The Best of Binky's Johnny Weir Blog

Friday, November 5, 2010

Fun Friday Post Is Fun

Well, now we know this much:

People magazine reported yesterday that the "skating pros' identities will soon be revealed by ABC." Yay! It’s great to have something as strong and definite as "soon" to hang our skates on! And hello what about THE JUDGES ...?

So while I was sitting here yesterday sucking down my third or fourth venti dark-cherry mocha of the day with my foot tapping 900 beats/second waiting for SOME KINDA OFFICIAL SWTS ANNOUNCEMENT (and I dunno how Deb Walsh could hear me from there, but she did), my mind started wandering as it is apt to do, winsome little ADD child that it is, and I was thinking, "OK first of all let’s say he really IS going to be Judge Johnny on SWTS which means Johnny on my TV every week for six weeks in a row and THAT is simply nirvana right there, especially since we’ve been gasping and clawing weakly at our throats to the point of collapse during this months-long BGJW drought ..."

... and then I started thinking that actually he'd be really great as Judge Johnny on The People's Court too …

[Scene: Johnny is on the bench presiding over The People’s Court NOT clad in a drab black judicial robe, but rather in a full-length sable coat with a dazzling diamond brooch affixed to it. In his hand he thoughtfully hefts a solid gold Swarovski-encrusted gavel as he considers the hapless plaintiff before him.]

Johnny: Seriously? You loaned this person [waves gavel fluidly in the direction of the defendant] $1,500 and you didn’t think to have him sign a promissory note? Or even scrawl something on a napkin? You’ve GOT to get it in writing! Don’t you know that? Are you stupid?

… and then my dear Twingle friend Jenn Kittler was kind enough to gently point out that what I must have MEANT to say was that he’d be GOOD ON ANYTHING AT ALL (yes, of course! Thank you, Jenn!), and THEN since I had already inhaled the last of my venti, I kinda drifted off with my foot still maintaining its staccato beat and one hand hovering over my keyboard hitting "refresh" on Google News every 30 seconds or so while clutching my TV remote in the other hand, index finger pressed against the "channel" button, clicking along in time with my foot taps …

-CLICK-

Dexter
[Scene: A male victim is strapped to a table with cellophane wrap, mouth gagged, eyes panicked. Johnny/Dexter stands serenely at the head of the table, plastic apron tied just so, full-face visor in place, bejeweled jigsaw held loosely in his finger-condom-clad hands.]

Johnny: This may get a little arm cutty-offy …

-CLICK-

Glee
[Scene: Johnny/Sue is seated at his desk, sporting a red Adidas track suit and surrounded by trophies. His beautifully manicured fingers drum incessantly against his clipboard. Will Schuster is seated across from him.]

Will: You can’t do this! Those kids have worked too hard for you to ruin Regionals for them. Again.

Johnny: [cocks eyebrow and leans forward] Hard work? Let me tell YOU about hard work, you brillo-headed tone-deaf poster boy for all the things that were wrong with '80s boy bands. I skated backwards uphill both ways in Red Square wearing only a mink bowtie to outrun the KGB. Hard work? Try slitting a man’s throat from 100 yards with a thrown skate. Your little freaks don't know the meaning of hard work--

-CLICK-

Big Bang Theory

Johnny/Sheldon: I wonder if I’ll get nominated for an Emmy?

[Koothrappali whispers in Wolowitz’s ear. Penny rolls her eyes. Wolowitz snickers.]

Johnny: Why are you laughing? We have a show on TV. You can get an Emmy for that.

Leonard: They’re laughing cuz you’re a car.

-CLICK-

Dirty Jobs
[Scene: Johnny/Mike Rowe stands on the precipice of a sewer drain in New York. He looks down. He looks up. He looks down again. He looks back up at his work partner, an elderly engineer leaning casually on a shovel.]

Johnny: You want me to go down there?

Pedro: Sí.

[Johnny looks back down into the hole.]

