Figure Skating TV Commentators thread

screech said:
There's been a lot of talk about how if you're in later groups, your PCS automatically go up - things like that. Mainly from Carol Lane.
Click to expand...

Yes, I noticed that quite a bit and it is really annoying. I feel she is prepping her audience for when her "special" team G/P skate who I do not believe are in the last group as they shouldn't be. She will be sure to point out that there marks should have been higher but they weren't because they skated in an earlier group. Kurt needs to take control sometimes. I wish they had brought David Pelletier along for the pairs. He always gives great technical analysis of what the problem was on an element. ie sometimes on a landing of a throw he will say to look at the snow in front of the blade...that is because she was too far forward or a particular lift that is usually shaky so you think the pair guy is not doing his job he will point out that the girl's leg was wagging which throws the balance of the lift off and the guy really was making a great save.
 
@screech Tannith White said the same thing - that they should be rewarded more. I'm actually surprised at how much their scores tanked after Virtue and Moir came back. Before V/M came back they were competitive with the US teams, but for whatever reason after that point their scores have been not nearly as competitive. I don't even know why - their skating is as good as ever and their programs continue to be top notch.
 
Willin said:
@screech Tannith White said the same thing - that they should be rewarded more. I'm actually surprised at how much their scores tanked after Virtue and Moir came back. Before V/M came back they were competitive with the US teams, but for whatever reason after that point their scores have been not nearly as competitive. I don't even know why - their skating is as good as ever and their programs continue to be top notch.
Click to expand...

It's like the year Tracy Wainman put it all together at the 1986 Canadian Championships after so many seasons of struggle and hardship.

Liz Manley was as good as ever, but it's like the judges forgot all about her for that competition.
 
Last edited:
I didn't realize this, but Dick Button still tweets live commentary! He's pretty harsh most of the time and I rarely agree with him, but it's good to see him still going at his age!
 
I don't always/usually agree with what he has to say, but I will say *whispers* Johnny has a great commentary voice. He could say "mud" and make it sound glamorous. And even a little sexy.
 
I don't know if this was previously posted, by T&J defend the perception that their commentary is 'mean,' in a Washington Post article:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...h-can-be-hard-to-hear/?utm_term=.5da66c364182

I wouldn't characterize their commentary as necessarily 'mean' exactly, though at times they can be overly harsh which makes them appear insensitive. I also don't think there was anything wrong with Johnny stating it was the worst he'd ever seen Nathan skate. That was a true statement for anyone who's followed Nathan's skating career. Johnny could have provided a bit more context however, in making that statement. But that's part of the problem with the limited NBC format. Most of the critiques with 3 people in the booth end up being of the sound bite variety. Plus status quo speak and superficial pronouncements often abound. I understand the need to entertain for casual viewers, but I think there's a better way to do that while also offering informative insights about the sport and making connections. That's harder to do though, if you are not versed in a well-grounded understanding of the sport's history. T&J need to spend some time with Dick Button to bone up on historical background, and also read Ryan's (@N_Halifax's) Skateguard blog.

Johnny discusses how much work they do prepping in advance of the new season and for the Olympics. I'm sure they do a lot of work behind the scenes that's not apparent on air, but surely they also have researchers who are supposed to provide background detail/ stats on the skaters. Johnny tours with some of the skaters and he was able to offer some anecdotes and direct quotes in that way which often were insightful and/or entertaining. But once again, Johnny doesn't have a lot of time with the limited format and Tara's tendency toward over-talking, to really make the kind of impact he made in 2012 on IceNetwork when he did color commentary for the men's event at U.S. Nationals. In a few instances in his Olympics coverage, Johnny was repetitive with his use of the same anecdote. Once or twice hearing the same story is enough. It becomes boring the third and fourth time.

