Johnny at the end of Ave Maria,
Holiday Dreams on Ice, December 11, 2010.
Photo courtesy of David Ingogly.
Dear Johnny:
As you know, your very direct comments on this week's SWTS to Bethenny Frankel--which many of your fans wholeheartedly
applauded--were not well-received by some of Bethenny's fans. Not that we'd expect anything different from them. They've proven themselves to be a direct reflection of their idol, Bethenny, in all her dark, careless, disrespectful, incredibly self-involved, hypocritical snarkiness.
So some of them decided to "like" your fan page on Tuesday just so they could post hideously ugly and hateful comments. Fortunately, admins responded quickly, and the posts were deleted.
But while fans were waiting and repeatedly flagging those posts, the ugliness inspired Louise Fecher to post this:
(Please click on any of the screen caps for a larger view.)
And the responses started pouring in.
I'm a little short on words this week, but as it happens, I need very few again today because so many other fans have such eloquent ones. And because I don't know how often you get to stop by the fan page these days and read our posts, here they are, in the order they appeared--a tribute to you and all that you stand for, and to one of the most powerful lessons we have learned from you: "Out of ugly, I think the most important thing in life is to make something beautiful."
I didn't have a chance to add to this discussion earlier, but it's been on my mind all week. "Three reasons why I adore Johnny Weir ... gaaaaaaaah! How can I limit myself to just three??"
And so I waited for the God of my heart to help me find the right words.
And while I waited, I thought about the amazing journey that this Year of the Weir has been, personally, for me. All the fabulous people I've met; how, right before my eyes, thousands of people who didn't know each other came together in all their diversity to become a powerful force--voting, petitioning, fundraising, tweeting, making signs and banners, buying tickets to as many of your appearances as we could afford and also some we couldn't, posting, commenting, discussing--sometimes arguing--but always united in our support of one amazing man; and how often I've read words like "otherworldly," "ethereal," and "angelic" in our attempts to describe you and the effect you've had on so many of us.
Yes, we know, you're just a person like everybody else--a young man trying to make his way through this world, imperfect like the rest of us, sometimes crabby, sometimes falling short, sometimes maybe not his best self, sometimes lying curled up on the floor of his apartment bitching and whining and driving his parents crazy.
You're also absolutely extraordinary.
It was your Festa 09 Poker Face routine that first captured me, when a Twitter friend casually tweeted the link to me this past January, having no idea at all how that tiny gesture would completely transform my entire life.
But it is your brilliant, soaring, breathtaking Fallen Angel performance from the 2010 Olympics that, to me, is the heart and soul of Johnny Weir laid wrenchingly bare, in exquisitely agonizing beauty.
And it's the aftermath of those Olympics, as well, all that you've done since then, that also speaks volumes about who you are as a man.
And as I pondered these images in my head, looking for the words to somehow sum this all up--it came to me, in sudden, blinding clarity, the same way the God of my heart first shattered my whole world with all the beauty that I had been missing until I saw you.
Three simple things I love about you that, for me, are the foundation of everything everyone has said:
You are light.
You are truth.
You are love.
And you inspire me, every day, to be the same.
The cover art for "Dirty Love" is now
The next episode of Skating With the Stars
airs next Monday, December 20,
at 8 pm EST / 7 pm CST!
Don't miss it!
(Dear Santa: All I want for Weirmas
is STILL for Bethenny to please please just go away.)
(Dear Santa: All I want for Weirmas
is STILL for Bethenny to please please just go away.)
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.
They have great tidbits to offer,
and you get a special sneak peek at an exclusive photo
from the Artbook when you sign up!
10 comments:
A work of love again. Amazing blog with so many reasons why Johnny has made that impact on so many people.
Still feeling excluded some times b/c I simply can´t go to any of his shows, book signings and whatever might be ahead of him, but the thing Johnny has given me is to be strong on my own, to hold up my head, to never give up and to try again and again. Come to think of it, I´ve already had these traits Johnny stands for but they have got lost every now and then due to the daily grind, still, Johnny has reminded me that there is something that makes me unique as well and which I should and can be proud of.
Thanks again for your amazing blog.
The best part of waking up is soooo not Folgers, baby.
It's opening up my Facebook and seeing a new Binky Blog!!! woooot wooooot!
Amazing blog. I think in light of the upcoming New Years, we need to do a "favorite Johnny moment of 2010" list on the JWe page.
