The Best of Binky's Johnny Weir Blog: 2013

Monday, December 23, 2013

Frost Giant

Johnny,

Army of Me.

Exclusive photo © David Ingogly.

Please click twice for gorgeous full-size image.
25+ exclusive pics below!

Without Words

The world is not respectable;

it is mortal, tormented, confused, deluded forever;

but it is shot through with beauty, with love,

with glints of courage and laughter;

and in these, the spirit blooms ...

and struggles to the light

amid the thorns.

—George Santayana

Exclusive photo © David Ingogly.

Please click for breathtaking full-size image.

I have learned that fighting inside oneself

and bullying others to adhere to group-think

are the single easiest ways to alienate people

and lead them to quit.

I refuse to quit, now or ever.

I will fight for change in my way and will

support those who fight in their way.

— Johnny Weir

From his latest column for the Falls Church News-Press,

in which he eloquently answers his critics

with clear-eyed self-awareness, honesty, and heart.

And far more grace than most could manage.
Please, please read and share.

UPDATE!! Photo tweeted by Johnny:

“Bye Calgary! @ Hotel Le Germain”

More Canada trip photos/videos below!

"I Would Be So Happy and Excited to Meet Johnny Weir"

Johnny at the beginning of his Poker Face performance

last night at the Bryant Park tree lighting in NYC!

Photo © Jill Sakowitz.
Pics and vids below!!

(For lots of gorgeous closeups of this stunning costume

in action, please revisit this post from

the costume’s debut in China last summer.)

Reminder: Johnny returns to NBC
this Sunday, December 8,

to provide commentary on the Grand Prix Final!

ICYMI: His Rostelecom ladies’ commentary is here.

Men’s commentary here!

Some Happy for Thanksgiving

Wayback Wednesday picspam:

Johnny preparing to greet fans in Sun Valley

this past summer after his stellar performances

of “Schindler’s List” and “Army of Me.”

As always, he was kind, patient, funny, and made

each fan feel as if he had come all the way

to Sun Valley just to see them.
Exclusive photo © David Ingogly.
Lots more pics below!

UPDATE!! East Coast fans:

Johnny is performing at the Bryant Park

NYC tree lighting Tuesday, December 3!

Details here!

Reminder: No GP skating this weekend,

but Johnny returns to NBC next Sunday, December 8,

to provide commentary on the Grand Prix Final!

ICYMI: His Rostelecom ladies’ commentary is here.

UPDATE: Men’s commentary here!

"A Little Sparkle Never Hurts!"

Johnny in his very sparkly spot
for Dora the Explorer’s “Ice Skating Spectacular,”

which airs this coming Monday, November 25,

at 7 pm EST / 6 pm EST on Nickelodeon.

He looks amazing, even beyond the gorgeous costume!

UPDATE! Gif tweeted by Johnny:

“Had such fun with @bethenny today!

See our interview Thursday! Check your local listings!

#movingforward”
Bonus pic below!

So this is another one-hit wonder blog because Nickelodeon posted their video late last night promoting Johnny’s upcoming guest-star appearance on Dora and it was immediately obvious that we would need a ridiculous amount of screencaps squeezed from the barely 60 seconds of video provided to get us through until this thing actually airs and OMG it’s so cute that no one could even deal with it last night. Also it pleases me no end to see people tweeting about it with the hashtag #familyfriendly. We have long memories here in the Land of the Ice King.

Random Funday Roundup

Beautiful Johnny and his ever-present

necklace of charms.
For super-size photo and a closer look

at the charms, please click here.

Exclusive photo © David Ingogly.

UPDATE! Yes, we have video of Johnny’s

commentary on Trophée Eric Bompard!

Men’s event here.

UPDATE: Women’s event here.

(We also have another update: a fab video

from Johnny’s Instagram below.)

Reminder: Johnny is commentating
on all the Grand Prix events!!

Tune in to NBC’s coverage of Grand Prix Russia

this Sunday, November 24,
at 2 pm EST / 1 pm CST.

UPDATE! Photo tweeted by Johnny

late Saturday night:
“Night shift with @taralipinski.

Céline Bags akimbo for GP France
on NBC, Sunday at 4:30 EST.”

So in a fascinating new column for the Falls Church News-Press this week, Johnny revealed some of his spiritual beliefs in “Johnny’s World: I Talk to Spoons, Part 1”:

"...That Boy With Wings on His Heart"

Johnny, Fallen Angel, Vancouver 2010.

“The most beautiful performance I have ever seen.

Inspired a young theater group in Brazil...”

Read this poignantly uplifting story below.
Now UPDATED with a postscript!