I am especially tired of Tara jabbering when skaters go into a jump. She overtalks, saying things like, "He has trouble with this jump," or other unnecessary stuff that we do not need to hear at that particular point. Much of Tara's chatter seems to show some anxiety and nerves on her part for the skater, rather than informing viewers of something important. Above all, try not to be a jinx. Sometimes Tara says things that are wrong or off-kilter, and that's annoying too. For example, at Nationals in 2017 she went on and on during C/L's sp skate which totally destroyed my enjoyment of their performance. Tara did not seem to realize that Timothy also used to skate singles, since she gave Ashley all the credit for having been a singles skater and therefore the stronger jumper who gave her partner confidence. Wrong. Both Ashley and Timothy are good jumpers and former singles skaters and they both trust and rely on each other equally. If anything, Ashley is the one who began having some problems with URs on occasion, which she's seemed to have worked on overcoming. If T&J had done their homework, then they both should have known Timothy's background, and Tara's comments should have been corrected, or better yet avoided altogether.

I make these critiques because I like Johnny and Tara, and I'd love to see them do a better job. Terry's generally okay and he often has a better grasp, likely due to his long tenure of working with Dick and Peggy in the booth for ABC back-in-the-day. But even Terry at times has the wrong focus or he provides the wrong slant. It's probably not his fault, but once again more-so due to the limited and limiting status quo format, and NBC not wanting to ruffle anyone's feathers among U.S. figure skating honchos.
 
Last edited:
Also, for those who haven't checked recently, IceNetwork has up a new episode (Part II Olympic recap, and then they talk to Andrea Joyce). Joyce may be a nice person, but I just find her annoying and OTT with her questioning and her demeanor. I guess I've never forgiven her for that cringeworthy interview she did with Johnny Weir and Evan Lysacek back-in-the-day, where she was trolling and trying to stir something up between them on purpose, just for effect (likely with U.S. fed's full approval). To make matters worse, all three were sitting scrunched together on what looked like a loveseat. :scream: By now I suppose Johnny has forgiven her. :p

I really do not care what Joyce thinks about what happened at the Olympics, but I'll listen and hope to be surprised, or end up shaking my head and rolling my eyes. Let's see...

http://web.icenetwork.com/fans/icetalk
 
Last edited:
I understand what you're saying about Tara and Johnny's commentary, aftershocks, and I mostly agree with you. But I'm convinced they listen to the little voices in their ears i.e the producers advising them what facts and factoids they could say and when they should say it.
For example, when Denny/Frazier began their SP, Tara informed us that they start their SP with a death spiral. Wrong! D/F's first element in their LP was the death spiral.

Perhaps Tara and Johnny at times too, rely too much on their notes (probably compiled by others) and just babble on per instructions and put their brains on autopilot.

For all that, they don't bother me that much. I still prefer them to Scott and Sandra. But I try to find commentary free videos on you tube for all the programs I want to see or save. :)
 
Aftershocks, I also noticed that Johnny (and Terry a couple of times) repeated a story or a comment twice in one night. At first I was confused. Then I realized they said it once earlier in the night on NBCSN and then repeated it later on NBC. I'm thinking they were told to repeat some things for the larger NBC audience.

As far as skating history goes, I really don't think the casual viewers care that much. I think the technical talk is good, and then apparently NBC wants some soundbytes they can repeat in those promos. How many times did we hear "Bow down to Nathan Chen!" Those are almost always Tara, because Johnny tends to be more technical and "smarter" in his commentary.
 
I am a huge fan of Scott Hamilton, in no small part to his "enthusiasm" during commentary but realistically he does not explain as much as he should. He can also be an apologist for certain skaters which he favors versus being totally objective. Still all of these dynamics not withstanding, I still greatly favor his presence as a sports narrator for figure skating. Tanith can be a touch overly critical at times but overall she does a good job. I could do without all the "showmanship" and drama of Johnny and Tara but overall they do a reasonably good job of explaining things to the viewer. I like Johnny much better when I don't have to look at his outlandish hairstyles and dress. If I don't see him but just hear him narrate, I can take him much more seriously. I have no issues with Tara aside from the fact that she does much fauning over Johnny but so be it. I think Johnny needs said fauning and he is driving the show. If she wants to be part of this duo - which no doubt is making a lot of money - she needs to do her part in stroking his ego and gushing over his outlandish dress. She is OK with me. So is he but I would appreciate more narration and less theatrics in terms of dress from him. As the previous poster pointed out, Weir is fairly intelligent and one can learn a good deal from listening to him.
 
