NBC Sports recently hired former professional figure skater Johnny Weir to provide commentary on the upcoming 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, without disclosing that Weir claims to be an agent of the very country he’s covering for NBC – Russia.
UPDATE: Weir’s agent is now claiming that his bio mentioning that he “works” with/for the Russian consulate in New York City is simply “a typo.”
Johnny Weir’s bio says he “works” with the Russian consulate in NYC
Journalist Andy Humm recently discovered Weir’s, and NBC’s, apparent conflict of interest while reviewing Weir’s bio (which has suddenly been removed post-publication of this story) at Premiere Speakers Bureau. Weir’s bio reads in part:
Due to his ability to understand global art and culture and his sporting expertise, Weir has recently begun working as a Goodwill Sports Ambassador to Japan and also works with the Russian Children’s Welfare Society and Russian Consulate in New York City.
Fortunately I took a screen capture of Weir’s bio last night before it went down the memory hole:
Here’s what you’ll find in place of Johnny Weir’s bio after we published this story:
Weir is now denying the relationship with the Russian consulate detailed in his own bio:
In fact, your own bio.
Some have now suggested that Weir was referring to an event he was on the host committee for with the Russian Children’s Welfare Society, an event that was thrown with the Russian Consulate. But that event happened in 2010. Weir’s bio specifically said, as of last night, that he “works” with both organizations. Being on the host committee of a single event in 2010 is not “works” – it’s worked, past tense. And it’s not even “work,” it’s hosting an event.
If Weir’s defenders are now trying to claim that he misrepresented himself in his resume that he used to get get paid speaking engagements, well, I’m not sure that’s much of a defense.
Not to mention, if the bio is so benign, why was it suddenly deleted?
UPDATE: It’s back! Things just got even stranger. Premiere has replaced Weir’s bio with one that continues to mention the children’s welfare group, but now doesn’t mention the Russian consulate at all. But if he was on the host committee of an event with the children’s group and the consulate, and felt it fair to claim that he “works” with the children’s group and the consulate, then how can he now still mention the children’s group, but not the consulate at all, when they both were part of the same event? Wouldn’t it be both or nothing?
Weir has been outspoken in his criticism of gay activists targeting Russia and its Olympics
Weir appeared on Keith Olbermann’s show earlier this year dress in a Russian/soviet military uniform.
Weir has been outspoken in his criticism of international human rights activists targeting Russia for its recent crackdown on its gay and trans citizens. But most of us had no idea that Weir was actually working with the Russian government to a degree that merited mentioning it in his resume, and in the present tense (“works” with, not “worked” with).
Just a little over one week ago, Weir called human rights activists, who are critical of Russia, “idiots.” (He later apologized for some of his comments.) At that time, Weir also criticized the wildly-successful boycott of Russian vodka that helped attract worldwide attention to Russia’s anti-gay abuses (via Andy Humm):
During [Weir’s] talk he spoke of “idiots like the ones outside tonight, dumping vodka in the street,” action he dismissed as useless.
“They say all these stupid things.”
Trans woman brutally beaten by Russian vigilantes, who filmed the attack and then posted it online.
Even more troubling, during that same talk, Weir minimized, and seemed to actually defend, Russia’s draconian new anti-gay “propaganda” law that essentially makes it illegal for anyone to be openly gay in the country, or for anyone straight to express a pro-gay sentiment. More from Humm:
Referring to the new anti-gay law in Russia, which forbids virtually all public mention of homosexuality as a threat to children, the athlete [Weir] flippantly characterized it as “no anal sex in front of libraries.”
Nancy Goldstein nails why Weir’s weird “anal sex” comment is doubly offensive:
It’s a flippant reference to the widely broadcast footage of the late Alexei Davydov being hauled off, as the first person arrested under the law, for standing in front of the Moscow Children’s Library with a sign that read, “Gay is normal.”
Gay protesters arrested in Russia.
Weir was not only defending, and intentionally downplaying the impact and offensiveness of, Russia’s new anti-gay law, but he was also taking a swipe at a brave Russian gay activist who was jailed for simply having an opinion the state did not approve of.
Russia’s propaganda law is already being used to stifle dissent
In fact, contrary to Weir’s claim, the propaganda law has been used against more than just people who have anal sex in front of libraries.
- Dmitry Isakov, 24, was arrested under the propaganda law for simply standing in the center of town and holding a sign reading: “Being gay and loving gays is normal. Beating gays and killing gays is a crime!”