Yes, we have video of Johnny’s
TWO-HOUR commentary on NHK Trophy!
Men’s event here.
UPDATE: Women’s event here.
And random rave reviews from Twitter below.

Reminder: Johnny is commentating
on all the Grand Prix events!

Tune in to NBC’s coverage of Trophée Eric Bompard

this Sunday, November 17,
at a new time: 4:30 pm EST.

One of the major perks of blogging incessantly about Johnny is encountering some of the most amazing people from all over the world whose lives have been touched by him in heartbreakingly beautiful ways, often completely unbeknownst to him.

Val Oliveira, a volunteer drama teacher from São Paulo, Brazil, is one of those people.

Wayback Wednesday Via Weibo

Johnny performs Born This Way during the

Artistry on Ice tour earlier this year. #sparklecrotch

This trip down memory lane brought to you by

an awesome new interview excerpted below.

Johnny Is Commenting On

All The Things

Reminder: Johnny is doing commentary
for EVERY Grand Prix event!

Tune in to NBC’s coverage of NHK Trophy

this Sunday, November 10...

Excited for NHK Trophy this week! I will be commentating for both the ladies and the men!
— Johnny Weir-Voronov (@JohnnyGWeir) November 5, 2013

...for 2X your usual weekly dose of Johnny!
(Still below the RDA of 100,000,000X,
but we’ll take what we can get.)

Thank you, NBC Sports!

Tribute: "My Beautiful Ice Angel"

Johnny performs Fallen Angel

at NHK Trophy, November 2009.

UPDATE: Johnny will be appearing

on the Fourth Hour of the Today Show

with Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb

on Wednesday, October 30, 10 am EST!

Don’t miss it!

"All of Him Is My Treasure"

End of an era:

Johnny’s at the close of his exquisite
Schindler’s List program,
in his last public exhibition performance
as a competitive skater.
Exclusive photo © David Ingogly.
Please click twice for larger image.

Success in any endeavor
depends on the degree
to which it is an expression
of your true self.

— Ralph Marston

"Thank You for the Memories"

Photo tweeted by Johnny:

“Memories to fill 1,000 lifetimes.
Thank you. ❤”

In an appearance on NBC’s Today this morning, Johnny announced his retirement from competitive figure skating and was welcomed to the NBC Sports broadcasting team as a figure skating analyst. His on-air duties begin this Sunday, October 27, with NBC’s coverage of Skate Canada.

He has also issued his retirement statement via his weekly column for the Falls Church News-Press:

It is surreal writing about my career as if it had happened to someone else and to actually write the words: I am retiring from competitive figure skating. ... While I am not old, part of being a champion is knowing when your time is up.

Please read his complete statement here.

For full coverage, please visit Johnny’s official website. More on this new chapter coming soon!

Johnny on Today

in NYC this morning.
Watch the video here or here.

Thank you for the memories! — Johnny Weir-Voronov (@JohnnyGWeir) October 23, 2013

Thank you! Спасибо! ありがとう! 감사합니다! 谢谢! Merci! Gracias! Danke! شكرا! Kiitos! благодаря! Děkuji! תודה! Takk! დიდი მადლობა! My fans are my life — Johnny Weir-Voronov (@JohnnyGWeir) October 23, 2013

Congratulations, Johnny,

on 17 years of medals

and unparalleled beauty

on competitive ice,

and on your new gig with NBC!!

Love you always. ♥

— Binky

Spirit Day: "Paint the World Purple"

Throwback Thursday: Johnny bathed in purple spotlight,

December 2011. Exclusive photo © David Ingogly.

BREAKING:

Johnny will be on the Today Show

Wednesday, October 23, with important news.

Set those DVRs now!

Watch me tomorrow morning on @TODAYshow! I've got some big announcements to speak on!
— Johnny Weir-Voronov (@JohnnyGWeir) October 22, 2013

I'll be on @TODAYshow tomorrow morning live around 8:30 EST. Tune in. I've got some big stuff to talk about! 💎
— Johnny Weir-Voronov (@JohnnyGWeir) October 23, 2013

NOTE: Post now UPDATED below with downloadable podcast and transcript of Johnny's BBC interview!

We are each an army of one.

March forward with your army,

never let go of your future

and never listen to idiots

who tell you “no.”

— Johnny Weir
Spirit Day 2010

Practice Is Perfect

A determined Johnny battles a monster cold,

high altitude, and smoke-tinged air to rehearse

on the sun-drenched ice in Sun Valley, Idaho.

Exclusive photo © David Ingogly.

Please click for full-size image.

Random Tuesday Roundup

An oasis of gorgeous: Johnny at G Lounge.

More pics below!

Dear Johnny...

...we miss you!

