Johnny’s book “ Welcome to my world “ arrived here on January 20 finally and I was able to read it !
I bought the autographed version at Premiere Collectibles.
It took a while to write the review, because I have many comments , and it became really really long and couldn’t finish. So I was editing it many parts to make it shorter.
It was quite interesting to read his world and I didn’t want to stop reading it until the end.
There were things Ray and I already knew since we’ve been fans of him for about 5 years and had been watching him compete, reading his journals, his Q&A and his interviews, but there were also many discoveries we didn’t know.
First thing I was interested in was the part in the “Prologue” chapter below, where he talks about his approach to meeting people.
It was fascinating and I think it gives some clues to the secret of his charm.
“ how to make my approach. Usually I like to hug and kiss on both cheeks ( I’m like a mobster and hug everyone I meet, even businessmen.) But Anna is already sitting in her seat, so I don’t want to climb over Vera to hug and kiss her, risking the possibility of my tripping and squashing the tiny fashionista to death and ending her reign at Vogue. No, I definitely don’t want that happen. So I have to settle for extending a very well-manicured hand to take hers.
It just doesn’t seem proper, though. So while she’s holding my hand, I curtsy as if she is the Queen Mother and say, “ It truly is an honor.”
Then I beat a hasty retreat lest I start to stutter like a fool. “
This is when Johnny first met Anna Wintour.
It reminds me of a movie “ Mask of Zorro “ the part when Anthony Hopkins is teaching Antonio Banderas to be Zorro.
After he trained him in fencing, sword fighting successfully, Hopkins told Banderas,
“ You still have one thing missing if you want to be Zorro. What you need is charm, you need to learn how to be a gentleman. "
Banderas answered comically,
“ Me ?? Gentleman ? ”
Somehow that scene was really hilarious and interesting to me.
I realized about Johnny is that one of the secrets to his charm comes from his care for these small things, each detail. And I realized Johnny has this charm naturally.
I also think this shows in his skating as well, he cares and obsesses over every detail of his movement in his skating and pose, expression with beautiful artistic well-balanced lines.
He really cares these small details in order to create great art.
And he not only uses charm for Anna Wintour or ladies who are famous or his idols, but I think for most of his ladies fans as well.
I often hear that Johnny makes a lady feel like special.
When I first time saw him on ice from arena, I was so impressed with the way how he used his arms, hands and fingers to throw his kisses to his fans ( it was to me at that time ), body moves, expression, seeing and focusing the moment, eye to eye.
It was so elegant, charming, natural and gentleman, also I felt nothing superficial but was heartfelt because of his eyes.
He cares these small details which many people may not care, and it shows in his skating as well, his perfect every detail of sensitive movements and line makes amazing beauty.
An active unique individual child.
Johnny’s childhood was very interesting. Also the place where he grew up Quarryville, Pennsylvania sounds like ideal place for kids to grow up.
I was inspired by his strong ambition for his life since such a young age.
And I could see Johnny has been a competition person since he was a child.
Probably all the world top athletes have similar part, and that’s part of what drives them to become top athletes.
On the other hand he is also very unique.
Johnny doesn’t waste his time, cares for his time.
Always, constantly doing something to improve his life since his childhood.
His focus is mainly him, ( but not in a selfish way ) not others.
In other words, many people care too much about what other people are thinking or doing or their opinions, so I like this part of Johnny, really focusing for his life and his own determination and ambition. Because I'm always attracted to people who live their own life, not being audience of others.
Until I found Johnny Weir, my image of Olympians had been far away from me in the past, almost similar to all the other celebrities.
I always felt like these people live in another world, but Johnny changed the image.
“ As a child, my mercurial imagination was matched only by my boundless energy. I hated to sleep when I thought about all the activities I could be doing.
During the day, I ran the soles of my sneakers down from my various obsessions : track, roller skating, gymnastics, anything that wasn’t a team sport ( which I despised because I’m simply not a team player, and never will be). ”
His high energy came from since he was childhood. He preferred doing activities to sleeping ?
Johnny loved to play alone, and his parents let him do what he wants to do.
His mother taught him “ style “, his father taught him “ effort”.
Also both of them taught him “ respect to others and also to himself.”
Good point is his parents made their kids to have confidence for what they do.