Johnny: There? Down there?

Pedro: Sí.

[Johnny swallows audibly.]

Johnny: Is there a very good reason?

Pedro: Sí. There is a blockage.

[Pedro holds out his shovel.]

Pedro: You are going to unblock it.

[Johnny looks at the shovel.]

Johnny: Not for all the Birkins in China.

-CLICK-

Mad Men

Johnny/Joan Holloway Harris: I feel like I’m stuck somewhere between Doris Day in Pillow Talk and Midnight Lace, when what I need to be is Kim Novak in just about anything.

-CLICK-

True Blood
[Scene: Johnny/Sookie sashays through Merlotte’s Bar and Grill, black shorts and tight white T-shirt drawing admiring glances from the half-drunk patrons. The front door flies open with a bang. Eric and Bill shove their way through the door, each fighting the other to get to Sookie first.]

Eric [breathless]: Sookie! We’ve had enough. You must choose. I can no longer tolerate being an afterthought in your life.

Bill [chest heaving]: Sook-eh, listen to me. I love you. I always loved you. How can you have feelings for this ... this Viking? My blood is in your veins. We are meant to be together!

[Johnny blinks, looking back and forth at the two desperate vampires.]

Johnny: Ya’ll need to calm down. I already told ya’ll how I feel. Eric gets Monday through Thursday. Bill, honey, you get Friday to Sunday. That's the deal. Take it or leave it.

[Johnny turns and exits, ponytail swinging.]

Bill: Was Sook-eh wearing ice skates ...?

-CLICK-

Kaboom! infomercial:

Johnny/Billy Mays: You bet your Loubs I CLEAN tiles! I bet YOU can’t clean TILES like I CAN clean TILES! I SPRAY KABOOM® ON MY TILES! It’s got TRIPLE SPRAY ACTION, which is MORE artistic than other cleaners and LEAVES some energy for TRIPLE AXELS and SPINS! A little KABOOM® plus the exaggerated decibel level of my VOICE and KABOOM®! It’s ALL CLEAN! IT CLEANS SHOWERS! IT CLEANS FLOORS! IT WILL EVEN CLEAN YOUR ENTRYWAY! It will CLEAN EVERY DIRTY BATHTUB IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERIFUNK. Twice! THREE TIMES! WATCH as I KABOOM® this GLUE-GUN RESIDUE off Tara's DRAPES!! WATCH as I KABOOM® Paris!! WATCH--!!

-CLICK-

SpongeJohnny Sparklepants theme song and opening credits!

[Scene: SpongeJohnny and Paris/Patrick are sitting in Squid-lina's front yard, back to back, eyes devoid of rational thought.]

SpongeJohnny: What do you wanna do today?

Pa(ris)trick: I dunno. What do you wanna do today, bitch?

SpongeJohnny: I dunno. What do YOU wanna do today, super-bitch?

Pa(ris)trick: I dunno. What do YOU WANNA--.

[Squid-lina sticks her head out her front door, eyes bulging, pomegranate juice in one hand.]

Squid-lina: If you two don’t be shuttink ups, I killink both you and snail you rode in on!

Gary-Eric Alt [with concern]: Meow.

SpongeJohnny: Hey! I know! Let’s go do a quad on Plankton’s head!

Pa(ris)trick: Yeah! Um ... I can’t quad ...

SpongeJohnny: Oh, it’s OK, bitch. Just keep belly strong! We’ll do it together!

