Monday, January 6, 2014

Random New Year Roundup...

...with your host, 
the fabulous Johnny Weir.
Photo via NBC Sports.
More pics below!




UPDATE!! New video from NBC Olympics: A preview of the Sochi figure-skating storylines, narrated by Johnny! (International fans: please try this link.) 

And don’t miss Johnny’s take on men’s figure skating in this article from the Washington Post: “Sochi Olympics: Men’s Figure Skating Debates the Quadruple Jump and Its Value.” Article includes Johnny’s surprising analysis of the men’s placements awarded in Vancouver: did the judges get it right?



OK! We made it! We have left 2013 behind with a hearty “WTAF was that exactly....?” and arrived in 2014 alive and kicking and raring to go—or we would be, if we weren’t writing this numbly from within our ice cave condo here in what the Chicago Sun-Times is giddily calling “Chiberia,” a blinding hellscape of brightly sunny skies, six-foot-high snowdrifts, and a current windchill of -40 Fahrenheit (I am not making this up), courtesy of winter storms Hercules and Ion (“Ion”? Really? As a followup to Hercules? I think I’d have gone with at least “Mr. Freeze” ...).

Even Loki, seen here outside my building late last night, is like, “No. Just no. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to destroy Jotunheim. So I can at least be somewhere warmer.”

(Thank you, Meredith Miner, for sending me 
this gorgeous art. Source.)


Anyway, though we sit here shivering under five layers of stylish sweats while desperately searching WebMD for chilblain treatments, Johnny has, of course, already made 2014 all pretty and sparkly, as seen above and also in his excellent new interview with WAG Magazine, which features this photo on the cover of its January 2014 edition:

Yes. THIS is how I like my winter: 
fake snow and beautiful Johnny.


WAG Magazine’s new 


WAG describes itself as “a monthly luxury magazine bringing readers smart, sophisticated and social news from Westchester [NY] and Fairfield [CT] Counties,” so if you’re anywhere near those places, please run out and grab yourself the latest issue with our favorite spokesmodel on the cover.

The interview is a fascinating must-read in which Johnny reveals the moment of epiphany last summer when he realized it was time to say goodbye to competitive skating, discusses his new role as an employee of NBC, and also offers insights into the antagonism he’s experienced from the US LGBT community because of his no-boycott stance on Sochi. But one of the most exciting parts for fans is a little throwaway line at the end:

Weir isn’t leaving the ice behind completely, though. He still plans to perform in shows and following the Olympics, he’ll join group tours of Russia, China and Japan. He hopes that the Winter Games and his NBC gig will generate new interest in figure skating in America, with the possibility of staging his own tour.

“It’s been a while since we really sold out a building,” he says. “And I want to bring that back – not just for myself, but for my sport.”

His. Own. Tour. OMG. Yes. Please.

BRB dreaming of real ice and real skating right here in the US....


More sparkle, 
via NBC Sports.


ICYMI: Also very much worth a read, as always, is Johnny’s latest column: Johnny’s World: A Year in Review, in which he again discusses the Sochi controversy that has raged around him:

In 2013 I became a villain for the first time in several years; not since the great fur scandal of 2010 have I been so hated in so many directions. ... As a gay Olympian and Russophile, many people expected me to play the role of activist – whatever that means – and when I refused to play by someone else’s rules – as I always have – my perceived role of activist immediately turned to traitorous, murderous bigot who hates gays. ... 

There is nothing more exhausting than fighting for your right to speak freely, especially when your opinions are considered poisonous. The take-away here is that a man is nothing without conviction, and to have the ability to be free he must constantly be at war either with himself or the masses.


He also takes a thoughtful look back at his 2013:


I can say that 2013 was a mighty year of change for me. I hired and fired, I closed the chapter of my life that included competing in the Olympics, and I opened a whole window of opportunity and work for myself. ...

My main take-away is that I was fearless when it came to continuing my life’s work and forging ahead in new directions but, much like the security blanket that gets taken away from most people when they’re 5 or 6, I miss my life as an Olympic athlete and constantly training for one event. I miss it a lot. In some ways I feel like my arms were cut off, leaving the rest of my body to a lifetime impersonation of the Mercedes emblem.


I hope, however, that my strength will carry through to the New Year and take me on a journey just as exquisite, and at the same time difficult, as the life’s work I bid farewell to in 2013. I hope that in some way my legacy will be forever. I hope I showed that, while scary, moving on in your life is never a bad thing if you’re ready for it.



