Johnny Weir Wins Readers' Choice Award

[Brandi_DeLain]

I know I'm going to regret doing this, but here goes: First, I found Johnny's photo shoot and some of his remarks very offensive, being very conversative myself. . .

I'm a little baffled as to why this photoshoot is being mentioned in a thread about Johnny winning the Skater of the Year Award. :scratch: What does one have to do with the other? BTW - I know you didn't bring it up, MichelleTodd, but you are perpetuating the topic.

I'm not going to get into a big debate about styled photoshoots and how they don't reflect real life (has anyone ever seen Johnny sporting stiletto heels outside of that one photoshoot?) I know that some people are more sensitive than others about such things, and that is their right. All I know is that I wasn't offended by it. Just like I wasn't offended by Evan sporting a ladies wig in this Behind the Scenes pic from the COI website.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v320/brandidelain/COI-BTS.jpg

And, just in case I'm not allowed to post this pic directly, you can click the (original source) link below to access it.

http://www.championsonice.com/behind/

Just click the link and scroll to the 15th pic.

. . . I think Evan was just as deserving of Skater of Year last year as Johnny was this year. I'll always be disappointed and angry that Johnny got what he deserved when Evan didn't.

Evan did have a good 2007 season. Here are his results:

Won a silver and a gold on the GP circuit;
Withdrew from the GPF due to injury;
Won gold at 4CC's and U.S. Nats;
Finished in 5th place at the World Championships.

I'm guessing it's that 5th place finish at Worlds that kept Evan from winning the 2007 award. Like Mathman said earlier in this thread, the 2007 winner (Miami University) won silver at Worlds. The first time a U.S. synchro team has ever medalled at the World Championships. I guess some voters thought that was kind of a big deal.

 

[Mathman]

I know I'm going to regret doing this, but here goes: First, I found Johnny's photo shoot and some of his remarks very offensive, being very conversative myself.

I know what you mean about regretting jumping in with the sharks!

But I don't really understand what you being conservative has to do with how Johnny Weir dresses in a photo shoot. He's not making you dress up in funny clothes. (?)

Third, I think Evan was just as deserving of Skater of Year last year as Johnny was this year. I'll always be disappointed and angry that Johnny got what he deserved when Evan didn't.

Evan was very deserving in 2006-07, winning the U.S. championship and the world bronze medal. I am sure he got lots of votes.

But he wasn't competing against Johnny for the award that year, but against the University of Miami synchro team. They grabbed silver at the world championship, upsetting strong European teams, to become the first North American team ever to medal in this discipline. I believe Caroline Zhang got a bunch of votes, too.

I wish they didn't do that, wish they kept it neutral.

It was the only way they could stop Michelle from automatically winning it every year. The award had become an annual Michelle love fest. To give other skaters a chance to be recognized, they had to kick Michelle out of the contest and make a big show of "honoring" her.

The official name of the award is still the "Skating Magazine Readers' Choice Award," but the trophy is called the Michelle Kwan trophy.

I bet if you ask Sasha Cohen if she won the Michelle Kwan trophy in 2004 she'd say, "pul-leze, I won the Readers' Choice Award!"

Edited to add: Correction. As Brandy DeLain posts above -- and Snowgirl below -- Evan did not win a world medal in 2007. It was 2006 that he did so well at the Olympics (4th) and won his second world bronze.

But you can't fault the readers of Skating Magazine who went with ladies' world champion Kimmie Meissner that year.

 

[Snowgirl]

Evan was very deserving in 2006-07, winning the U.S. championship and the world bronze medal. I am sure he got lots of votes.

Did Lambiel give his bronze medal to Evan?

ETA:I see the corrected post, but still

 

[Brandi_DeLain]

LOL, Mathman! You had me scratching my head there for a second.

It was indeed the 2005-2006 season that Evan won silver at U.S. Nationals and a (second) World bronze. Like Mathman said, World Champ Kimmie Meissner won the Skater of the Year award that year. Hard to argue with that.

In the 2006-2007 season, Evan won U.S. Nationals and finished 5th at Worlds. I can't really fault the people who voted for Miami University that year, since they were the first U.S. synchro team to medal at Worlds.

 

[Fossi]

We really only know what Johnny shows us, and the USFSA. No, I didn't necessarily mean "private life," I was asking a question in response to the mention of his "private life." ( Gee- I think this is the 3rd time I've said that. You'd think someone would get it by now!) Well, what Johnny puts out there of his "private life" HE puts out there. The comments he makes are HIS, and he seems awful proud of them. That's the point I was making. Nobody is digging around, he is choosing to show the world what he wants them to know. You can't really whine and have meltdowns over what your favorite skater is putting out there to be discussed by the USFSA or anyone else. Public actions will get noticed.