Adding more thoughts because we Johnny fans like to hear ourselves praise: 4. Johnny LIVES John Lennon's "Imagine" as a citizen of the world. 5. His brain glitters nonstop with sparkly thoughts and quotes. 6. He finds humor and inspiration in everything.
Remarkable: He never has a bad hair minute, even after exiting an umpteen-hour flight. (He just looks like he came off a film noir set.) He has the patience of Job with fans, even when his psyche is scrambled eggs from international travel and multiple shows.
Patti and John Weir should write a book on their parenting approaches. It would be fascinating to read.
I too have trouble picking only 3. While I may not agree with everything Johnny does (gasp!) I admire how he stays true to who he is.
I Love You I Hate You: This still remains my favorite program. For me, this is proof again of a "Higher Power" in the universe, for something literally said in my mind "Girl, look at the TV set NOW"! and there was Johnny is that lovely black and pink outfit. He touched my heart & soul with his skating and continues to do so to this day.
"It's not a matter of how I fall. It's a matter of how how I pick myself back up". I love this quote and wrote it down as soon as I heard it so I could refer back to it whenever I needed. Being out of work since mid-July, I often have needed to remind myself of this. The choice is up to me; I can either wallow in my depression or I can pick myself up, look to friends & family to help keep me positive and keep heading to the future and that *coughperfectcough* job.
So difficult to choose only three. I mean He sings! He skates! He parallel parks! Johnny is truly a Renaissance Man and the World is his Oyster. As it should be.
Transformative. Perfect word. One little marathon of BGJW in January 2010 and a Cupid arrow plunged directly into my heart.
Love him so much.... I could not write only 3 reasons. Love our community so much too.
Thanks for the lovely blog.
ox
beautifully done, MM, and so nice for Johnny to see all these messages of love together. hopefully he'll get to read it.
love your three reasons, btw!
and, oh my, i always thought those skating costumes were flesh-covered fabric. didn't realize they were transparent!
i'd still like to see Johnny skate Afternoon of a Faun in the traditional ballet costume.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRbjgbske08
"Three things" was such perfect idea, at the right moment. The page was ready for some positivity!! We could probably all write a book, but the true beauty of it is in the small note from many.
Thanks for the post, putting it all together and preserving the moment. Love!
xoxo
Thank you, Lynn:-) As always, your rock your blog. Of course having an extraordinary human being like Johnny to write about, easily provides such a fabulous starting place.
I also want to thank all of the other Kittens who posted their reasons for loving Johnny. Except for my comment about loving that Johnny speaks truth, I could think of nothing else to say that had not already been said by everyone else.
I am still half convinced that the Johnny we see skating is in fact an Elven Prince of yore;-)
I have quoted lyrics from Springsteen many times, but after reading MM's blog today I was so sorry I hadn't added my own three things, but I just couldn't think of anything better than what I was reading and marking 'like' right and left. So instead I just thought of some lyrics I feel kind of describe what Johnny does on an almost daily basis...
From 'Leap of Faith' by Bruce Springsteen (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouWEZPkbznQ):
It takes a leap of faith
To get things going
It takes a leap of faith
You got to show some guts
How about these lyrics from 'Better Days' by Springsteen (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VmwJQ62Cs_o):
It's a sad man my friend
Who's living in his own skin
And can't stand the company
And finally, here are The Scorpions singing 'Under the Same Sun' (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XmdvFhWnGg) just because the idea of the song fits and it's a great song! Plus they were also very popular in Russia like Johnny!
++++
Thank you so much MM (and the rest who helped) for putting this together! Thank you JOhnny for being so wonderfully inspiring and so YOU!
I already posted this on the Facebook page, but I figured I'd post it here too with the rest of your accolades. :)
My Three Reasons:
1. Johnny inspires me with his courage to be no one but himself, despite what others may say or think. I REALLY admire that. The world needs more people like him.
2. He is beautiful inside and out. Not only does he have an a wonderful and caring spirit, but he also skates like an angel. He leaves his soul on the ice after every performance. Two words: "Fallen Angel." ♥
3. He has the kind of drive, self-discipline and commitment that I can't say I've seen in really anyone else. I mean, anyone who is puking their guts out in Japan before a performance, but goes out on the ice anyway, AND wins a medal at that, is pretty flippin' hardcore in my book. ;) I wish I had Johnny's amazing resolve.
"Let yourself fall down sometimes - it makes standing up again so much sweeter." ~JGW
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