I'm not a sports person by any means,yet I can and do appreciate some of them that allow solo performances. Over a week ago,I happened to catch part of the US Figure Skating Nationals on TV and a certain fella in the male division caught my eye. His name is Johnny Weir and while his skating costume reminded me of the dancers in the finale number from The Phantom of the Paradise,it was his talent that truly dazzled on the ice:
Turns out that Johnny is no stranger to the spotlight,having been an three time champ at the US Nationals,plus he's won medals at the Grand Prix,The Worlds(he received a bronze)and currently has been nominated for a spot on the US Olympic team for the upcoming Vancouver Winter Games.
He's also a pop culture celeb of sorts,who has done runway shows,owns a clothing line in Korea called "Be Unique" and even officially declared himself to be a D Lister like Kathy Griffin in an interview. Kathy had him on her show for the second season finale to teach her a few moves and to bust his chops a little(not too much,since she loves getting any mention in the media):
Weir is known to be out spoken and not shy in promoting his career,something that is guaranteed to draw enemies along side speculations about his sexuality from both the straight and gay communities.
This combination of wanted and unwanted attention has made him the star of an indie documentary called Pop Star on Ice and a reality series on the Sundance Channel with the modest title of Be Good Johnny Weir:
What is it about Weir that I find so fascinating? Well,for one thing,this is a guy who is an athlete in one of the most flamboyant sports in terms of style for both men and women and refuses to be ashamed about it. Instead,he embraces the flair and the flash,which makes a lot of folks uncomfortable but probably gets him plenty of support from those who feel the same way and are not up to saying so in public.
He's also got that "last chance at the big time" momentum going for him here,being twenty five years old which is the age that many in his profession tend to peak at. Basically,Johnny Weir is an in-your-face underdog;the kind of guy who at times may be asking to get knocked down but he gets up again and won't be kept down. You can't help but admire such boldness of spirit,particularly when it is backed up by honest to goodness talent and hard work at maintaining a level of excellence in that person's chosen field.
So,join me in tuning in once in awhile to the 2010 Winter Olympics for the male figure skating and see if Johnny Weir brings home a medal for us. I don't know about you but it would be great to see the Adam Lambert of men's skating step up to the podium and get the gold:
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