- Ikea recently pulled a spread about a lesbian couple from its magazine, for fear that it would run afoul of Russia’s anti-gay law.
- Russia’s government invoked the law against a local TV channel for airing a French film that included a 3-some.
- Russia’s Jewish autonomous region recently faced an investigation from Moscow of whether the region’s flag, which contains a rainbow, violates the propaganda law.
- A Russian newspaper was recently threatened over an article that quoted a gay person saying that they weren’t a horrible person.
- And of course, the Russians have threatened to jail Olympic athletes and guests who say or do anything pro-gay during the games.
- And this doesn’t even begin to touch on the impact the anti-gay law has had in furthering Russia’s violently homophobic attacks on gay and trans people.
Neither NBC nor Johnny Weir disclosed his work with the Russian consulate
Did NBC reveal Weir’s work with the Russian government when announcing that they’d hired him to provide commentary for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi? No. Here’s NBC’s press release. No mention of Weir’s work with the Russian government.
15 year old gay Russian boy kidnapped, and tortured, by anti-gay vigilantes that the Russian government refused to arrest.
But surely when the NBC press release linked to Weir’s bio, people could have found a full disclosure of Weir’s ties to the Russian government there? Nope. Nothing in that particular bio about Weir’s work with the Russian consulate.
And while NBC and Weir could claim that the relationship was divulged in that other obscure bio that Humm just found, I’ve been unable to find anything beyond that one mention, and it’s a safe bet that a lot of NBC’s viewers are unaware of the relationship, as were most of us.
Keep in mind, it’s not like NBC is claiming that Weir’s ties to the Russian government have nothing to do with his job at NBC covering the Olympics. On the contrary, NBC delved into the Russian anti-gay controversy in the third, fourth, fifth and sixth paragraph of their October 23, 2013 story announcing their hiring of Weir:
Weir has been opposed to calls for a boycott of the Sochi Olympics because he feels it would negate the efforts of athletes who have worked hard to reach the Games.
In June, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed into law a bill banning the promotion of “non-traditional sexual relations” toward minors, which has made gay athletes and spectators worried about discrimination and possible arrest in Sochi.
“I’m a gay American. I’ve married into a Russian family. I’ve been a longtime supporter of Russia, the culture, the country, the language, everything about Russia,” Weir said on TODAY Wednesday. “While this law is a terrible thing that you can’t be gay publicly in Russia, I plan to be there in full support of our brothers and sisters there and not be afraid.
“If I get arrested, I get arrested; if not, great, but our presence is needed. For all the Olympians that worked so hard, a boycott is just the worst thing that you could do to all these young people.”
If I get arrested? Is Johnny Weir planning on having anal sex in front of a Russian library? Because, per Johnny Weir, that’s all this law bans.
Boy, a lot changes in a month. Six weeks ago, Johnny Weir was at least willing to offer token criticism of Russia’s anti-gay law, and admit that the law could even get him thrown in jail for simply being an openly-gay man.
But only four weeks later, Johnny Weir suddenly loves Big Brother, and the law is a joke that only applies to “idiot” gays who want to fornicate in front of schoolchildren.
Has Johnny Weir registered with the DOJ as a foreign agent?
Speaking of Big Brother, I’m curious whether Weir registered with the Department of Justice as a foreign agent, something potentially required under US law if you are working for a foreign government in an attempt to influence US public opinion.
From the DOJ’s Foreign Agent Registration Act (FARA) Web page:
The purpose of FARA is to insure that the U.S. Government and the people of the United States are informed of the source of information (propaganda) and the identity of persons attempting to influence U.S. public opinion, policy, and laws.
Two aspects of the law are particularly interesting and relevant. Again, from DOJ:
- The Act requires every agent of a foreign principal, not otherwise exempt, to register with the Department of Justice and file forms outlining its agreements with, income from, and expenditures on behalf of the foreign principal. These forms are public records and must be supplemented every six months.
- The Act also requires that informational materials (formerly propaganda) be labeled with a conspicuous statement that the information is disseminated by the agents on behalf of the foreign principal. The agent must provide copies of such materials to the Attorney General.
Weir could try to argue that he’s exempt since, he might claim, his work is of a cultural nature, and not political – and the arts are one of the categories exempt from the law. But Weir has been nothing if not political – vocally so, in his defense of Russia by not just opposing a boycott of the Sochi Olympics, but by downplaying the significance of the anti-gay propaganda law, and denigrating Russian gay activists and human rights advocates abroad.
