Johnny at The Blonds NYFW show
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:
I love it so much, here it is again.
Feel free to see for yourself exactly what he says.
I am truly floored by the ignorance and arrogance masquerading as reporting by sites such as Towle Road, Americablog, and Bilerico (no links because I’m not about to send those asshats a single additional blip of Internet traffic), which have, in turn, gone on to spawn posts by individuals that are even farther removed from reality. Even if you charitably describe the writing as editorializing, to allow for heaps of opinion devoid of any facts, the venom being spewed at Johnny is appalling and baseless.
I especially like how every outlet purposefully left out the point that Olbermann agreed with Johnny. Olbermann’s last comment at the close of the interview, after Johnny concludes his explanation of his anti-boycott stance by drawing a parallel between his lack of rights in Russia and his lack of rights in New Jersey: “You’re absolutely right.” (See transcript of this moment here.)
Note: When I pointed this out to Americablog’s John Aravosis in a brief Twitter convo yesterday, he explained it away thusly, because he apparently possesses the ability to read Keith Olbermann’s mind along with his other superpower of advanced superciliousness:
@americablog Apparently you, like others, deliberately overlook Olbermann’s final comment to Weir. He said: “You’re absolutely right.”
— Binky/Misfit Mimes (@misfitmimes) September 11, 2013
@misfitmimes I saw that. Olbermann was caught in the “do I criticize a gay guy talking about how he doesn’t have all his rights” dilemma
— AMERICAblog (@americablog) September 11, 2013
@misfitmimes I think Keith knew he was dealing with a moron. But was being a bit pc about undercutting gay guy talking about discrimination
— AMERICAblog (@americablog) September 11, 2013
@misfitmimes oh, you’re a johnny weir lover. Good luck with that.
— AMERICAblog (@americablog) September 11, 2013
Interestingly, the immediate reaction to Johnny’s interview by those who watched it when it happened, unfettered by the Gay Thought Police who later swooped in to tell everyone what he REALLY said/meant, was uniformly positive (see what I did there?). Dozens and dozens of supportive tweets flooded in, some of which are rounded up here. (Positive reaction continues among those who have viewed the video apart from any of the blog rants.)
Then the next day all the blogs came out, and IDK what interview they watched, but whatever it was, clearly they were upset by what they thought they saw/heard. And then the bashing began, building into a frenzy by yesterday evening as commenters circled, smelling blood. (BTW isn’t literal gay bashing in Russia what the conversation is all about? How is bashing via Internet OK?)
Additional note: The URL for the attack piece that Aravosis wrote for Americablog includes calling Johnny a “freak of nature,” which apparently was part of the title Aravosis had originally considered but then thought better of—but he didn’t update the URL.
Then late last night a voice of reason finally appeared to sort it all out, and brilliantly.
An excerpt:
The abuse of Weir today was weird, an explosion of macho paranoia. But the rage and vitriol, completely out of proportion to what Weir said, suggest that something’s getting way, way out of hand. The demand that gayness trump any other identity or interest because you’re BORN THAT WAY, that’s ALL YOU ARE; the contradictory search for bad gays who don’t have any right to the name; the talk of treachery, the policing of word choice as well as opinion, the smearing of some gays as “antigay” — these kinds of things don’t just demolish nuance and discussion. They destroy movements. ...
The truth is: Weir’s opinions, whatever you think of them, are shared by a significant number of Russian LGBT activists. Many activist voices there have criticized the boycotts. ... Attacking Weir is actually a way for these folks to attack Russian activists and Russian arguments by proxy. They’d be shouting insults and heaping abuse on some of the Russians they claim to defend, if they dared. ...
The first obligation on Western supporters in this kind of situation is: Do no harm. ... [W]hen Aravosis and Wooledge demonize a perfectly credible strain of opinion by abusing it viciously as “antigay,” they are really, really, really not helping the movement within Russia.
Blogger Scott Long—who also calls out Aravosis for his appalling URL—has restored my faith in the hope that not every American LGBT activist is a total self-serving, self-satisfied, pinheaded, ill-informed, and bloated-with-self-importance fucktard.
