Kayso I watched this promo spot when it came on toward the end of Dancing With the Stars (and praise Weirsus for TiVo so I could just record and fast-forward because unless/until Johnny is on DWTS which I'm not sure I evan really want for him but that's another whole blog post that will of course end with, "but whatever he wants to do, I support him!", in my house DWTS = Don't Watch This Shit) and now I have learned that the six non-skater celebs featured on it will be: Bethenny Frankel, Real Housewives of New York; Olympic gold-medal skier Jonny Mosely; Rebecca Budig, All My Children; Brandon Mychal Smith, Disney's Sonny With a Chance; Sean Young, movie actress and most recently on The Young and the Restless; and Motley Crue's Vince Neil.
Which is a list of names that ranks among the top ten most bizarre answers to a trivia question ever. And also isn't really what I wanted to know, so I am left with even more questions, the most important ones being: (1) Johnny?, (2) JOHNNY??, and
(3) Hey, is that Denis Petukhov there skating with Sean Young???
Yes, I think it is! Now that suddenly makes this whole SWTS thing much more interesting, boosting it right up there from So Worried This'll Suck to Seriously Wow They're Skating? to Should Watch This Shit! territory ...
In the meantime, while speculation runs rampant about who the other pro skaters are and who's judging this thing, USA Today just came right out and said it. And then @SarahandDrew tweeted it.
So OK then! That's almost ... official ...
Excuse me. ABC? Do you have something you'd like to share with the class ...?
Well, while we're waiting for a bit more formal announcement than oh say a blurry twitpic of some people who could be skaters or judges or just a random group of oddly dressed strangers milling furtively in an alley and looking startled to have been captured by someone's iPhone, please feel free to run right over to Facebook and "like" the SWTS page.
And then fill yourselves with the sumptuous delight that is Part 1 of the article from an-an, the latest Japanese magazine to feature fab photos of Johnny sprinkled within another wonderfully thoughtful interview. Akiko and I think we've set a new record with this one: The magazine came out yesterday, Akiko bought a copy at a convenience store at 7:50 am, and now here it is, all warm from my email and freshly translated here for you to enjoy, with Part 2 to follow. :)
Interview title: "Johnny Weir: 'I'm a Strong Person' "
Interview series: "Who’s Hot?" #52
an-an #1732: November 10, 2010, pp. 97-99
Interviewer: Mie Furuya
Photographer: Hidemi Ogata (Yes! The same photographer who did the shoots for the Artbook!)
Johnny Weir is an idol all over the world because of his extraordinary skating and unique aesthetics. On the day of the interview, unfortunately, he was not feeling very well since he had a slight cold, but he came to the studio with a big smile on his face. Instantly, all the people there were charmed by him.
"A Year Off from Competitions Will Make Me Stronger"
How many times have you been to Japan?
How many times, I wonder? A great many times. Since I was fifteen years old, I have come to Japan three times every year.
How do you like Japan?
I love Japan!! It’s beautiful and fashionable. People are liberal. I think Japanese people respect each other, and they relate to others with love. I hope someday I will take my children and/or grandchildren to Japan and say to them, "Look, this is a country that I love."
Did you do all the photo shoots for the Artbook in Japan?
Yes, I did. I think many things from my life are in the Artbook. Probably you would find it artistic even after 50 years. It may be easy to take pictures simply, but it is very difficult to take pictures perfectly as art. In America we have the saying, "It takes a whole village to raise a child," and it's same with the photo book. I have suggested a lot about the project concerning make-up, graphics, and fashion.
You are famous as a fashionista, too. What is your favorite style?
It changes every day, according to my feelings. I love Chanel, Christian Louboutin, and Hermes. On the other hand, I know how to be stylish without spending so much money, because I was raised in a very small town.
"I Wasn’t Afraid of Not Taking Part in Competitions"
I hear that you decided to take a year off after the Vancouver Olympics.
Yes. It is very good for me to take a year off.
Why did you decide not to compete at this point in your career?
One reason is that I had just competed at the Olympics. Another reason is that I am a little too old as a competitor. So I wanted to rest for a while.
I see.
Now I miss achieving something after practicing very hard, but I am happy that I can concentrate on other projects.
What are the other projects?
Publishing the Artbook and my autobiography, and releasing my songs. I have been a top athlete for thirteen years. I always had to sacrifice something for practices and competitions. Now, for the first time in my life, I have many new things to challenge me. I'm sure taking one year off will make me stronger for the next season.
You will have a one-year blank in your career as a figure skater. Weren't you afraid of that?
Not at all. I'm a strong person, and I can cope with anything that may happen. I have no fear.
You are going to compete at the Sochi Olympics?
Yes, I am. It's my dream to compete at Sochi in Russia, my favorite country. I hope I will be able to compete and show something unique and beautiful there. However, I won't take part in it if I don't expect to be able to compete for a gold medal. As an artist, I think it is important to give performances that are original, but for an athlete, it is all to get a medal.
Do you think it will be necessary to perform quads to get a medal?
It will be so in four years. Now I think I can do quads, but if I couldn't in four years, I wouldn't compete at the Olympics.
How much do you practice these days?
During the competitive season, I practice for four hours a day, five days a week. Since I'm not competing this season, I'm not on the ice for as long as usual. I practice Pilates a lot. It strengthens my muscles without thickening them. Appearances are very important in figure skating. Too-thick muscles on you are not beautiful.
Is being slender ideal for figure skaters?