Thus, the following questions arise:
- Has Johnny Weir received any form of compensation from the Russian government? The fact that Weir included the Russian consulate in his bio suggests that some agreement transpired between the two, and is still in existence (Weir said “works” not “worked”).
- Has Weir had any discussions at all with Russian government officials, or their surrogates, about the public relations problems the Russian government is having with the gay propaganda law generally, and/or the Olympic games in particular?
- Did NBC even ask Weir about any of this before hiring him as one of their “Russia experts” covering the Olympics?
- Do any of NBC’s other on-air personalities work as an agent of a foreign government they’ll be covering?
“I’ve never had a bad experience in Russia”
I’d like to conclude with a bit more from Weir’s controversial talk two weeks ago (again via Humm). It really puts everything into perspective:
Russian vigilante groups have organized around the country to kidnap young gay people and terrorize them, including this young South African who was held captive and had a watermelon shoved in his face.
“I’ve never had a bad experience in Russia,” [Weir] said, “not gotten called a fag or beat up,” something occurring systematically to many others since the law was passed, none known to have been an Olympic athlete.
“I only see the rosy, golden side. I choose to see Russia in an arrogant, selfish way. I didn’t know what to think about the new law.”
The Russian consulate couldn’t have said it better.
Follow @aravosis
(I’m told that in order to better see my Facebook posts in your feed, you need to “follow” me.)
In one statement, you write: “Still quite clear that Premiere Speakers Bureau prepared his bio by condensing info from his official website–“, and in another you write “The bio on Premiere Speakers is not an official bio.” Now, if the Law of Proportion holds true and P equals Q and you’re quite clear and sure Johnny Weir’s bio on the Premiere Speakers Bureau website is a condensed version of Johnny Weir’s “true and official” bio found on his official website; then by their very nature, both bios are true and official. Sounds logical to me.
It’s good to know I’m not the only one who sees this and thinks so, thank you. They’re either on his PR team or they’re megalomaniac fans who assume the role of spin doctors; which in turn explains the confusion.
I was thinking the same thing.
Why do you and others of your small group hang on those two, little words for dear life? “I work WITH McDonald’s, therefore I work FOR them as well.” and “I work with Macy’s, therefore I work FOR them as well.” and “I work WITH a bank, therefore I work FOR a bank, as well.” and so on mean virtually the same thing in general context. Why blow it out of proportion? I think the real key word here is WORK, not “with” or “for”. So regardless of “nature” or “with” or “for”, we all agree on the WORK issue, and WORK suggests payment or gift of some kind.
But IF, as you state, the people from Premiere Speakers Bureau prepared his bio by condensing the info from Johnny Weir’s official website, then apparently the info was true, then. Are you saying that his management (your friends at that time) committed fraud or forgery? No. His management had time to correct it, and I’m sure they would’ve done so had Johnny Weir taken the time to proof read and approve or disprove it. I guess it didn’t matter to him back then, huh.
Truth be told, you’ve done more than your fair share of posting and telling stories and lies that more than border on libel and slander. Mr. Aravosis has every right to express his opinion, thoughts, findings, etc. What other celebrity have you written and published a blog for on the internet? Do you even work for the press? Drop some names, please.
Exposing facts doesn’t constitute “libel”. It MAY become libel when said facts are used with malice intent, but first you must prove “malice”. Before you can prove “malice”, you must prove a clear “motive”, and before “motive”, you must prove “reason” beyond ALL doubt. Court records, on the other hand, are the exception in that they are for private, individual and singular use, only. When someone’s court records or the link to those records is sold or distributed with wanton and malice intent to destroy or injure someone’s life or career; the penalties are severe and lasting. I’m sure Mr. Aravosis’s intent here is not to injure, but to inform people and raise questions that deserve to be answered. By the way, DMs can be subpoena-ed into court record; and whether a falsehood is told via public or private DM, it’s still a falsehood meant to deceive the masses and destroy an individual. Even if you erase them, Twitter keeps a permanent record. I doubt you’re in any position to threaten anyone in this fashion, at this time.
So, a CELEBRITY has never had a bad experience in Russia, so, what – all the gays who have been beaten & abused, & who are having their rights restricted are, what, LYING?? I am so disgusted with him – disappointed & ashamed!