At first when I heard Tara and Johnny were going to be commentators, I cringed. Now after watching an entire Olympics with them, I can say: they aren't as bad as I thought, but there's room for improvement.
Johnny seems to know what's going on, and I actually appreciate his kind of flamboyant way of presenting things. I don't want a stiff boring commentator to tell me facts I already know. He can be quite harsh, but I don't think he's any worse than Scott and Sandra. He doesn't have 10 minutes to sugarcoat things like "Well, they're very good skaters, they have great beautiful lines and extension, they are 2-time world champs, their skating skills are amazing, etc. but that was not the best skate I've ever seen them do." So I can forgive him most of the time, although sometimes his actual opinions on skating get me a little :confused:

Tara on the other hand drives me crazy. She talks a lot, but she doesn't really say anything of importance.

As much as people seem to like Tanith, I have mixed feelings. I admire her as a skater and she knows her stuff, but I feel like she's just explaining the sport to me, not really sharing her opinions, so I find her a little boring.
 
Justathoughtabl said:
Aftershocks, I also noticed that Johnny (and Terry a couple of times) repeated a story or a comment twice in one night. At first I was confused. Then I realized they said it once earlier in the night on NBCSN and then repeated it later on NBC. I'm thinking they were told to repeat some things for the larger NBC audience.

As far as skating history goes, I really don't think the casual viewers care that much. I think the technical talk is good, and then apparently NBC wants some soundbytes they can repeat in those promos. How many times did we hear "Bow down to Nathan Chen!" Those are almost always Tara, because Johnny tends to be more technical and "smarter" in his commentary.
Click to expand...

That may be true about Johnny repeating certain things under orders, for the different broadcasts on the same day. What I'm talking about e.g, is Johnny endlessly reciting the anecdote about Sui/Han (Han wheeled Sui out on the ice at a show in a wheelchair when she was injured). Johnny mentioned this during the team event, during the sp, during the fp, during a warm-up, and during another conversation. It was at least 4 or 5 times he said this, I would swear! :duh: And then Johnny's incessant uber love and exclaiming over the Russian ladies (very tiresome by now and no longer cute and sweet). :COP: :yawn:

As far as skating history, no one seems to understand what I mean. :drama: Does @N_Halifax or @skatesindreams understand? Does Tom Dickson understand? Does Janet Lynn understand? Does Ron Pfenning understand? Does Dorothy Hamill understand? Does Peggy Fleming understand? Does Tai Babilonia understand? Does Dick B understand? :wuzrobbed I'm talking about being grounded in a deeper knowledge, not only of historical moments and stats and personalities and cultural moments that impacted the sport -- not only that, but being able to make enlightening connections between the past and the current moment. Dick could do that very easily and in subtle, unconscious ways. I am not talking about stating who won the last Olympic medal for the U.S. in pairs. That's not what I'm talking about. :duh: It's deeper than that.

I've mentioned this previously: It's like in baseball, the greatest commentators (including Dick Enberg and Vin Scully) understood/ understand the history of baseball inside and out. And that's why they could/ can reveal it to us and make the sport come alive in the midst of a great World Series game, or just a great knuckle-biting game during the season or during the playoffs. I can't really explain what that is exactly. I will have to figure out an example of what I'm talking about in relation to figure skating. It's not about citing stats. It's more than that. Some tennis broadcasters used to be able to do that too. Perhaps it is a dying art. It's about making connections. Figure skating can't make connections because they are completely cut off from their history. They need to get rid of speed skaters mismanaging and manhandling the sport of fs for one thing!

Most viewers and commentators today (and younger fans) only have a memory from the early 1990s through today. Some discount the 1970s and the 1980s (forget about even earlier) as nether world and not important. I've heard fans disparage the skating of the 1980s, without understanding that what happened in those years led to what we see today in many intricate and fascinating ways.
 