-CLICK-

"… and in a stunning move, the ISU and USFSA today announced in a joint statement that they are scrapping the entire judging hierarchy and incomprehensible WTF Points-Based Scoring Thingy in favor of a new, simplified judging system. Since expressing her interest in a tweet heard ’round the figure-skating world a week ago, Patti Weir has been named the new Czarina of Judging. She in turn has chosen her son Johnny, the 'People’s Skater,' as Czar, and his Aunt Diane as co-Czarina. Together the three promise to revolutionize figure-skating with a simple thumbs-up/thumbs-down judging method that will leave no room for politicking, point-shaving, or podium placements for people who spend most of their programs falling down. The news was heralded as a milestone for figure skating, and in a press release issued by his Agentress, Tara 'Yes! Book Him!' Modlin, Johnny was quoted as saying: 'I am honored to be able to have a positive impact on the sport that I love so much, and I promise to perform "Just Dance" in my Porno Robot costume before every competition as requested by my fans …' "

(… hey, we can dream …)

Oh, and BTW:

(Sweet Weirsus PLEASE let it have a calendar so we can know what's coming up when and how many of our belongings and relatives we need to sell in order to be able to attend every possible Johnny event everywhere ... )

AND:

Yes! I can't wait! If you can't either, you can preorder his book through Amazon right now!

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.

Yes! You can own a fine art print of Johnnyperfect for any/every room in the house! Prints of artist Peter Jurik's "Showtime!" are available for purchase from his website.More info here!

VERY SPECIAL THANKSto the incomparable NinjaGirl and my own NicoFierce,who wrote like 90% of this post and without whomthere would be no super-silly blog today.Thank you, thank you, thank you!And special thanks also to Jenn Kittlerfor the last-minute screen cap!

Please remember to register to receivethe JW Art Project's email newsletter!
They have great tidbits to offer,
and you get a special sneak peek at an exclusive photo
from the Artbook when you sign up!

Special holiday offer!
In exchange for a donation to Toys for Tots,
Trish Aaron-Misiura will send you one handmade,
Johnny-inspired Christmas ornament! More info here!

Please vote for Johnny as "Must-Follow Personality"in the Fourth Annual Mashable Awards!To vote, enter "@JohnnyGWeir" in the box after "I nominate,"and then choose "Must-Follow Personality"from the pull-down menu.You can vote once a day until Monday, November 29!The top five in each category will advanceto the finalists' round, which begins December 1.

Thursday, November 4, 2010

SWTS: Seriously, We Think So ...!

OK, even @FSOnline has happily tweeted

about Johnny and SWTS now,

though ABC remains completely and resolutely mum.

Not sure what they're waiting for,

but I'll be excited to finally see an "official" announcement

about the pro skaters and judges

sometime before the show ends in December ...

Above, with Shannon Lenihan and Agentress Tara at the dot429 party that he tweeted about, Johnny sports his self-described "preppy-dork" ensemble (lol! I love it, and the Chanel penguin / "dressed-up-like-a-boy" look he wore to the premiere of the "arm-cutty-offy" movie 127 Hours on Tuesday). Here's a great write-up of his comments from the dot429 event.

And thanks to Johnny--who continues to broaden my horizons daily, because whoever thought I would someday find myself needing to use the phrase "Porno Robot" in a sentence even once, let alone repeatedly--I now know that dot429 is an amazing "professional network for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community, and its allies, and that it is dedicated to connecting LGBTA professionals online and in person." But why is it called "dot 429"? I found the answer in an article from August 2010:

"The name 'Dot429' is a bit of a secret handshake," said Cathy Brooks, a strategic communications coach and one of the sites’ founding members. "4-2-9, when viewed on an old alphanumeric keypad spells 'G-A-Y,' and the 'dot' indicates 'connecting the dots.' Not merely of the LGBT community, but also extending out to the 'A' as in Allies."

Very cool! You can join dot429 for free, and also "like" them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter.

And after you're done with that, here's another treat for you: Part 2 of the article from an-an, with special thanks again to our wonderful Akiko Nakata! Some soul-baring comments from Johnny, and yet another fab picture. Enjoy!

Interview title: "Johnny Weir: 'I'm a Strong Person' "
Interview series: "Who’s Hot?" #52
an-an #1732: November 10, 2010, pp. 97-99
Interviewer: Mie Furuya
Photographer: Hidemi Ogata (Yes! The same photographer who did the shoots for the Artbook!)