His essay is lengthy but extremely well-written and well-supported by, indeed, those elusive creatures of the Internet known as facts, and every word is worth your time. Please go read it now. I’ll wait.
.........................................
You may notice that I commented on the post:
To borrow a phrase from John Aravosis: Nothing good can come from a community eating its own who refuse to walk in lockstep with US LGBT activists’ misguided, kneejerk groupthink. All the Weir-bashing from US LGBTs reveals the depth of both their arrogance and their ignorance of the Russian culture & mindset, and of what actions will truly effect change in Russia for its LGBT community. ...
The crushing irony of self-proclaimed leaders of a community that seeks acceptance of diversity but who have no room in their minds/hearts for the same is apparently completely lost on Aravosis, Wooledge, Savage, Fierstein, and the like. Worst of all is the amount of hate flung at Weir from, again, a community fighting for acceptance based on love (“love is love. Unless you’re Johnny Weir. Then we hate you because you make us uncomfortable in ways we don’t know how to deal with.”) ...
One other note I’d like to add to Aravosis et al: as Long so rightly points out, and most dangerously of all, you have become the very thing you are fighting against.
You are now the McCarthy-ite/Stalinist Central Committee of LGBT activism.
Check yourselves. And your massive egos.
And stop engaging in any bashing. Of any human being. Anywhere.
Here’s some good advice you could consider, from a man respected, embraced, and supported by literally thousands of people in Russia of every orientation, a man who has done more to advance the cause of LGBT rights in Russia simply by being who he is than all your useless, self-promoting boycotts—and self-righteous character assassinations of those who disagree with you—could ever hope to accomplish:
To those attacking me for my stance on Russia, use your time to fight the people who make these laws, and do it with class and a smile. — Johnny Weir-Voronov (@JohnnyGWeir) September 11, 2013
Johnny at
The Blonds.
The Blonds.
UPDATE!! New video clip!
Special thanks to Galina Savchenko for the link!
JOHNNY WEIR JUST WALKED IN AND IM CRYING #TheBlondsNY — diana b. (@warwornfashion) September 12, 2013
I completely understand this reaction.
Please do click twice for full-size image on this one.
It’s pleasantly near-lifesize.
Photo tweeted by MADE Fashion Week:
“We’re here with @JohnnyGWeir
for @TheBlondsNY! Are you with us too?”
Photo tweeted by @MilkStudios:
“@JohnnyGWeir has arrived
for @TheBlondsNY SS14”
Photo posted to Instagram by @mulhernmaggie:
“@johnnygweir #johnnyweir donned his finest
for #theblondsny #nyfw #fashionweek”
Photo posted to Instagram by @chucho_myz:
“Awesome freak #theblonds #nyc
#nyfw #ss14 #streetstyle”
Absolutely gorgeous.
Umm not for nothing... but Johnny Weir smells good #TheBlondsNY — diana b. (@warwornfashion) September 12, 2013
@warwornfashion get a picture with him! — Kevin Argueta (@KvnXYZ) September 12, 2013
@KvnXYZ I may cry. I hope you know. — diana b. (@warwornfashion) September 12, 2013
Photo posted to Instagram by @styleite.
Johnny posing with photographer
extraordinaire Andrew Werner!
Photo tweeted by Johnny:
“Such glamour. @amandalepore”
Photo tweeted by Perez Hilton:
“@JohnnyGWeir Ferosh!!”
Photo tweeted by Johnny:
“With my girl @perezhilton.
My face by the sensational @adammaclay!”
He’s the love of my life. RT “@kiwisays: Johnny Weir front row at The Blonds with an orange Birkin bag in tow.” — Caitlin S. Miller (@CaitlinSMiller) September 12, 2013
#perfect
The show! Upload of the livestream; actual recording begins at about 18:26. Johnny is immediately visible at the far right of the screen as he arrives at his front-row seat.
Soon Andrew Werner stops by, and the photo above happens. Johnny leaves at about 20:30 and returns at about 35:05, again at the far right, for interviews and photographs.