Last edited:
brennele said:
I am a huge fan of Scott Hamilton, in no small part to his "enthusiasm" during commentary but realistically he does not explain as much as he should. He can also be an apologist for certain skaters which he favors versus being totally objective. Still all of these dynamics not withstanding, I still greatly favor his presence as a sports narrator for figure skating. Tanith can be a touch overly critical at times but overall she does a good job. I could do without all the "showmanship" and drama of Johnny and Tara but overall they do a reasonably good job of explaining things to the viewer. I like Johnny much better when I don't have to look at his outlandish hairstyles and dress. If I don't see him but just hear him narrate, I can take him much more seriously. I have no issues with Tara aside from the fact that she does much fauning over Johnny but so be it. I think Johnny needs said fauning and he is driving the show. If she wants to be part of this duo - which no doubt is making a lot of money - she needs to do her part in stroking his ego and gushing over his outlandish dress. She is OK with me. So is he but I would appreciate more narration and less theatrics in terms of dress from him. As the previous poster pointed out, Weir is fairly intelligent and one can learn a good deal from listening to him.
Click to expand...

:lol: I'm sorry, but I think you are misreading the Tara & Johnny show and their relationship and their spirit animal connection with each other. Shall we break it to @brennele softly @Justathoughtabl? :D;) Neither Tara nor Johnny take themselves or their shtick that seriously, contrary to what most people think. They are really cool together and they know how to rock who they are. Yep, they do have huge egos, but they are also self-aware, self-effacing (Johnny perhaps more than Tara), witty and confident. They bring out the fun and the diva in each other. They are serious about their day jobs of course, but they also enjoy having fun. To a degree, I think they are bored at some level by figure skating (they may deny my observation). Of course fs is a large part of their day jobs and what got them together and got them their NBC gig in the first place. As far as any one of them 'fawning' over the other. I think T&J truly care about each other and they both indulge and protect each other, even as they tease each other. They got each other's backs and that's a fact. Plus, they have a great chemistry with Terry, because Terry G is just a cool 'the bee's knees' kind of guy. I love Terry Gannon. :encore:

Perhaps I'm asking too much of the trio to commentate figure skating better. They've fallen into bad habits, but that's mostly because the NBC format sucks and it limits them. And the sport is so full of problems and status quo bs to the nth degree, they are often strait-jacketed and lost in the desert. Or maybe I should say they're lost in the polar regions which are suffering from global warming. :p:COP: Plus, Johnny is just really at another level better than Tara when it comes to fs commentary (singles mainly), but Johnny caters to Tara because she's his girl and they are in this thing together. Famous lyrics: "We're in this love together..." And Terry is a proud papa/ anchor man trying to guide them through.

As far as Scott Hamilton and Sandra Bezic: they were never good together. I think they tolerated each other. Unfortunately, they never enhanced each other and that was a big part of the problem. Their personalities were too different, and they seemed to exist on separate planes. Never the twain did meet. Plus Tom Hammond was always better at golf and horse racing than he ever was in the fs booth. Scott and Sandra were often good commentators with other people, but never with each other.
 
I have a hard time understanding the origin of the idea that Johnny needs people to stroke his ego, or that Tara strokes his ego (example?). Just because he dresses differently than most men doesn't mean he has a huge ego. I think he takes pride in being an individual and in looking his best (you may have a different definition of "best"). A woman who wears a Chanel suit and has her hair and makeup done is not usually considered to have a huge ego. She just likes clothes and likes playing with her look. I know I'm the type who doesn't like a lot of attention. When I'm complimented, I usually demure, and I'm trying to teach myself to accept the compliment and even be a bit proud, but smiling and saying "Oh thank you," and maybe even revealing where I got the outfit. Because why not take a little pride in yourself? I think that's doubly important for a gay man on television in a mainstream event like the Olympics. Perhaps you also think Adam Rippon has a huge ego because he's talked about his "outer beauty" and how cute he is. Well, I think both Adam and Johnny are just having fun and living their lives to the fullest. Why not? ETA that perhaps some of it is bravado, self-taught pride in order to BE a gay man in the public eye. (Think of Muhammad Ali talking about how pretty he was and screaming that he was the greatest. Might he have done that because he knew there were tons of people hating him because of his skin color and wanting to tear him down?)