Part 2

"There Are Some People Who Should Be Alone.
For Example, I'm One of Them."

May I ask about your private life?
Usually I often fly all over the world. As if my life was all in planes.

What do you bring with you every time?
So many things. My favorite diptych candles, Ren face wash, Ping-chan ... You feel lonely if you are always traveling, don't you? I only hope to make me feel comfortable at the places I stay. So I have a lot of baggage and I am charged extra every time. I have three suitcases this time, too! I think I must be a troublesome passenger.

In the US, you live alone, don't you?
Yes. I’m happy with it. I'm rather hard to please.

What kind of person will you choose as a life partner?
I have no idea. Now I am so busy that I think I might well postpone loving someone. I used to think I should always love someone, but now I don't think I should. Moreover ... I think there are "some people who should be alone."

"Some people who should be alone"?
Yes. For example, I'm one of them. I don't think I should always love someone. Now I love myself most of all.

"I'm a Strong Person. I Believe in Myself."

Why do you think you could be a top athlete for so long as thirteen years?
I think it happened so naturally. I'm wise, but sometimes I'm silly and I fail. Even though I knew what would happen, sometimes I didn't stop doing it. But every time I learned something from what happened, and I could advance. That's why I have been a top athlete for all these years: because I'm a strong person.

It's great that you definitely say, "I'm strong." Where did you get such strength?
I have this strength thanks to my parents. My parents have never said to me, "No." Even when they knew I would fail, they let me fail and gave me an opportunity to learn for myself. And I know that it is a fact that one is born alone and dies alone. If you don't make yourself strong, nobody will do that for you.

How would an-an readers be able to be strong like you?
Look in the mirror at the end of the day, and think that you are beautiful. I would do that before. When I was younger, I was hurt by many things and often depressed, and I cried in the shower, but after that I would feel strong when I saw my eyes shining in a mirror.

To find something good in ourselves is the key, right?
Right. Many people think they should be perfect, but I think that is wrong. Nobody is perfect. If you know that, you will find your way.

What is your goal? Will you tell us a goal for the near future and another for the distant future?
My goal for the near future is to succeed in all the projects I'm working on. By "succeed," I don't mean that I will make big money or that my song will be at the top of the charts. I don't feel such things are important. If I feel only that I did my best and that I learned something from it, then that is "success" for me. My goal for the distant future is: "Happiness."

What is "happiness" for you?
Love, friends, work, house ... feeling myself filled with something whenever and wherever. However, if something was missing from the list, I wouldn't think I was unhappy. For example, when I'm not satisfied with love or I don't have a good job, if I can move forward, just keep moving forward, it's OK. And I'm rather happy if I have a flute glass of champagne, ice cream, and a cashmere blanket [laughing].

Is figure skating in the picture of your happy future?
I think I would be too old to compete then [laughing]. But figure skating has been something special for me since childhood. So I think figure skating will be part of Johnny Weir for ever.

Lastly, please tell the readers how to be beautiful like you!
Treat yourself well, for your outside beauty needs everyday care. I think your inside beauty is nurtured by loving yourself, and it will show on the outside. As long as you believe in and love yourself, nothing but good will happen to you. You will surely be beautiful and attractive.

Caption with this photo in an-an:

As long as you believe in and love yourself,

nothing but good will happen to you.

Special holiday offer!
In exchange for a donation to Toys for Tots,
Trish Aaron-Misiura will send you one handmade,
Johnny-inspired Christmas ornament! More info here!

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

SWTS: So Why The Secrecy? Still Wildly Thinking Stuff. Stop Whispering The Salad. OK Now We're Just Being Silly...

