Interview with Weir `Deep down I'm an old Russian Lady'

[Cherub721]

I am ROFL that the Jesus program was supposed to be "masculine." God bless Johnny.

[AndyWarhol]

i read 90% of that. Thanks for the posting.

Johnny is always amusing. I wish him well for his comeback.

[museksk8r]

" By the way, the federation treats me better than ever. Guess they realize I'm the only one who can keep the figure skating popular in the USA. Evan won the Olympics but no one has a clue who is he. Yes. I can make our sport popular again.. I hope the federation will let me participate all the competitions I have to and will explain how to be liked by the judges as well as the public. For the last 2 years I got too used to skate for people who would clap just if I shake my ass."

And there are those of us who find you attitude so offputting that it's sad. I was thinking you had grown up, but here comes the 'classic' Weir comment.

And when he doesn 't win a Gold Medal it won't be HIS fault, he will back to the Federation....

ANd yes, Weir you are better known then other skaters... sadly it's more for your "act" then your skating.

Overall, I find him harmless and amusing, but I can see how you may not like his delivery. He pretty much told the truth. Who outside of the skating world and fans who are really into skating know who Lysacek is? I don't know of anyone. I have to say though that I didn't like any of Johnny's exhibition skating to Lady Gaga music doing only a 3toe with the ass shaking and billion simple crossovers that was supposed to be choreography? If he does come back, I hope it is to seriously improve and become a better skater, which will mean he will have to become COP savvy, a weakness that cost him an Olympic medal.

[Wyliefan]

Being the best known and keeping figure skating popular are not at all the same thing.

[museksk8r]

It's too bad the Bravo network can't have a reality show called "The Real Divos of US Figure Skating" following the lives of Evan Lysacek, Johnny Weir, Jeremy Abbott, Adam Rippon, Joshua Farris, and Jason Brown. That could boost public interest and ratings I think!

[Yazmeen]

I wish him luck with his comeback and hopes he will be happy, but he has already accomplished his prime directive, mainly getting lots of attention for himself.

Johnny's main goal is to be a STAR, and he accomplishes that every time he opens his mouth. Skating is quite secondary to stardom for him, IMO. And the thing that really bugs me is how much he'll likely take attention away from other US skaters (not just the men) competing this season with his penchant for "it's all about me" (after all, he's the only one who can save US skating, don'tcha know...)

Same old, same old from Johnny. Hopefully his blades might speak more for him once the season starts.

[SkateFan66]

Who outside of the skating world and fans who are really into skating know who Lysacek is? I don't know of anyone.

Who? Maybe the millions of people that watched season 10 of Dancing With the Stars. It took more than the 'figure skating' fan base to vote Lysacek into the DWTS Finals.

[ioana]

Who? Maybe the millions of people that watched season 10 of Dancing With the Stars. It took more than the 'figure skating' fan base to vote Lysacek into the DWTS Finals.

But do any casual fans really know who Evan is or just refer to him as 'the tall guy who won the Olympics?' I have several friends who only follow skating around the Olympics and both of them were excited to hear Johnny was coming back. I don't really get this, but I can see how it could give casual viewers a sense of continuity -"remember Johnny from Vancouver when he thought he wuzrobbed? Well, now he's back."

[overedge]

The theme of the programme is phoenix. How it rises from the ashes.

SM: Do you mean yourself?
JW: You bet. I'll tell my story on the ice.

Doing a program about "rising from the ashes" is taking a big risk, if it doesn't work and he doesn't get out of the ashes, so to speak...

[Skittl1321]

Who? Maybe the millions of people that watched season 10 of Dancing With the Stars. It took more than the 'figure skating' fan base to vote Lysacek into the DWTS Finals.

Do they remember him though? Or was he that "figure skating guy"? IIRC, some race car driver guy one once too. I have no idea who he is now though.

[manleywoman]

It's too bad the Bravo network can't have a reality show called "The Real Divos of US Figure Skating" following the lives of Evan Lysacek, Johnny Weir, Jeremy Abbott, Adam Rippon, Joshua Farris, and Jason Brown. That could boost public interest and ratings I think!

Except that a lot of those you listed don't have diva personalities.

[Louis]

SM: I have an impression all your weirdness is calculated....

I love Russian interviewers!

[Skittl1321]

Except that a lot of those you listed don't have diva personalities.

Editing could take care of that

[SkateFan66]

Do they remember him though? Or was he that "figure skating guy"? IIRC, some race car driver guy one once too. I have no idea who he is now though.

How could you not remember Helio Castroneves? ;-)

Given the number of times that I have seen Evan's name mentioned the last few weeks regarding the DWTS All-Star season, I would say that it is safe to assume that many of the DWTS viewers (and journalist that write about the show) remember Evan. Will all the viewers remember Evan's name? No. However, given Evan's success on DWTS, I think that it is naive to assume that ONLY die hard skating fans know who he is.

[UGG]

The only skaters that non fans today in the US know of are Tonya Harding, Nancy Kerrigan, Brian Boitano, Michelle Kwan, and possibly Katerina Witt. Maybe Kristi.

Most of my gay friends who are not skating fans know who Johnny is. He has never been the topic of conversation with my straight friends so outside of the gay community (at least in my experience) he is not a household name.

I would agree no one in the US knows Evan and that he is not a household name. But they also have no idea who Sarah Hughes is, or Tara Lipinski is and they think Michelle Kwan has won 5 Olympic Gold medals LOL.

Overall I liked his interview however I think he thinks he is more popular than he really is.

[overedge]

SM: Pushkin is hard to translate. Do you have favourite quotes?
JW: I recall one, but think it's actually Tolstoy: Upon the brink of a wild stream he stood and dreamed a mighty dream.

A few weeks ago he was quoted in PEOPLE magazine as saying that this was the quote he chose for his entry in his high school yearbook. If it's that much of his favourite, I'm surprised he isn't quite sure who it's by.

[Nomad]

^ Maybe he doesn't actually read that volume of Pushkin he carries around everywhere.

[Jot the Dot Dot]

The only skaters that non fans today in the US know of are Tonya Harding, Nancy Kerrigan, Brian Boitano, Michelle Kwan, and possibly Katerina Witt. Maybe Kristi.

You forgot Joannie Rochette. Difference between her & Johnny is that she is an inspiration for skating so soon after such a tragedy. Johnny seems to be more of a sideshow.

[SkateFan66]

I guess Lysacek only has 64,000+ followers on Twitter because NO ONE knows who he is.

[Nomad]

64,000 is about 0.018 % of the population of North America.