato Itoi: The fact that I was so moved by your performance, I think, indicates we have something in common.
Wow. Here is someone who has only watched Johnny's show and his Oly performances on TV, who is just now meeting him in person for the very first time--and totally gets him.
Now this is an interview. Thank you, Shigesato Itoi, for validating certain recent perceptions. You are amazing.
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| Close-up of Johnny and Tara at the Forbidden City. |
Johnny: I think it’s wonderful to have people such as Davie Bowie, Andy Warhol, Karl Lagerfeld, or Lady Gaga, just to name a few. Each of them has a very individual style … In English, we would say "balls," but it’s so disrespectful to say that.
Shigesato Itoi: We have a similar expression in Japanese, so it’s okay.
And then at the end of the installment
is this 22-second video clip that is so wonderful that I have to end with it here as well. My favorite part: That they did a freeze-frame for the moment when Johnny discovers they have a Wii:
is this 22-second video clip that is so wonderful that I have to end with it here as well. My favorite part: That they did a freeze-frame for the moment when Johnny discovers they have a Wii:
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Hey! Johnny Is skating in Yu-Na Kim's fabulous show,
All That Skate, in Los Angeles in October!
Everything you need to know about tickets
and special gatherings of The Cabal
is right here!
All That Skate, in Los Angeles in October!
Everything you need to know about tickets
and special gatherings of The Cabal
is right here!
Weirlandians for Life organizer Gary Podschun
notes that we're a little more than one month away
from the Chicago AIDS Walk,
and WE STILL NEED AT LEAST TWO MORE PEOPLE
TO OFFICIALLY FORM A TEAM!
Please visit the group page here for more info.
We hope to see Johnny well-represented by his fans
at the walk on October 2!
Coming soon: More in the series
of translated interviews from the Mook Book
courtesy of the fabulous Akiko Nakata!
copyright 2010 / Binky and the Misfit Mimes / Lynn V. Ingogly / all rights reserved
notes that we're a little more than one month away
from the Chicago AIDS Walk,
and WE STILL NEED AT LEAST TWO MORE PEOPLE
TO OFFICIALLY FORM A TEAM!
Please visit the group page here for more info.
We hope to see Johnny well-represented by his fans
at the walk on October 2!
Coming soon: More in the series
of translated interviews from the Mook Book
courtesy of the fabulous Akiko Nakata!
copyright 2010 / Binky and the Misfit Mimes / Lynn V. Ingogly / all rights reserved
11 comments:
I like this ongoing interview. I need to go back continiuously and read the installments again. They are awesome. It´s again like a little Johnny fest.
Thank you once again for a great Blog! I love your tag 'I want Shigesato Itoi to handle all of Johnny's media from now on', because he's about the only person outside of you and a very few others we can trust to focus on the right things and totally 'get' Johnny!
I hate to keep saying this, but you are just so in my heart! Here it is rainy, missing my bf, dreading laundry, and I read your blog and suddenly my whole spirit shifts! The little sound effect in the video when it is paused is priceless you clever clever woman!
Much love to you today and always!
Panda playmates for Ping is a lovely idea. Johnny finds great welcome around the world.
According to Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shigesato_Itoi, Shigesato Itoi is a cultural icon...."Shigesato Itoi (糸井重里 , Itoi Shigesato?) (born November 10, 1948) is one of the most influential cultural figures in Japan, known for his copywriting, essays, lyrics, Nintendo game creation, and as editor-in-chief of his popular website “Hobo Nikkan Itoi Shinbun.” (“Almost” Daily Itoi News) [2] He is best known outside of Japan as a game designer for his work on Nintendo's EarthBound series of games, as well as his bass fishing video game. He is also known as the person who thought up the name Game Boy."
Lucian Piane, Brad Goreski, Itoi-san, the Dingles: world-wide Mario Kart competition FTW!
I love Shigesato Itoi and this interview so much. Each installment is better than the last!
MM- you are Queen of the run-on sentence bb! and i mean that in a good way!! LOL!!!!
i think i am falling in love with Shigesato Itoi...love his words!
About the strengths/weaknesses part, I had tears in my eyes too! This is such an amazing interview, hard to wait for each installment, yet I think I'm enjoying it more getting it in pieces. I wish we could read other things from Itoi so we had a sense of how this interview compares to his typical style/focus. I think he is a genius!
BrightonDogwood
I love that Shigesato Itoi is thinking about the "soul" of Johnny -- not taking the usual sensational angle, or remarking how "flamboyant" he is. It's refreshing to have an interviewer speak to him as an artist who has a view worth conveying. And discuss the basis for some of that viewpoint. There is no caricaturing or labeling, just respect for the person he's speaking with.
And OMG, Johnny's double-take and "Ah - Wii!" completely cracked me up!
xo
"And OMG, Johnny's double-take and "Ah - Wii!" completely cracked me up!"
I had to think of a little boy watching that scene
...nodding head earnestly, making steering wheel motions with his hand...LOL...totally cute.
a big thank you to the Chinese fans who gave our Princess a proper welcome. if i lived on the east coast, i would love to be part of his Airport Diva Squad, providing love, attention, special cupcakes, and flowers every time he lands.
and OMGILOVETHISMAN!! ♥ ♥ Shigesato Itoi ♥ ♥
happy! <(^_^)>
Robin aka Princess Johnny-Love
Binky, thank you for the beautiful blog.
I'm very happy for Itoi-san. He is so loved by Johnny's fans! He must come here to read Binky's blog and the readers' comments. And his interviews with Johnny must be published.
I think Itoi-san's interview is in his usual style/focus. He is so sensitive and perceptive that he easily grasps the essence of things and people. He expresses what he found in simple and plain--sometimes poetic--words. He is a poet and thinker, who tries to share in a beautiful way what he has in mind with people as many as possible. He never seems to be snob or feel superior.
I hadn't expected Itoi-san would be interested in Johnny Weir, but now I know it is not surprising at all. They share many things.
(I'm sorry for the belated comment. When I tried to leave my comment, new comments weren't accepted).
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