I also have a hard time with people who "can't handle" seeing Johnny with his hair and makeup done. What people wear is so arbitrary and tied to cultural norms. The idea that of a silk tie is odd, when you think about it. Why do men wear a piece of silk running down their chest? That's weird. But we're used to it. That's the only thing that makes it acceptable and not surprising in our culture. Maybe we'll get a little more used to the idea that a man can do his hair and wear makeup, or that a woman doesn't have to, if she doesn't want to. Personally, I think Johnny's face is stunning and he looks better with minimal makeup and even a little bit of stubble. It plays up his beauty, somehow. But I totally support his wish to look however he wants to. Again, why not?
 
Justathoughtabl said:
I have a hard time understanding the origin of the idea that Johnny needs people to stroke his ego, or that Tara strokes his ego (example?). Just because he dresses differently than most men doesn't mean he has a huge ego. I think he takes pride in being an individual and in looking his best (you may have a different definition of "best"). A woman who wears a Chanel suit and has her hair and makeup done is not usually considered to have a huge ego. She just likes clothes and likes playing with her look. I know I'm the type who doesn't like a lot of attention. When I'm complimented, I usually demure, and I'm trying to teach myself to accept the compliment and even be a bit proud, but smiling and saying "Oh thank you," and maybe even revealing where I got the outfit. Because why not take a little pride in yourself? I think that's doubly important for a gay man on television in a mainstream event like the Olympics. Perhaps you also think Adam Rippon has a huge ego because he's talked about his "outer beauty" and how cute he is. Well, I think both Adam and Johnny are just having fun and living their lives to the fullest. Why not? ETA that perhaps some of it is bravado, self-taught pride in order to BE a gay man in the public eye. (Think of Muhammad Ali talking about how pretty he was and screaming that he was the greatest. Might he have done that because he knew there were tons of people hating him because of his skin color and wanting to tear him down?)

I also have a hard time with people who "can't handle" seeing Johnny with his hair and makeup done. What people wear is so arbitrary and tied to cultural norms. The idea that of a silk tie is odd, when you think about it. Why do men wear a piece of silk running down their chest? That's weird. But we're used to it. That's the only thing that makes it acceptable and not surprising in our culture. Maybe we'll get a little more used to the idea that a man can do his hair and wear makeup, or that a woman doesn't have to, if she doesn't want to. Personally, I think Johnny's face is stunning and he looks better with minimal makeup and even a little bit of stubble. It plays up his beauty, somehow. But I totally support his wish to look however he wants to. Again, why not?
Click to expand...

Very good post!
I think there's this stereotype going around that gay men are all the same: like peacocks. I have found this not to be true. Eric Radford and Tim LeDuc never came off that way to me. True, there are plenty of gay men who act peacock-ish, but it's not true for everyone. It's like the myth that all Asians are good at math (I'm Asian and I can barely add 2 + 2). The real point here is, it's not about "Johnny is over the top because he's gay", it's "Johnny is over the top because he's Johnny".
I don't have a problem with his outfits. I honestly don't care what a commentator wears, as long as he talks well. If all the froufrou makes him feel good, I say go for it. I remember my mom didn't want me to get a short haircut because she thought I'd look like a boy, but eventually I did, and frankly it makes me feel empowered and strong. Just because something isn't societal norm doesn't mean we should shun it. I mean, Jason Brown wears a ponytail and I LOVE it!!!

I personally would love to see Johnny rocking a goth look, eyeliner and all. I also think he's one of the few people who could wear a man bun the right way.

But really, my whole long speech here has nothing to do with his commentary, so shutting up now.
 
I think the Johnny/ego stuff has a lot to do with his behavior during his competitive career. The things I can remember are the refusing to stay at the Olympic village and something about a bath affecting his skating?

Certainly the whole reality show/documentary thing didn't help his image, particularly if you watch clips from it.

That was almost 10 years ago now, so I bet he's changed.
 
Justathoughtabl said:
Just because he dresses differently than most men doesn't mean he has a huge ego.
Click to expand...