Kayso I watched this promo spot when it came on toward the end of Dancing With the Stars (and praise Weirsus for TiVo so I could just record and fast-forward because unless/until Johnny is on DWTS which I'm not sure I evan really want for him but that's another whole blog post that will of course end with, "but whatever he wants to do, I support him!", in my house DWTS = Don't Watch This Shit) and now I have learned that the six non-skater celebs featured on it will be: Bethenny Frankel, Real Housewives of New York; Olympic gold-medal skier Jonny Mosely; Rebecca Budig, All My Children; Brandon Mychal Smith, Disney's Sonny With a Chance; Sean Young, movie actress and most recently on The Young and the Restless; and Motley Crue's Vince Neil.

Which is a list of names that ranks among the top ten most bizarre answers to a trivia question ever. And also isn't really what I wanted to know, so I am left with even more questions, the most important ones being: (1) Johnny?, (2) JOHNNY??, and
(3) Hey, is that Denis Petukhov there skating with Sean Young???

Yes, I think it is! Now that suddenly makes this whole SWTS thing much more interesting, boosting it right up there from So Worried This'll Suck to Seriously Wow They're Skating? to Should Watch This Shit! territory ...

In the meantime, while speculation runs rampant about who the other pro skaters are and who's judging this thing, USA Today just came right out and said it. And then @SarahandDrew tweeted it.

So OK then! That's almost ... official ...

Excuse me. ABC? Do you have something you'd like to share with the class ...?

Well, while we're waiting for a bit more formal announcement than oh say a blurry twitpic of some people who could be skaters or judges or just a random group of oddly dressed strangers milling furtively in an alley and looking startled to have been captured by someone's iPhone, please feel free to run right over to Facebook and "like" the SWTS page.

And then fill yourselves with the sumptuous delight that is Part 1 of the article from an-an, the latest Japanese magazine to feature fab photos of Johnny sprinkled within another wonderfully thoughtful interview. Akiko and I think we've set a new record with this one: The magazine came out yesterday, Akiko bought a copy at a convenience store at 7:50 am, and now here it is, all warm from my email and freshly translated here for you to enjoy, with Part 2 to follow. :)

Johnny Weir is an idol all over the world because of his extraordinary skating and unique aesthetics. On the day of the interview, unfortunately, he was not feeling very well since he had a slight cold, but he came to the studio with a big smile on his face. Instantly, all the people there were charmed by him.

"A Year Off from Competitions Will Make Me Stronger"

How many times have you been to Japan?
How many times, I wonder? A great many times. Since I was fifteen years old, I have come to Japan three times every year.

How do you like Japan?
I love Japan!! It’s beautiful and fashionable. People are liberal. I think Japanese people respect each other, and they relate to others with love. I hope someday I will take my children and/or grandchildren to Japan and say to them, "Look, this is a country that I love."

Did you do all the photo shoots for the Artbook in Japan?
Yes, I did. I think many things from my life are in the Artbook. Probably you would find it artistic even after 50 years. It may be easy to take pictures simply, but it is very difficult to take pictures perfectly as art. In America we have the saying, "It takes a whole village to raise a child," and it's same with the photo book. I have suggested a lot about the project concerning make-up, graphics, and fashion.

You are famous as a fashionista, too. What is your favorite style?
It changes every day, according to my feelings. I love Chanel, Christian Louboutin, and Hermes. On the other hand, I know how to be stylish without spending so much money, because I was raised in a very small town.

"I Wasn’t Afraid of Not Taking Part in Competitions"

I hear that you decided to take a year off after the Vancouver Olympics.
Yes. It is very good for me to take a year off.

Why did you decide not to compete at this point in your career?
One reason is that I had just competed at the Olympics. Another reason is that I am a little too old as a competitor. So I wanted to rest for a while.

I see.
Now I miss achieving something after practicing very hard, but I am happy that I can concentrate on other projects.

What are the other projects?
Publishing the Artbook and my autobiography, and releasing my songs. I have been a top athlete for thirteen years. I always had to sacrifice something for practices and competitions. Now, for the first time in my life, I have many new things to challenge me. I'm sure taking one year off will make me stronger for the next season.