Ready for anything: 
The one and only Johnny Weir. 




Preparing the past for future generations: Johnny tweeted this photo of some of the items he’s donating to Emory University for their LGBT collection, housed in Emory’s Manuscript, Archives, and Rare Book Library. 

“Getting my papers and legacy items ready to ship off to @emoryuniversity @emorylibraries. Proud.” 

Among the treasures included here: a sketch of his famous “I Love You, I Hate You” short-program costume that he wore in the 2010 Olympics, with black-and-pink corset and tassel, and his award for “Most Addictive Reality Star,” bestowed by legions of fans who voted like crazy people enthusiastically for him thanks to his breakout turn in Season 1 of Be Good Johnny Weir.



Bonus pics!! Photo tweeted by designer @AnneDePasquale: 
“@johnnygweir-my niece is super excited-thanks! 
You’re as sweet and cute as I thought...
nice to finally meet you:) love the hat! Happy 2014!” 
Visit Anne on Facebook here!


UPDATE! Photo tweeted by Johnny: 
“All you need in one photo, furs, hats and eyewear. 
I love @kerinrosegold to the moon and back! 


Photo tweeted by @kayyy_rufo: 
“Met @johnnygweir at panera today 
#nbd #olympian #medalist #souped 
lol my face though”


Photo posted to Instagram by @karlrufo: 
“Fangirling!! I met Johnny Weir at Panera today!! 
#olympian #bronzemedalist2008 #fangirl 
#johnnyweir #iceskater”


Photo tweeted by @NutriFitnista: 
“With the always #fabulous @johnnygweir, 
who is all ready to bear (and dressed like a bear, 
albeit the cutest, fuzziest bear in the history of the world) 
the ridiculously #freezing temperatures... and yes, 
#sable feels better than anything I’ve ever felt. 
#WinterSucks... unless you’re wearing sable! 
#funtimes #coldoutside #ihatewinter”




And one more... I also prefer winter this way.
Winter Warrior Johnny photographed for 
MAC’s Glitter & Ice campaign, F/W 2011.


Enjoy the behind-the-scenes MAC video
all over again. Special thanks to 
for preserving this!



Dora!!
So there was some confusion over this, 
as Nickelodeon tweeted that he was guest-starring 
along with Hilary Duff, but his portion is not actually 
in the episode itself. But you can watch his spot 
over and over again here, here, or here!



On Johnny’s website, 
linked to his retirement statement
Thank YOU, Johnny!



Also on the blog:
“Frost Giant.”
25+ exclusive pics of Johnny
performing Army of Me.
Exclusive photo © David Ingogly.
Please click twice for larger image.


“Without Words”
Gorgeous pics of Johnny’s Schindler’s List 
plus pics/vids from his Canada trip!
Exclusive photo © David Ingogly.
Please click twice for larger image.



“Some Happy for Thanksgiving”
Beautiful Johnny 
with very happy fans in Sun Valley!
Exclusive photo © David Ingogly.
Please click twice for larger image.



“Random Funday Roundup”
Links to Johnny’s TEB commentary 
for the mens’ and ladies’ events! 
Plus: A whole lot of Johnny heading our way, 
and exclusive new pics from the vault!
Exclusive photo © David Ingogly.
Please click twice for larger image.



“...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...” 
A poignantly uplifting story, now updated 
with a special postscript.



All of Him Is My Treasure.”
Fans react to Johnny’s graceful exit 
from competitive skating.
Exclusive photo © David Ingogly.
Please click twice for larger image.



“Practice Is Perfect”
25+ exclusive photos of Johnny’s 
Sun Valley rehearsal.
Exclusive photo © David Ingogly.


“Dear Johnny...”
Selected black-and-white photos of Johnny’s 
hauntingly beautiful Schindler’s List debut.
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 relistedwhich 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!



Please alert absolutely everyone you’ve ever met 
to “like” and follow the new 
on Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr
Because he should be on all the things. 
With or without ice. 
But definitely with Viacheslav.



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 a
nytime 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 2014 Binky and the Misfit Mimes / Lynn V. Ingogly / all rights reserved

1 comment:

aaaack said...

Johnny is well equipped for this weather with furs.

By the way, this cold snap is linked to the warming of the Arctic region and especially its greater evaporation due to more exposed sea ice. http://qz.com/163636/how-global-warming-can-make-cold-snaps-even-worse/ Yikes...this could be a recurring pattern for future winters.