 

[Mathman]

Pubic actions will get noticed.

Indeed!

 

[DragonPhoenix]

Pubic actions will get noticed.

Indeed!

If the poster's point what was that he or she wasn't talking about private life, that's a rather interesting way to put it. I always thought

Pubic actions .

were extremely private.

 

[MichelleTodd]

I'm a little baffled as to why this photoshoot is being mentioned in a thread about Johnny winning the Skater of the Year Award. :scratch: What does one have to do with the other? BTW - I know you didn't bring it up, MichelleTodd, but you are perpetuating the topic.

I'm not going to get into a big debate about styled photoshoots and how they don't reflect real life (has anyone ever seen Johnny sporting stiletto heels outside of that one photoshoot?) I know that some people are more sensitive than others about such things, and that is their right. All I know is that I wasn't offended by it. Just like I wasn't offended by Evan sporting a ladies wig in this Behind the Scenes pic from the COI website.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v320/brandidelain/COI-BTS.jpg

And, just in case I'm not allowed to post this pic directly, you can click the (original source) link below to access it.

http://www.championsonice.com/behind/

Just click the link and scroll to the 15th pic.



Evan did have a good 2007 season. Here are his results:

Won a silver and a gold on the GP circuit;
Withdrew from the GPF due to injury;
Won gold at 4CC's and U.S. Nats;
Finished in 5th place at the World Championships.

I'm guessing it's that 5th place finish at Worlds that kept Evan from winning the 2007 award. Like Mathman said earlier in this thread, the 2007 winner (Miami University) won silver at Worlds. The first time a U.S. synchro team has ever medalled at the World Championships. I guess some voters thought that was kind of a big deal.

I don't know why the photo shoot was mentioned in the first place, being completely off topic. However, since somebody else brought it up, I figured it was all right if I mentioned it.

Thanks for the links for the wig pictures. That was my laugh for the day, and I could really use one!

I'm not sure the Skater of the Year award should be based solely on the results from Worlds. I think it should be based on a skater's results for the whole season.

I also think there should be a Skater of the Year award for synchro teams and another one for figure skaters. The synchro skaters and figure skaters have their own respective championships, so it doesn't make sense to me that they compete against each other for Skater of the Year award.

I think I'll jump back on shore now. I have to get ready for a nice steak or shrimp dinner at Outback Steakhouse.

 

[Fossi]

I guess a spell check would've been nice? :chorus:

I just fixed it though. But I tell ya, I'm laughing really hard. I can only imagine the responses from this.

 

[psycho]

Jesus Christ on a schoolbus, people, can we get a grip please?

Why is it that every Johnny thread on this board turns into some retarded argument with one particular poster making it all about themselves and Evan fans jumping in with their incessant negativity?!

Last year every Johnny thread was hijacked by OldSkaterMom or whatever her name was, now Joe decides to make every Johnny thread into a thread about him and his issues. Why? Don't you people own a scroll button?! If you don't want to read "Johnny is awesome" posts start a "Johnny's billion flaws" thread and enjoy!

When there was a thread about Patrick Chan being honored by some Asian-Canadian association I did not go into that thread because I don't care about him (not personal, just not a fan). I did not start a war with his fans, did not bring up all his flaws, did not make incomprehensible mysterious comments about his "public private life" etc. I let his fans celebrate his accomplishment in peace.

Let's all show respect for all fans out there and not invade threads, about people we don't like, with our own issues? Okay?

 

[dancingqueen]

First, I found Johnny's photo shoot and some of his remarks very offensive, being very conversative myself. .

Thanks for the links for the wig pictures. That was my laugh for the day, and I could really use one!

So, your dear Evan’s ladies wig picture is funny , as you said , it’s your laugh for the day, but Johnny’s dress picture is offensive to you.

That is clear bias.

If you dont like Johnny, you don't need to read Johnny's celebration thread which you already know won't make you happy.

 

[MissIzzy]

Well, if you find some of his previous photoshoots offensive, better not look at his latest!

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

One important thing about Golden Skate is that diversified views are plentiful whereas in other forums, there tends to be a consensus of opinion that it is wrong to have an opinion that is not part of the main stream of that forum.

Can you imagine, a poster after reading about a skater who got a Reader's Award, being admonished for not praising it. So what? GS has more diverse minds than other forums. Nothing wrong with that for me.

 

[Mathman]

Well, if you find some of his previous photoshoots offensive, better not look at his latest!

Link! Link!

 

[libby]

Well, if you find some of his previous photoshoots offensive, better not look at his latest!

Are you talking about the Kathleen Bangs photoshoot he just did in Sun Valley? What's shocking about that one? Unless 1980's mullets freak you out!