So when other kids laughed at and teased Johnny for what he does, he was not influenced by them.
I don’t know how many kids react that way to teasing, to peer pressure ?
Most people around me were not like him. Many people care for the image of what others are saying about them and are influenced by them.
Many kids I saw don’t want to be left out from the group, don’t want to play alone.
Basically many kids don’t want to be different from other kids. Most of them all want to be similar to others because they feel more comfortable.
I can say this about many grown-ups as well. In general, conformity is the rule. Similar clothes, similar opinions, similar everything.
I didn’t have an opportunity to have friends who are Olympians or world top athletes or became Olympians. So it’s interesting to know about an Olympian’s childhood.
Common thing may be they are all very competitive personalities.
Johnny loves individual competitions, not team or pair. Is it coming from loving the freedom ?
I also feel individual people are brave and independent. I’m always interested in lone wolf types of people.
Team lover or individual lover, both have good parts and have something I admire.
By having successful team play, you will need to learn to sometimes let the team shine, not always yourself, and let others have the main spotlight, and in process hopefully you learn harmony, being humble.
Although from watching many professional sports players, this is obviously not always the case.
When parents let their kids to do whatever they want letting him to have their own opinion.
Good part is a kid becomes independent, unique, confident to be different.
On the other hand, if parents never told a kid “ you can’t do this, or that “ and letting the kids do whatever they want, the kids can become spoiled and don’t want to follow what they don’t want ?
To me, figure skating and horseback racing are both bourgeois sport, and feels like Johnny is lucky to have such amazing parents who gave him the opportunity to have these experience.
Relationships between Johnny & Pricilla Hills, his previous coach.
There are several things I was wondering in his past interviews and his fan’s Q &A.
He has said in one of his fans Q & A a few years ago about a tough season he had with Priscilla when he was growing up, and it was very difficult to fix and his mom Patti was always in the middle between them to make up.
Honestly I sympathized with Pricilla Hill while reading it.
I understand he appreciates her and what she had done for him, he said Pricilla was like his second mother, but I often felt he looked cold to her and my impression doesn’t change, and after reading this book, this impression is even more.
Johnny doesn’t act like that to his real mother. Also not to Tara Modlin either.
They both are also very close to Johnny as well, but he looks always sweet to them.
So I felt like why ?? Is it that Johnny and Pricilla are not match ?? Pricilla made him irritated?
In his Journals or Q&A, he was writing about when he first met Pricilla, his great impression of her and so happy to start working with her and how happy to go to Olympics, taking Pricilla there, but in this book, he didn’t write about it.
Why do I care about it ?
Because Johnny is known as the sweetest skater to his fans from his heartfelt attitude.
And my personal impression of him as well when we first met him in person. And even though I know in a very close relationship, one can be really selfish and cold sometimes, but I was just wondering why he always looked cold to Pricilla even though he loves her.
I understand that Pricilla is more of follower of USFS and he didn’t like she wanted him to skate like more like a boy, no balletic beautiful artistic fingers and arm moves.
From reading his book, it sounds like he discovered a new freedom and his unique skating while training under well-known legendary Russian coach Tarasova who he had an opportunity to work with in summer in 2003, she was impressed with his artistic moves, she loved everything how Johnny naturally loves to move, calling him perfect.
After I became a fan of Johnny’s skating in Torino Olympics on TV, I collected all the DVDs of his skating competitions and I loved his skating since his Valse program which he perform in US Nationals 2004, and it was choreographed by Tarasova.
Until then I was not so impressed with his skating much. ( Dr.Zhivago program was not choreographed by Tarasova though, it was really great. )
Valse, Rondo, Otonal, The Swan, Maksim Murvica, I love all these programs which were choreographed by Tarasova .
And it seems that Pricilla let Johnny to skate whatever he wants at the end. (?)
His triple axel, with fast rotation with flow, smooth, beautiful landing, looked effortless and I loved his triple axel at that time more than since 2008 season.
2007-2008 seasons his 3A and 3Lz were gorgeous and artistic though.
I thought Tarasova may be the best choreographer / coach for him, but after seeing Lysacek’s programs which were choreographed by Tarasova and his costumes which Tarasova selected for him, I was getting confused about her.