You will have a one-year blank in your career as a figure skater. Weren't you afraid of that?
Not at all. I'm a strong person, and I can cope with anything that may happen. I have no fear.

You are going to compete at the Sochi Olympics?
Yes, I am. It's my dream to compete at Sochi in Russia, my favorite country. I hope I will be able to compete and show something unique and beautiful there. However, I won't take part in it if I don't expect to be able to compete for a gold medal. As an artist, I think it is important to give performances that are original, but for an athlete, it is all to get a medal.

Do you think it will be necessary to perform quads to get a medal?
It will be so in four years. Now I think I can do quads, but if I couldn't in four years, I wouldn't compete at the Olympics.

How much do you practice these days?
During the competitive season, I practice for four hours a day, five days a week. Since I'm not competing this season, I'm not on the ice for as long as usual. I practice Pilates a lot. It strengthens my muscles without thickening them. Appearances are very important in figure skating. Too-thick muscles on you are not beautiful.

Is being slender ideal for figure skaters?
Not necessarily. I like the bodies of ballet dancers. They are slender and look healthy, without too-thick muscles on them. My ideal is a body like Mikhail Baryshnikov's.

Which part of your body do you like best?
I love my eyes. I was lucky to be given these eyes. They are large and green, with long, thick eyelashes.

Your eyelashes look like those of a doll.
Especially now. They have mascara on them since I had make-up done for a shoot. But they are naturally doll-like. My father's eyelashes are longer than mine. Another part I like is my abdominal muscles, but now my abdomen is not as tight as usual because I eat a lot of sweets these days [laughing].

Which part of your body do you dislike?
My thighs. They are large, as they should be for a figure skater. They are so large that I wish I could delete some muscles from them, but I need the muscles to jump.

Stay tuned for Part 2 of the an-an interview
courtesy of the fabulous Akiko Nakata!

Special holiday offer!
In exchange for a donation to Toys for Tots,
Trish Aaron-Misiura will send you one handmade,
Johnny-inspired Christmas ornament! More info here!

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

More from the Mook, and Please Remember to Be an Army of One Today

Because I love this beautiful man,

and because I love my children

and I want their future to be in the hands of others

who believe, as I do,

that it's wrong to bully anyone for any reason,

but especially for perceived sexual orientation;

that it's wrong to be fired from your job

because you're gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgendered;

that it's wrong to be denied the right to marry

the person whom you love;

and that it's wrong to have to live a lie

or play let's pretend in order to serve in the military,

I will be voting today.

And even if your politics disagree with mine,

please, please go vote.

Because that's the beauty of it:

Here in America, we all have a voice.

Raise yours today by casting a vote

in accordance with your beliefs.

And be an Army of One.

Back to the Future: Today we present the conclusion of the gentle and sensitive interview of Johnny in the Mook Book by gifted sports journalist Akiko Tamura. In the fascinating final section of this three-part series, Johnny discusses how his parents got it right, his reaction to his Olympic scores, and how he really feels about his fans.

With many thanks to our translator, the fabulous Akiko Nakata, here is Part 3 of this series from the Mook.

From the "Special Interview with Johnny Weir," by Akiko Tamura, conducted in NYC, April 2010, pp. 26-29 of the Mook.

Johnny answered my questions during breaks between shooting the photos for this book in collaboration with M.A.C.

"Advancing Is My Life"

Though you finished sixth at the Olympics, you have received a lot of offers for various projects. Why do you think so many offers have come your way?
I think it's because a lot of people support not only my performance, but also my opinions and behaviors. Freedom of expression is considered important, especially in the US, so there must be many fans who found me interesting in that sense, too. Olympians who finish sixth don't usually receive as much attention as I have. I think it's wonderful to have a lot of opportunities to express myself, as I'm doing now.

How was this personality of yours created?
My parents never told me, "Don't do this." They gave me a lot of freedom, and I tried many things I chose for myself. I fell down and got hurt, so in my way I learned many things.