Not necessarily. I like the bodies of ballet dancers. They are slender and look healthy, without too-thick muscles on them. My ideal is a body like Mikhail Baryshnikov's.
Which part of your body do you like best?
I love my eyes. I was lucky to be given these eyes. They are large and green, with long, thick eyelashes.
Your eyelashes look like those of a doll.
Especially now. They have mascara on them since I had make-up done for a shoot. But they are naturally doll-like. My father's eyelashes are longer than mine. Another part I like is my abdominal muscles, but now my abdomen is not as tight as usual because I eat a lot of sweets these days [laughing].
Which part of your body do you dislike?
My thighs. They are large, as they should be for a figure skater. They are so large that I wish I could delete some muscles from them, but I need the muscles to jump.
courtesy of the fabulous Akiko Nakata!
Designer T. Rains and Johnny have teamed up to raise money and awareness for The Trevor Project! This organization is "determined to end suicide among LGBTQ youth by providing life-saving and life-affirming resources." Proceeds from the "Army of One" t-shirt sales will go to The Trevor Project foundation. Order yours today! Your support is greatly appreciated!
For more information, please visit www.thetrevorproject.org.
For more information, please visit www.thetrevorproject.org.
They have great tidbits to offer,
and you get a special sneak peek at an exclusive photo
from the Artbook when you sign up!
In exchange for a donation to Toys for Tots,
Trish Aaron-Misiura will send you one handmade,
Johnny-inspired Christmas ornament! More info here!
11 comments:
Thanks to Akiko for translating that fab interview so fast...and to you, Binky, for providing again the place we can read this interview translated. Great work as usual.
Seriously, he doesn't like his thighs? Silly boy. His thighs are H. O. T.
Congratulations to you MM and to Akiko for setting your new record on the speed of this blog, and thank you both!♥
I can never get enough of these kinds of interviews, I don't even know where to start, I love every answer Johnny gave!
Beth-twitter Bsontwit
"in my house DWTS = Don't Watch This Shit". ROFL! In my house also, though if Johnny were to be on the show, I would watch it.
Thank you Binx and Akiko for bringing us the translation of, "Johnny Weir: 'I'm a Strong Person' ".
"Don't Watch This Shit" morphs into "whatever he wants to do, I support him"...ROFLMAO! So true, why am I like this???!!
Everytime I think I've read it all, heard it all, seen it all...and am convinced that there's nothing left for this boy to do that can make me love him any more, and then BAM! He gives a sixteen question interview that goes from Japan to Sochi to eyelashes to thigh muscles, and I'm more smitten than I was an hour ago.
You got some strange magic, Johnny Weir...
Thank you again for a much-appreciated translation!! Johnny mentions "it takes a village to raise a child", and I always say "it takes a village" to fully-fan Johnny Weir. His fanbase and appearances/interviews are global -- and we all depend on each other to pass on information & translate & post broadcasts so that no fan misses out because of their location or access.
And I love this interview. I REALLY appreciate Akiko donating her time and energy for these translations! Thank you for working with her on them, Bink! Love!!
Thank you thank you for providing these translations!! I have purchased the Mook Book because of your translations. It makes the purchase all the more precious to me.
ありがとう Akiko and Binky!
TK
Thank you Akiko, Binky! Many thanks to Mie Furuya for showing us how, once again, an interview should be done!!
Thanks to Mr. John Weir for giving Johnny those wonderful eyelashes (have you ever thought about using mascara & a little guyliner yourself?) ;)
and Johnny...your thighs are perfect.
Excellent on all counts!!
Definitely the eyes. Good answer Johnny. *Sigh*.
Thanks Akiko for the quick translation! And thanks MM once again for a wonderful blog!
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Which part of your body do you like best?
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I love my eyes. I was lucky to be given these eyes. They are large and green, with long, thick eyelashes.
++
My father's lashes are longer than mine...
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LOL! I love it! I also notice this is again a well done interview! Got to love those Japanese journalists!
I am so happy to be able to share with you, thanks to Binky again, another wonderful interview, and to know it was much appreciated, as the interviews from the Mook.
Theresa, どういたしまして！I didn't imagine someone would buy the Mook "because" she read the interviews here! That's really rewarding to me.
When I read this interview, I decided to translate it on the spot, and sent the translation to Binky. She, as expected, found the interview great, immediately edited it, beautifully as always, and created another fabulous blog. Needless to say here, as you know my English, my draft always includes a lot of awkward and unnatural expressions, which Johnny would never use, as well as grammatical errors, which Johnny would never make (like a certain gold medalist we know :P). Without Binky's amazing edits, you would say, "Who's talking in the interview? Can't be Johnny!" Binky is sooooo excellent an editor.
I hadn't known Mie Furuya before I read this interview. According to her bio on Twitter (http://twitter.com/miefur), she is a (probably) freelance writer working mainly for women's magazines. She interviews people and writes articles about beauty treatment, etc. Her hobbies are surfing, watching sumo, and reading comics. As Akiko Tamura is a well-known sports journalist, expert in figure skating, and she has known Johnny for many years, it isn't surprising to me that her interviews with and essay on Johnny in the Mook are fabulous. Contrastively, Ms. Furuya seems to have known little about Johnny and figure skating before the interview. In spite of that, it seems to me that she really "met" Johnny and represented some aspects of him in the not-so-long interview. That impressed and pleased me. I am delighted with Johnny's impression of Japan and with that the people he has met there are liberal and fashionable, and they respect others and relate each other with love :)--and Ms. Furuya is one of such people.
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