Johnny chats with a fan at his book signing
at Borders in Chicago, January 18, 2011.
Photo courtesy of David Ingogly.
OK then!
To recap: So we've spent the last couple of weeks trying to communicate with USFS, asking them with polite persistence to please invite Johnny to skate in the exhibition after he picks up the second Readers' Choice Award of his career. We tweeted, we emailed, some of us even used snail mail, and then Friday a lot of fans banded together and posted dozens of courteous requests on the USFS Facebook page, some accompanied by our favorite photos of Johnny.
And we waited for a response.
Which came around 4 pm Friday, when the posts and photos began disappearing. USFS left fifteen of them on the page, but completely disabled the "post" feature to ensure that they wouldn't hear any more from us.
By Saturday afternoon, the remaining fifteen posts were gone. Including one from a lovely and thoughtful 11-year-old girl.
Oh, USFS. Really?
Yes. Really.
You can see screencaps of most of the posts on Saturday's blog. Please enjoy these wonderful, loving messages, and then join me in shaking your head at the USFS PR team. Who apparently trained under Stalin.
Anyway!
I'm sure none of us have lost our desire to see Johnny skate this coming Sunday. In fact, many fans also requested that USFS consider inaugurating a new tradition--starting right now--of always inviting the Readers' Choice winner to skate in the exhibition, whether said skater is competing or not. Because HELLO. This is the skater the fans voted as their favorite. The fans are the ones who actually watch figure skating. Like on TV and stuff. So their votes tell USFS which skater the fans would most like to see, you know, SKATE. Like on TV and stuff. Good Lord. It's like explaining Einstein's theory of relativity to someone else's particularly recalcitrant three-year-old whom you are babysitting and who is clearly running a fever and desperately in need of a nap.
But.
Nationals officially got under way yesterday in Greensboro. And that means it's time for the spotlight to shift to those skaters who have worked so hard this season to make it to this competition, and who are now battling it out with everything they've got.
And because Johnny loves his sport--to which he has given his heart, his soul, his life--the last thing he would want, I think, is for anything to try to steal that spotlight. Especially anything with his name attached to it.
So as much as I think USFS is wrong--and actually "wrong" doesn't even begin to cover it--in inviting Evan to skate but not Johnny; in not having a long-standing tradition in the first place of including the Readers' Choice winner in the exhibition (seriously? nobody thought of this until now?), and in reacting to the outpouring of requests from fans with nothing but utter disdain and contempt and the complete inability to offer even a PR 101 response ("Thank you so much for your interest in US Figure Skating! We always appreciate hearing from our fans. Please do not reply to this email as this mailbox is unattended, just like our conscience. We look forward to ignoring you again!"): I want Johnny to be as proud of his fans as we are of him.
So I'm shifting my focus to (1) being thrilled that there are fans who will be attending the exhibition next Sunday specifically to cheer as loudly as possible for him when he receives his award; and (2) doing everything I can to alert absolutely everyone I've ever met to the fact that Johnny will be hosting a book signing in Greensboro at 12 noon next Sunday! What a wonderful opportunity for fans to see him, show their support, and get an autographed copy of Welcome to My World! So please, if you're anywhere near Greensboro or can get there somehow--preferably with 1,000 or so of your closest friends--please consider making the effort to turn out for him.
And to further inspire you, please enjoy this picspam from last week's book signing in Chicago. Apply directly to your heart. Repeat as often as needed.
The bus is here! And so we're really busy photographing it! And waiting for Johnny! Until we get a call from Gary saying, "Hey you guys--he's already up here!"
Yep, he's already here, signing away and looking impossibly gorgeous for someone traveling by bus.
The two "bus boys," as Eric Alt called them, help by handing the books to Johnny, opened and ready to sign, and also by taking pictures with fans' cameras (even though the written rules say
"No photos!" but you know Johnny and rules ...)
For a young fan, Johnny steps out from behind the signing table
in order to do a photo. What? No photos?
I can't hear you la la la la la ...
Aaaaaaaaaand he's mobbed ...
A lucky fan poses for another forbidden photo WTH rules schmules.
Another fan shows him the photo one of the bus boys just took with her camera ... hmmmm ...
Taking a closer look ... possibly not thrilled ...
Gary, wearing an AWESOME coat, discusses something fashionable, I'm sure, with Johnny.
Jen's turn!
And it's a parade of fan after fan, moving briskly, but all enjoying a special moment with Johnny.