Thank you for your amazing gift of skating,
your courage, your brilliant sense of humor,
and for all the extraordinary beauty you bring to this world.

Something Beautiful Today

Johnny hits the ice for his rehearsal in Sun Valley.

This is about the happiest he looked the entire time,

until he came to greet his waiting fans. The rest of

his rehearsal was a quiet and intense tug-o-war
between him and illness, fatigue, altitude, and smoky air.

Exclusive photo © David Ingogly.

Please click for beautiful full-size image.

UPDATE: Excerpt from Johnny’s
latest column, “Johnny’s World: Make-Up,”
for the Falls Church News-Press:

As I became more followed and well known, I learned that when you have bad or sad news to break you have to do it thoughtfully, and with process. You have to omit or lie to conceal the truth to the people who don’t know you personally, yet know you quite intimately, just until you’re ready, and while that may seem understandable, it’s still a lie that you must live with on a daily basis until the news can splash forth from your swollen eyes and puffy, reddened face. ...

While We Wait...

Johnny in Sun Valley, Idaho,

preparing for his debut performance

of Schindler’s List while battling
a monster cold, high altitude, and smoky air.
I can’t even imagine how he gave such a
beautiful performance that night—except that
that’s just the kind of world-renowned champion he is.

Exclusive photo © David Ingogly.
Please click twice for amazing full-size image.
It’s like you’re standing right there. ♥

Re: recent reports in the press:

I was told to ignore everything, but save the bashing and hate for someone who gives a damn, and wait for MY story, coming soon.
— Johnny Weir-Voronov (@JohnnyGWeir) September 18, 2013

Here is Johnny in his own words today, in his latest column for the Falls-Church News-Press. While we still await a direct statement from him regarding his future, he addresses the issue here obliquely, through the prism of NYFW and with brutally self-aware honesty—as always. Please read.

Some brief excerpts:

With Your Celebrity Host, Johnny Weir

Johnny at G Lounge’s Sweet 16 birthday

party in Chelsea last night, at which a 5,000-square-foot

mural by artist David Paul Kay was unveiled.

Photo posted to Instagram by G Lounge:

“Strike a pose Johnny Weir! Celebrating G Lounge’s

Sweet 16 and the unveiling of @davidpaulkay’s

‘The Destination.’ Thanks to @andrewwerner

for the photography!”

UPDATE:

Re: recent reports in the press:

I was told to ignore everything, but save the bashing and hate for someone who gives a damn, and wait for MY story, coming soon.
— Johnny Weir-Voronov (@JohnnyGWeir) September 18, 2013

To all who have asked me re: news reports about Johnny being out of consideration for the Sochi Winter Games:

Walk Walk Fashion Baby

Johnny walks the runway for
Tumbler and Tipsy on the last day of NYFW.

Totally different look for him, and he seemed to have

fun with it, tweeting: “Thank you @tumblerandtipsy

and @MichaelKuluva for a brilliant day.

So happy to walk for you. Large smooch.”

REMINDER!! NYC-area fans:

Monday, September 16,

is G Lounge’s Sweet 16 party,

with your favorite celebrity host, Johnny!
Open to the public—details here.

Don’t miss it!

A Sudden Craving for Marshmallows...

Johnny at The Blonds NYFW show

last night. He described his look as “inspired by
getting punched by a marshmallow.”

So the Fashion Week photogasm continues with Johnny’s appearance at The Blonds, plus he’ll be walking today at 2 pm EDT in the Tumbler and Tipsy by Michael Kuluva show, presented by the AIDS Healthcare Foundation. He previously walked for Tumbler and Tipsy earlier this year and was awesome.

First, though, we have less pleasant matters to which we must attend, namely the considerable ugliness happening among gay media outlets, which have delighted in deliberately misrepresenting pretty much everything about Johnny’s eloquent interview with Keith Olbermann this week:

Sun Valley Sneak Peek: "A Rare Human So Breathtaking..."

After a long day of fighting a monster cold, high altitude,

and air infused with leftover forest-fire smoke—

through rehearsals and two spectacular performances

that required oxygen in between—Johnny is, as always,

nothing but warm and gracious to every. single. fan.

at the Sun Valley post-show meet-n-greet.

Propaganda

Johnny in one of his traditional warmup jackets

emblazoned with the word “Russia.”

As a well-known openly gay man whose marriage

to Victor was front-page news in Russia,
he is, in the eyes of Russian law,

literally “homosexual propaganda.”

"We Are Our Own Greatest Weapons"

The power of the human spirit
will prevail against all odds.

—Johnny Weir

The final set in this series is posted below.

UPDATE: New video from CBS News:

Johnny Weir: If I’m Arrested in Russia, So Be It.