Did you fall many times?
Innumerably. Even now I often fall. But advancing like this is my life. I can't stay in the same place forever. If you reviewed your life when you were 85 years old and thought, "I have lived a peaceful life without much trouble with others," wouldn't it be so boring? It is silly to spend your life always being concerned about what other people think about you.

Johnny waves
to the crowd
as he leaves the
ice after
his free-skate
scores were
announced.

You chose figure skating as a way to express yourself. However, as long as you compete as an amateur, others' evaluation of you decides your place. How can you accommodate or reconcile your self-expression with this reality?
I don't think I will be able to reach an accommodation. Ever.

There will always be some people who regard figure skating as unified, and who insist, "You shouldn't do this," "You shouldn't say that." I have no idea how many generations will be necessary from here until the point that skaters can express themselves freely. I never try to hurt anyone, but many people are afraid of me, imagining what I will say next or what I will do next. As an athlete, naturally, I don't want to lose to anyone. I had trained not to place sixth at the Olympics, but to get a medal. It was really difficult for me to accept the result, especially since I didn't fall. But a great many fans said that I should have gotten a medal. Not only bronze. Some people said I deserved the gold medal, and I was very honored. I think I was able to continue skating because such fans supported me.

I don't think I should try to reconstruct my relationship with the USFSA or the judges to become their favorite. I can never pretend to be a person from a cookie cutter just so I can be liked by someone.

At the Olympics, you seemed to react to the result very calmly.
With many TV cameras pointed at me and tens of thousands of fans watching me, I had to keep my mind tough and behave with dignity. But when I went to the back, I cried behind the curtain for 35 or 40 minutes, and then I had a doping test. After returning to the Olympic Village, I cried in the shower for an hour. But while the audience and the cameras were facing me, I thought, "I can't lose my cool right now." That's why I could behave calmly then.

"My Fans Are Almost My Family"

Johnny enjoys meeting fans in China in August 2010.

Special thanks to Agentress Tara for the photo!

I feel that you are closer to your fans than most skaters are with their fans. Do you think so?
Yes, I do. For me, my fans are almost my family. There are many skaters who have no personal relationship with their fans. But I always hope my fans know how grateful I am to them for supporting me, and I always hope to know those who are supporting me.

Are you considerate of others that way by nature?
Yes, I don't just pretend that. For example, when I went to Japan for the first time, I was surprised to see my fans waiting for me at the hotel lobby. It is the supreme devotion to wait for such a long time just to meet for a minute, say hello, and shake hands. I hope to perform well for my fans, and I can continue skating for as long as my fans support me. I think it is my duty to open myself to my fans and to spend as much time with them as possible.

Don't you feel it's difficult sometimes?
Rarely. Only just after a long flight or when I'm exhausted, or, as in Vancouver, when I am depressed. Then it takes an effort for me to keep smiling and talking. However, my biggest problem is that I want more time to be with as many fans as possible. I have never been bothered by meeting my fans. To meet my fans is my duty, and my honor as well.

I would be nothing without my fans supporting me. It is usually difficult to be invited to a show if you place sixth at the Olympics and have only one World medal. As my fans are, I am--and I never forget that.

Programming note: Hey! During the Dancing With the Stars results tonight, there's supposed to be an announcement about the cast of ABC's new six-episode show, Skating With the Stars, which premieres Monday, November 22. While I can't stand DWTS (unless, of course, Johnny is on it someday, in which case it will become my new all-time favorite program), I am going to flip channels from intense watching of election coverage (please holy mother of Gaga and with apologies to any readers who might disagree: Christine O'Donnell? No. Just ... no) because I'm dying of curiosity about this show ...!

Special holiday offer!
In exchange for a donation to Toys for Tots,
Trish Aaron-Misiura will send you one handmade,
Johnny-inspired Christmas ornament! More info here!