I mostly agree with your entire post, which is addressing other comments than I specifically addressed in my previous post. So we're fairly on the same page, as I don't think Johnny takes himself too seriously. He's apparently very serious about housework and about his gorgeous complexion. ;) Other than that, I think he enjoys having fun with hair, makeup and clothes. If the result tends to shock some people, all to the better. But that's not his focus. He simply enjoys rocking who he is, and there's nothing wrong with that. He's a professed diva.

As to whether or not Johnny has a 'huge' ego, I would have to say that he definitely has an ego, like most people. Plus I see nothing wrong with having a huge ego, as long as its balanced by other worthy attributes. There are no humans without egos. Having one is a necessary thing in this world. Even devout monks have egos which they attempt to tame into submission! :lol: The important thing about Johnny is that he's fairly humorously self-aware. I also think he's a good-hearted person, no matter that he's often misjudged.

Mad for Skating said:
I personally would love to see Johnny rocking a goth look, eyeliner and all.
Click to expand...

Johnny's been there, done that for the famous 2011 MAC cosmetics holiday ad campaign:
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/217087644509747292/
https://www.vibe.com/2011/10/mac-holiday-2011-preview-glitter-and-ice-starring-johnny-weir/
 
Last edited:
Just reflecting on the CBC/TSN team - Kurt was 90% better than usual. I know the target audience is a bit different so they need to do more basic explaining but it was sooo much better than his usual chattering on. The comments were more to the point and all 3 of them saved more of the commentary for before and after and significantly less during than usual.
One thing did surprise me about Kurt. He seemed unaware of some pretty basic info - like who had won the medals in Pairs at Euros and that Jam/Cip only missed a medal by a small margin. He also seemed surprised in the Ladies wrap up when Brenda & Carole were mentioning that Med and Zag had identical LP points. Guess he is just a big-picture-who-won guy. Overall I found them much less prone to proclamations of who is better than who and pulling the positive out of most performances, although Brenda did let her personal opinion out in a way that made me chuckle. When Bob/Sol's FD marks came up she said something like "Apparently that was the best free skate so far tonight" in a most disapproving tone.

Whenever Piper/Paul were in the conversation they made it clear that Carol is one of their coaches before she made any comments about their skating. For the most part though she kept it less technical for them and mostly talked about them enjoying their Olympic experience. Though far from perfect I would rate them pretty good overall.

Also should mention that the mixed-zone interviews done by Paul Martini were nicely on the non-sensational side so of course he wins in comparison to AJ on NBC.
 
muffinplus said:
I don't want to give Koola King more airtime than she deserves but who are these Italian commentators?

https://youtu.be/fQqVreuD7A0

They analyzed Aliev's lutz and called it a loop because it uses the full blade take off...
Click to expand...
That is very good and they explain it really well. From a judging point of view it is a great training tool. And skaters should watch it too.

Once when I was calling elements at a competition, I did call a flip as a loop because of the flat edge on the right foot on take off.
 
Skate Talker said:
Just reflecting on the CBC/TSN team - Kurt was 90% better than usual. I know the target audience is a bit different so they need to do more basic explaining but it was sooo much better than his usual chattering on. The comments were more to the point and all 3 of them saved more of the commentary for before and after and significantly less during than usual.
Click to expand...

It does help that the Olympics coverage featured more skaters and there was much less cutting for commercials. So, the commentators had the time outside of the actual performances to discuss whatever they wanted to discuss.
 
Aftershocks, I have no idea how much chemistry there is or is not as between Tara and Johnny but he is clearly the money shot of the two. He is the superior commentator and, if anything, his flamboyant style of dress ups the ratings. "How Johnny is dressed today" adds yet another element of interest to the whole thing. It is his signature mark and it garners attention. Attention is what ratings are all about. Whether he dresses as he does because he simply prefers that manner of dress or whether it is because he is gay or whatever. It totally does not matter because it is an asset to his marketability.