He has his shirt off for a couple of photos, but I don't think it's too big a deal - the bottom five sets of photos on this page are from the Sun Valley shoot:

http://www.ka-bangs.com/ice/albums2.aspx?id=JW

 

[Mathman]

One important thing about Golden Skate is that diversified views are plentiful... Nothing wrong with that for me.

But at the same time I think we should take care that our posts do not insult other contributors or belittle their opinions.

To me, the key is -- address the topic, not the poster.

 

[libby]

You can't really whine and have meltdowns over what your favorite skater is putting out there to be discussed by the USFSA or anyone else. Public actions will get noticed.

Ummm, Fossi, apparently you hadn't noticed, but none of Johnny's fans were "whining" or "having meltdowns" in the least about anything at all that Johnny has said or done. We LIKE what Johnny says and does - duh. In fact, most people in general are just fine with Johnny's actions and his public image - doesn't bother them at all. It is just a few self-involved people with their need to make every topic all about themselves and the rabid Evan fans who can't help but invade every single Johnny thread to say something negative about him and whine about his fans liking him too much instead of just scrolling on past that seem to have these "meltdowns" every time Johnny's name is mentioned.

As numerous people on this thread have pointed out, Johnny has never really done anything particularly shocking at all - it's not like the guy runs dog-fighting rings in his spare time, or tests positive for steroids, or charges into the stands starting brawls with fans. I mean honestly, if USFS had to deal with a fraction of the problems with ANY of their athletes that most of the other athletic organizations in the country have to put up with, they would be down on their knees thanking Johnny for his tameness. So what if he posed for a fashion shoot in a magazine and in one of the photos they put him in heels? Big freakin' deal! It's not as if he walks around in them every day (and even if he did, why would it matter?).

Johnny is an intelligent, witty, charming guy who brings a lot of fans to figure skating. Frankly, I had lost interest in the sport until he came around and now I watch every competition, whether he is in it or not, and I have spoken to an awful lot of other fans with the same story. He brought personality to a sport in which the athlete's images had quite honestly just been too 'manufactured' for too long. So maybe that offends some people, but an awful lot of us like it. If you don't, try the scroll button the next time you come across a Johnny thread.

 

[Fossi]

One important thing about Golden Skate is that diversified views are plentiful whereas in other forums, there tends to be a consensus of opinion that it is wrong to have an opinion that is not part of the main stream of that forum.

Can you imagine, a poster after reading about a skater who got a Reader's Award, being admonished for not praising it. So what? GS has more diverse minds than other forums. Nothing wrong with that for me.

Amen!

 

[libby]

Why is it that every Johnny thread on this board turns into some retarded argument with one particular poster making it all about themselves and Evan fans jumping in with their incessant negativity?!

Last year every Johnny thread was hijacked by OldSkaterMom or whatever her name was, now Joe decides to make every Johnny thread into a thread about him and his issues. Why? Don't you people own a scroll button?! If you don't want to read "Johnny is awesome" posts start a "Johnny's billion flaws" thread and enjoy!

When there was a thread about Patrick Chan being honored by some Asian-Canadian association I did not go into that thread because I don't care about him (not personal, just not a fan). I did not start a war with his fans, did not bring up all his flaws, did not make incomprehensible mysterious comments about his "public private life"etc. I let his fans celebrate his accomplishment in peace.

Let's all show respect for all fans out there and not invade threads, about people we don't like, with our own issues? Okay?

Amen, psycho. Very well said.

 

[libby]

One important thing about Golden Skate is that diversified views are plentiful whereas in other forums, there tends to be a consensus of opinion that it is wrong to have an opinion that is not part of the main stream of that forum.

Can you imagine, a poster after reading about a skater who got a Reader's Award, being admonished for not praising it. So what? GS has more diverse minds than other forums. Nothing wrong with that for me.

Now, see, Joe, there goes that childish martyr act of yours again. :chorus: Once again, you deliberately launched a mean-spirited attack against Johnny's fans on a thread about Johnny's latest accomplishment - you called Johnny's fans "warring" and implied that they are unreasonable and deluded and other nonsense without cause, deliberately causing hard feelings on what should have just been a very nice thread congratulating Johnny for his award.

Then when people argue back against you, you play the innocent martyr, throwing up your hands and crying "Imagine that! A poster being admonished for not praising a skater who received an award - so what?" when of course you know that is not what you were admonished for at all. How foolish. How childish. How irritating.

There is just no reason for you to need to take over every Johnny thread on every skating forum online simply to pick fights with Johnny fans, only to play the persecuted martyr when they object. If you need attention that badly, get a golden retriever.