An excellent interview, with bonus skating footage

from the Ice House and interviews with

his skating partners there. Johnny's powerful quote:

“If it takes me getting arrested

for people to pay attention, and for people to lobby

against this law, then I’m willing to take it.”

CBS video link.

Skaterpalooza II: Birthday Boogaloo

Irrepressible Johnny at rehearsal—

just exactly perfect for today.

UPDATE: More media appearances by Johnny regarding the ongoing anti-LGBT crisis in Russia, which he termed a “tragedy” in his ABC News interview:

*Article and audio on BBC News

*Article and brief audio message to his Russian fans on Svoboda (article is in Russian)

Джонни Вейр обращается к российским поклонникам

Johnny says: “All my fans, I’m always with you. I wish you a lot of strength now, a lot of success and love. Tomorrow will be better than today.” Thank you to Tatiana Edrenkina for the translation!

"I Am Myself, Never Flinching"

“I will fight for my right to go to Russia.

I will fight to perform there. I will fight to show

the government how strong my community is.

I will proudly go to Russia ... and hold my head high.

Should I get arrested, I will be arrested with the pride

that I am myself, never flinching, and I will be strong

for the oppressed community of beautiful people

who I can call brothers.”

From Johnny’s powerful must-read for

the Falls Church News-Press, in which he responds

to all who have asked him about his love for Russia

in the face of its government’s anti-LGBT crackdown.

"Too Beautiful To Be True"

Fantasy on Ice: Johnny & Miki Ando.
Source.

Wow. The week has just flown by, and suddenly we’re hurtling toward mid-July and Johnny’s first performance date in Sun Valley

Here, Have Some Weibopalooza While We Wait...

UPDATE 2: The US Supreme Court ruled today, Wednesday, June 26, that the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) is unconstitutional! This means that the federal government must now recognize the marriages of those LGBT couples whose states recognize their marriages. In addition, the ruling now grants thousands of federal benefits to those couples that were previously denied them.

The ruling also gives hope to married LGBT bi-national couples, who previously could not obtain green cards for foreign partners because the federal government did not recognize them as “spouses.”

The Court also ruled on California’s Proposition 8, which sought to overturn marriage equality in that state. The Court dismissed the case, deciding that the proponents of Prop. 8 (those who wanted to ban marriage equality) had no standing to bring the case. This leaves the lower court ruling in place, which clears the way for LGBT couples to once again marry legally in California.

More on these historic decisions here and here.

Love is love.

What a glorious day! #DOMA struck down by Supreme Court as unconstitutional! A huge thank you to all those who fought for us & supported us.
— Johnny Weir-Voronov (@JohnnyGWeir) June 26, 2013

"Rolling Ball of Sparkle"

Johnny performs Born This Way in Shanghai.

Definitely click twice for full-size image.

#rhinestones

Yes, at last, by ever-growing popular demand: today we present a transcript of the Johnny + Stéphane portion of the Shanghai press conference, with side commentary!

"A Beautiful Swan on Ice"

Johnny at rehearsal in Beijing.

Photo posted to Weibo by Joveta Leo

with a lovely and moving note.

Please scroll to the end of today’s post

to read her thoughts.

"Rose-Colored Memories of You..."

Johnny at the end of his final Artistry on Ice

performance of Born This Way in Beijing last night.

Please click twice for glorious full-size view

to see the exquisite detailing on this costume.

IMPORTANT NOTE:

The livestream of last night’s entire Beijing show

is available for viewing here!!

Don’t miss this. It’s absolutely amazing.

Do be forewarned: It may take forever to load.

But it’s sooo worth the wait.

The Weiborama Continues...

Johnny at the Guangzhou press conference.

UPDATE: New Johnny + Stéphane pics from the
Shanghai presser plus more Guangzhou pics below!

Photo courtesy of the amazing Fannie Wang.

BREAKING: New video!!

Wonderful Artistry on Ice promo piece

about Johnny, just posted!
Video link: YouTube,
or HD version on Youku.

Monday, December 23, 2013

Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Wednesday, December 4, 2013

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Friday, November 15, 2013

Monday, November 11, 2013

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Monday, October 28, 2013

Friday, October 25, 2013

Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Thursday, October 17, 2013

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Tuesday, October 8, 2013

Friday, October 4, 2013

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Thursday, September 19, 2013

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Friday, September 13, 2013

Thursday, September 12, 2013

Friday, September 6, 2013

Friday, August 23, 2013

Friday, August 9, 2013

Tuesday, August 6, 2013

Monday, July 22, 2013

Monday, July 8, 2013

Monday, June 24, 2013

Friday, June 21, 2013

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Monday, June 17, 2013

Thursday, June 13, 2013