Bottom line is that he is the more competent commentator and he is genuinely good at it. She is more window dressing, by comparison. She adds to the picture, for sure, but without him, I don't think she could carry it off on her own. She is quite mediocre as a commentator, in fact, but together they make a nice duo. She adds to the package but she could not pull it off on her own. Probably, he could. In fact, definitely he could. So with that being said, it absolutely DOES make sense to cater to him and faun over him.......and she absolutely does so. Whether it is truly natural and she has genuine "chemistry" with him or whether it is somewhat of an act on her part, it does not much matter. If she likes her job and she likes the money it brings in, it pays to keep him happy. Of the two, she is far more replaceable. She is not skilled nor knowledgeable enough to pull this off without him and any number of persons could easily replace her. She does work very well with him and the two together are fine. Probably they are friends and they do actually like one another. He is in charge of this deal, however, and he is the one bringing in the big bucks that both of them share in terms of payment for services. That being said, she absolutely should keep him happy and if doing so means gushing over him and his wardrobe, so be it.
 
aftershocks said:
I mostly agree with your entire post, which is addressing other comments than I specifically addressed in my previous post. So we're fairly on the same page, as I don't think Johnny takes himself too seriously. He's apparently very serious about housework and about his gorgeous complexion. ;) Other than that, I think he enjoys having fun with hair, makeup and clothes. If the result tends to shock some people, all to the better. But that's not his focus. He simply enjoys rocking who he is, and there's nothing wrong with that. He's a professed diva.

As to whether or not Johnny has a 'huge' ego, I would have to say that he definitely has an ego, like most people. Plus I see nothing wrong with having a huge ego, as long as its balanced by other worthy attributes. There are no humans without egos. Having one is a necessary thing in this world. Even devout monks have egos which they attempt to tame into submission! :lol: The important thing about Johnny is that he's fairly humorously self-aware. I also think he's a good-hearted person, no matter that he's often misjudged.



Johnny's been there, done that for the famous 2011 MAC cosmetics holiday ad campaign:
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/217087644509747292/
https://www.vibe.com/2011/10/mac-holiday-2011-preview-glitter-and-ice-starring-johnny-weir/
Click to expand...

Omg the gothic Johnny! I love this!
But yes, I totally agree with the rest of your post. A lot of skaters are divas, but as long as you still have a good heart (which I think he does), just be your crazy awesome self.
I think he could work on not being so harsh as a commentator, but that’s honestly the only thing I have against him, and I can’t say most people would be any gentler. Many commentators can go a little overboard on air but be very nice people. So I’m just going to give him a chance and see where this goes.
(And maybe kill Tara Lipinski for a few of her dresses lol)
 
aftershocks said:
I mostly agree with your entire post, which is addressing other comments than I specifically addressed in my previous post. So we're fairly on the same page, as I don't think Johnny takes himself too seriously. He's apparently very serious about housework and about his gorgeous complexion. ;) Other than that, I think he enjoys having fun with hair, makeup and clothes. If the result tends to shock some people, all to the better. But that's not his focus. He simply enjoys rocking who he is, and there's nothing wrong with that. He's a professed diva.
Click to expand...

Here's a recent article where he talked about his clothes:
http://www.lifeandstylemag.com/posts/johnny-weir-tara-lipinski-155774

"I pretty much wear all white from April until October. I’m a big fan of all white," he laughs. "I go full opposite [from my winter looks] and just start with a clean slate." Weaving those kinds of metaphors and moods into his style is what the star athlete is all about. "I don’t just wear things because they make people talk. I wear things that make me feel beautiful. I wear things that I’m proud of. I wear things that I worked very hard for and getting dressed every morning is definitely an emotional process for me. It isn’t just throwing clothes on."
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 1 (members: 0, guests: 1)

Similar threads

shutterbug
2025/26 CBC Streaming/TV Schedule
Replies
21
Views
2K
Skate Talker
Skate Talker
Karen-W
2026 Olympics Promos & Advertising Featuring Figure Skaters Globally
Replies
1
Views
812
Cachoo
Cachoo
fan
List of high level skating clubs - globally
Replies
2
Views
776
fan
fan
VGThuy
The Shibutanis Thread 7 . . . Years Later
Replies
10
Views
3K
my little pony
my little pony
E
Seriously, why isn’t a flutz considered a flip jump?
Replies
13
Views
2K
purple skates
purple skates
Back
Top
Do Not Sell My Personal Information