Another lucky fan poses for a photo with Johnny! By this time the Borders people have crumpled up the written list of rules and tossed it over their shoulders ...
Aaaaaand they're still coming ...
After double- and triple-checking that all fans have gotten their books signed, it's time for Borders staff to get a photo with Johnny. Because they're about as starstruck as the rest of us.
Yep, he's done. Time to get his fur coat back on to brave the cold walk to the bus ...
Yes, it takes not one Starbucks, but two, to fuel this tour ...
"Wait," he says to me. "Where are the kids? Are the kids here today?" "Just Davey," I say. "Where is he?" he asks.
"Right over there, taking a million pictures of you,"
I smile as he spots my son.
Starbucks in hand, he waves at David the quiet cameraman.
And then Johnny went over and gave him a big hug.
Back on the bus and pulling away to head for Milwaukee.
Bye, Johnny! Thank you! We love you!
"Buy my single,'Dirty Love' via iTunes.
Tell all your friends to as well. The more copies sold
takes me one step closer to making a video! №1!"
THE WORLD NEEDS THIS VIDEO
IN THE SAME WAY THAT IT NEEDS AIR.
IN THE SAME WAY THAT IT NEEDS AIR.
You know what to do.
or just click the "Buy" button on the player
at the top of the blog!
Hey, Welcome to My World also is available
as an eBook! More info on Johnny's website!
All photos courtesy of David Ingogly.
Who rocks.
Who rocks.
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!
copyright 2010 / Binky and the Misfit Mimes / Lynn V. Ingogly /
David W. Ingogly / all rights reserved
David W. Ingogly / all rights reserved
13 comments:
Oh so beautiful moments with Johnny! <3
Hach. Sigh. so many beautiful pics of a stunning man. Love it to pieces. Thank you for the great blog.
I'm loosing count of all of the reasons I just love this Human Being. But, certainly, high on the list is the caring Johnny shows for his fans. A perfect example being that he looked for your kids, Binx.
So fab to see the group shot of fellow Kittens:-) Thank you, to David for his wonderful camera work.
Hugs all around!
WOW! Thanks so much! You posted a picture of me and Johnny on here!! I'm the 13th one down.
I was so glad he got out of his seat to take a pic with me! Whew - hottie!
I think we all can agree that the USFSA is run by mother smuckers, but I believe strongly that the best way to show support for Johnny at this particular moment is to promote all of the positive things he has brought to the sport of figure skating. And this is So Easy, because there's a laundry list. Binky, thank you for helping to highlight that! Particularly during Nationals, an important competition for individual US skaters, I hope to be a reflection of his love for his sport.
FSO tweeted this morning that he now may be doing a signing at the arena in Greensboro!! Gurrls, you needa get in that line and give him a hug for me!
OH, and LOLing because Johnny's expression in the waving picture reads to me exactly like "Were you going to get your ass over here and say hello?"
xoxo
@Wendy: Everything you said x1000. ♥
And yes, lol'ing--because no way was my quiet, shy Davey going to budge. So Johnny went to HIM and hugged him. Because he is just amazingly kind like that, especially to everyone's children.
My original caption wasn't very clear (too many "he"s and "him"s!), so I fixed it to clarify the awesome love that is Johnny. :)
OMG dying.....
OMG I always love it when you make me feel like I was there....'cuz I never am. :( In any case your screen captions are great starting with the first one where you are staring at the bus and Gary lets you know HE is already inside!!!!! It's all just great - I even love the picture where the bus boy is holding up the book in the background for the photo with fan.
Thank You Binky!
TK
Great blog today (and everyday!) Thanks to David for his spectacular pictures and even more spectacular patience as we all had our moments with Johnny. Great to see you and the Chicago Cabal!
-Jen Warfield
Thank you so much for your wonderful Blog, and thank you David for your wonderful pictures! And it seems like Johnny is bending the rules at almost every book signing unless he doesn't have time to do so. So cute he asked you where the kids were!
Thanks again MM for everything you do!
Thanks again for telling the story so well; and again, thanks also to Davey, for being there to document in photos! Oh what fun! And thanks also to Johnny, for introducing me to so many wonderful new friends at a time in my life when I so needed them!
What a lovely man. Wondering where your kids were, waving to Davey. Lovely.
Either Stalin or Lenin or Marx (as in "Chico, Gummo, Groucho, Harpo, Zeppo).
Post a Comment