Also Mao Asada’s skating and programs since Mao started working with Tarasova. ( I only loved Mao’s EX number Tango and 2009-2010 season’s Free program. )
Besides those programs, I didn’t like Mao’s movements during her time with Tarasova ,and I also noticed that Johnny’s SP during 2008-2009 season’s arm movements were similar, also Nobunari Oda’s movements when he was working with his Russian Coach Morosov.
I originally love Russian style of artistic movements , because they were very unique and gorgeous,but during 2008-09 season, Johnny, Mao, Nobu, Miki started doing very similar arm movements and it ceased to be unique. And all of their coaches were Russians. Maybe it’s because of the cop system ??
Back to Pricilla,
I understand his frustration about the different opinions and views from Pricilla, but seeing no photo with Pricilla in the photo section in the book which I suppose Johnny selected the photos by himself (?), what‘s the meaning of that ?
I felt if I were Pricilla, I would feel quite hurt… but maybe Pricilla knows why there was no photo ??
So maybe no problem ?
I don’t know.
Johnny sounded really emotional when he broke up with Pricilla. In his fans message board, there was a conversation about their broke-up and his new coach.
I didn’t see any tough comments against Pricilla in the thread and I wasn’t join the conversation, but maybe he saw some comments which made him upset (? ), and he sent a message to his fans ( angels) with anger “ you don’t understand anything about it, I left the best USA coach ! “ or something like that at that time.
I thought he really cares about her, and her future, trying not to ruin her coaching career.
Since then he never seems to meet her, but since seeing this photo ( which was taken during his National’s trip for his award for reader’s choice in NC, below it made me feel much better.
It’s so nice to see them taking a photo together again !!
His agent Tara shared the photo for his fans.
In the photo pages, there was Johnny and Evan smiling together which was taken at Vancouver Olympics.
I know they have been competing together since they were kids and for him Evan is the most rival skater. But I get the feeling he also likes him.
Because I wonder why he included Evan in the photo page but not his long time coach Pricilla who was the one who helped his career from the beginning ?
Galina’s case is a different story.
Even though he showed his complaint about Galina in “be good Johnny Weir “, in K&C, he was showing his respect to her.
Although, there was surprise behind the scene at Galina’s hysteric attitude to Johnny which was not in the public.
I actually don’t understand why he wants to work with her again next season when he returns to competition when he already knows that Programs, choreography, costumes everything will be controlled by her.
Mentally she can make him stronger, but when she pressures him too much, it made him even more nervous and pressure.
I’m fine with seeing him in ice shows rather than seeing him in the present COP skating competitions.
But if he wants to come back to the competition and really wants to win, I feel it’s better if he doesn’t repeat similar thing with similar programs. Hope he knows that.
Johnny’s skating is always great, but if he also want to seriously win the worlds, he has to make killer programs which can impress majority of people. ( not only Johnny fans )
Looking back to 2004 - 2006 season,
I’m not sure who chose his great music choices during those times.
Valse, Dr.Zhivago, Rondo, Otonal, The Swan, Makim Marvica,
Fantastic music and none of them are sad music which sounds hopeless.
I feel a skater like Johnny who always gets deeply into the music while skating its not a good idea emotionally for the music to be sad ending theme with no powerful energetic part.
Johnny may be easy to feel that kind of sad music now ?? Because that’s his true feeling ??
Or he wants to attract that kind of sad ending story ?
Also I truly think that his " Love is war " music in his Free program during 2007-2008 helped him mentally while he was skating, because it was very powerful and energetic after the half way to the end.
My hope is ..he will select a music which he can feel like he is victory or champion or winner of something and makes him strong power. I’ve heard a rumor his FP will be Swan Lake.
If it’s true, that’s fantastic !
That’s one of the music I have been hoping him to skate to. But not sure for Galina choreography program…
Johnny’s private life was also good (?) during 2004-2006,so he was not picking up such a hopeless sad music at that time.
He was happy deep inside and supported by someone he loves.
After the break up, he started choosing sad music such as “ Child of Nazareth " which was so beautiful but too sad ending. No luck with the program at all. Even though I really loved it.
He may be better to find his soul mate who can understand his situation.
It’s depending on him, he can find one if he really want. IMO, It’s not a luck or just happens, people create their own reality.
Will continue to the part 2.