From Johnny's website.
Well. I hardly know where to begin.
So yesterday we had a lot of picspam to roll around in/on to help ease our minds after the bizarre Case of the Disappearing Johnny-Love Posts and Photos from the USFS Facebook Page, in which we posted many polite requests to USFS asking them to invite Johnny to skate in the exhibition this coming Sunday after he receives his Readers' Choice Award because they're bending the rules to invite Evan to skate so why not Johnny because he's Skater of the Year FOR A REASON blah blah blah, and in which our requests were met with stony silence, then deletion, then a complete lockdown of the USFS page forbidding anyone to post.
And I noted that apparently the USFS PR team had trained under Stalin after flunking out of PR 101.
So then I was quite surprised yesterday afternoon when I was Facebooking from my phone and saw that my friend Bea had posted, "Have you noticed that all Johnny posts on USFS FB are on the wall again? Or is it just me?"
And no, it wasn't just her.
Suddenly all the posts and photos--or nearly all, as some fans said they still couldn't find theirs--really were back on the USFS wall.
Yay us!
Here is the actualfax conversation that ensued with my two teenagers:
Me [cracking up]: Oh my God. So they didn't delete everything--they must have just changed their settings so that only USFS posts would show, and only USFS could post. And now they've changed it all back. So we've gone from training under Stalin to graduating from Lolwut University ...
Son: ... having studied under Professor Bipolar and earning a degree in WTFery ...
Me [crying with laughter]: OMG. Can you believe these people?
Daughter: Yes. And that's the sad part.
Yes, it is.
But not the saddest part.
So OK then. The posts and photos are back, and they're lovely,
and a few more have been added, which also are lovely, and so
that was going to be the extent of today's blog: Chortling at the ridiculousness of it all, and wistfully nurturing a tiny tiny seed of renewed hope because hey, at least anybody who visits their page can see our reasoned, polite pleas and some really beautiful photos and maybe even quietly join in ...
So that was happy.
And THEN I happened to check out Johnny's website in the wee hours of this morning because I live a strange life, and I saw the new graphic above. How exciting!
And so I dutifully clicked for details and landed on this page which says:
"During the men’s free skate competition, Johnny will be presented with the Readers’ Choice Skater of the Year Award (Michelle Kwan Trophy) in a ceremony scheduled for 3:30 pm on Sunday, January 30."
Wait WHAT?
WTF 3:30 pm on Sunday?? "During the men's free skate" ... ???
HELLO THEY ALWAYS DO IT AT THE EXHIBITION WHICH STARTS AT 7:15 PM.
So I checked his Events page and yep, it's been updated to say the same thing.
So THEN I checked the NC2011 schedule AGAIN and guess what's going on at 3:30 pm on Sunday?
Well, that is indeed smackdab in the middle of the men's free skate competition--just about the time they bring out the Zamboni to resurface the ice for the second half.
OMFG.
So that's USFS's final answer.
And here's the saddest part: I think this was their intent from the start--which is why he's never been listed on their official exhibition schedule all this time.
Not only did they never intend to invite him--or even entertain the thought--to SKATE in the exhibition, they decided to remove all doubt and not even give him his AWARD at the exhibition. Thus allowing the "Smuckers Skating Spectacular" to truly be "The Evan Show." Because apparently Smuckers (oh look! There he is again!) now owns the USFS as well as "Stars on Ice."
And maybe that's the saddest part of all--that a sport can be sold to a title sponsor, who can then briskly call all the shots for their willing hostage. Yes, I know the federation has been nothing but asshats to Johnny since before Smucker's started underwriting the exhibition. But the combination of USFS and Smucker's seems absolutely toxic, for both Johnny and the sport as a whole--IMO, and just speaking as an outsider who doesn't give a rat's ass that "this is how we've always done things," except it isn't, and BTW the minute any organization starts saying sh*t like that, they've moved way past "out of touch," completely overshot "irrelevant," and are now mired in a tar pit--that one last sticky step before extinction.
So: Johnny gets to accept his award over the loud hum of the Zamboni exactly 30 minutes BEFORE NBC begins its live coverage of the men's free skate, which starts at 4 pm EST / 3 pm CST.
So no presentation at the exhibition. No TV coverage. No nothing.
Dunno if he gets to make a speech or not--but judging by last time (page 228 in the book), I'm not betting on it.
I don't evan know what to say.
But I bet I'll think of something.
"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!
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!