At about 37:00 there’s a brief closeup of him amongst the crowd as he goes to take his seat. More interviews/closeups beginning at about 37:57; great closeup with bonus fan at 52:40.
The show itself begins at about 54:21, during which you can catch a few more brief glimpses of him as the models make the turn at the end of the runway.
Stunning show. I would really love to see the skating costume The Blonds would design for Johnny...
Bonus pic!! One more from alice + olivia on Monday.
Photo posted to Instagram by @mojoex3:
“Ice skater #johnnyweir and gossip girl/musician Taylor Momsen
make appearances at @alice_olivia #ss2014 #presentation”
Also on the blog:
“Sun Valley Sneak Peek:
‘A Rare Human So Breathtaking....’ ”
Johnny debuts his Schindler’s List program
in this stunning simple white costume.
Exclusive pics and HD video.
Photo © David Ingogly.
“Sun Valley Sneak Peek:
‘A Rare Human So Breathtaking....’ ”
Johnny debuts his Schindler’s List program
in this stunning simple white costume.
Exclusive pics and HD video.
Photo © David Ingogly.
Photo essay of 40+ starkly beautiful
black-and-white pics featuring Johnny at rehearsal
as young skaters watch, spellbound.
Exclusive photo © David Ingogly.
Quiet photo essay of exclusive black-and-white pics
paired with Johnny’s quotes from his
Exclusive photo © David Ingogly.
Johnny’s latest column for the Falls Church News-Press.
His columns are published every Thursday in the “National Commentary“ section—don’t miss a single one!
A number of Johnny’s auction items have been relisted,
which means if you missed out the first time around,
you’re in luck: It’s not too late to own a piece of Weir Gear!
Go check it out and see what treasures you could take home!
Patti has posted a message
on Johnny’s Comeback Gift Fund website,
with her thoughts on 2013 Nationals
and what lies ahead for next season.
Please go read it now!
Please alert absolutely everyone you’ve ever met
to “like” and follow the new
Because he should be on all the things.
With or without ice.
But definitely with Viacheslav.
HE REALLY, REALLY IS!! Landing quads and kicking ass! Read his comeback statement and the update on his website!
Please click to vote for Johnny
once a day as “Best Sportsman”!
Because he retweeted Luisa Lotka to tell us he wants us to!
Need to see Seasons 1 and 2 all over again? Watch episodes online anytime on Logo!
Please be sure to check in with GetGlue anytime you’re watching the show... or thinking about watching the show.... or wishing you were watching the show....
At last: Pop Star On Ice is now available on DVD!
Order yours today from the Pop Star On Ice website!
Johnny tweeted:
“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!”
IN THE SAME WAY THAT IT NEEDS AIR.
You know what to do.
Please buy the song from Johnny’s website,
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!
copyright 2013 / Binky and the Misfit Mimes / Lynn V. Ingogly / all rights reserved
2 comments:
Thanks for your great roundup of what happened in the blogosphere and on twitter regarding Johnny´s interview with Keith Olberman.
I´ve been so upset with all the hatred and outright threats of bodily harm done to Johnny, I did not know what to do with my anger.
Then Scott Long happened which immediately made my day a lot better and even made me smile. He really put the finger in the wound and I hope he continues to do so.
As you´ve written, he also restored my faith in the gay community and even more so, in the humanity.
I hope these self-proclaimed activists and all the haters who don´t bother to even think about what Johnny has been trying to convey read it and look in the mirror Scott Long holds in front of their faces. I also hope they see the visages of their own hatred.
Anyway, Scott saved my day.
You also saved it by topping all the ugliness happening on internet with the beautiful photos of Johnny at NYFW.
Thank you again for providing a space for love and acceptance.
The level of vitriol against Johnny is truly remarkable at times. Think some of the anger is from years of bottled up anquish and frustration and confusion regarding living the LGBT life in these times. Forgive them for they truly truly know not what they do or what to do, both the LGBT and the anti-LGBT.
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