Scroll down to one hour or so: https://twitter.com/misfitmimes . To think IT’s Johnny Weir’s “official” blogger and apparently part of his public relations “team”. Safe to say you’ve made much more than just your point; if IT and IT’s friends have resorted to joking about you or making fun of your blogs. Are they not the most pathetic bunch? Wonder what they’ll do if or when Johnny Weir is captured, tortured.
He is not a tyrant…but he has failed a test of character. He has turned his back on the suffering of people just like him and then he has the gall to trivialize and make light of their suffering. Anyone who does such a thing deserves censure, but the hypocrisy of Mr. Weir is simply too heinous not to deserve special attention.
Dud, that was a bullshit argument if I ever heard one. Weir has turned his back to the suffering of LGBT’s in Russia and then trivialized it. He is getting blowback for that and that is entirely his own fault. To compare that to a woman wearing a suggestive outfit deserving rape trivializes women’s issues.
He is a deluded little selfish quisling. There are consequences for actions. He is reaping them.
As to the culture of celebrity, I’ve never considered him to be one.
Actually that was in 2013, as can be seen from the date on the tweet. Please be careful: your typo may make you the next target. But yes, you are correct, he did tweet. Still quite clear that Premiere Speakers Bureau prepared his bio by condensing info from his official website–perhaps a bit carelessly. It might have been best if Johnny’s management team at that time had proofed it more closely and requested a correction then so that the wording would more accurately reflect what is on his official website. But they didn’t, so unfortunately the door was left open for fevered imaginings.
NBC just sponsors international homophobia!
He retweeted the bio in 2012, asking his followers to check it out.
https://twitter.com/JohnnyGWeir/status/332140248509321216
Pre-scrubbed bio: “… works with the Russian Children’s Welfare Society and Russian Consulate in New York City.” “AND” indicates that his work with the Consulate is separate from his work with the children’s charity.
Yes, something like that. Thank you.
Nope. I’m neither. I never looked up your IP. You sort of let that one slip on your own. You should check with your doctors about your medications; while we check the news to see if an asylum has lost a patient.
Seriously TheBrutalKremlin, I’m not sure what you’re trying to say.
And I think Anony Mouse was saying that he shouldn’t be obviously working for the Russians if he doesn’t want people to accuse him of it.
But I thought you didn’t do any name-calling? I see how IT lies.
People who like or love vintage are usually cultured and refined. I see IT is not.
Wondering which of IT’s hair I curled the most; north or south. No, IT loves to get hoisted by IT’s own perturb.
Cheap shots, like you?
You’re taking this way too personal and yes you are a troll. I asked for a translation from anyone because you’re failing to make any sense; among your many failures.
You fool, you’re not standing up to me. You’re making a nonsense, immature argument with someone you call a halfwit troll. So, what does that make you? And as for name-calling (oh, wah-wah-wah, cry-baby), I didn’t start it and you’ve done more than enough of your share of that on your own.
I see, IT is still the pot calling the kettle.
Blah, blah blah fail. You know what’s really pathetic? You sitting waiting for responses to your trolling after 9 hours, and checking IPs for location. Troll + stalker. Again, off-topic, because you have no argument. Have a nice day.
And you KNOW nothing, so I guess that makes us even. Wow. What an immature argument you make. Who said he was guilty? The proof is there, so don’t blame anyone else for Johnny Weir’s mistakes. You’re posting like you live outside the US, so I doubt you’re informed enough to make comments and that would make your comments more worthless, more pathetic, and more insane. By the way, you sound very jealous of Humm and Aravosis. If they want to launch into mainstream media, more power to them. Now, go check with your doctors about updating and increasing your medications.
Show my cards to you? LMAO+LOL!
HA! *Let’s see if I keep responding, he’ll run out of bad, dated fagbar jokes in about…hrmmm…15 posts.* Nah not worth the energy.
HA! SO funny.. Off topic, totally personal = T-R-O-L-L.
Standing up to a halfwit troll who started the name calling as a way to seem important in a conversation. Go ahead – have the last word…most immature nobody’s revel in it. Grow up dude.
There is no “try”. You either do or do not.
Again, you understand NOTHING. Show your cards ‘Anony-Mouse’ (Oh the most clever little name ever! such a funny!) or shut the fuck up. People like you add nothing. If you actually had an informed thought it would be worth it. ‘Jonny Weirs messes’??? What fucking messes?
You’ve got a do-nothing sitting President, and HRC that set aside e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g for “marriage” and is now implicated in some shady African antigay funding, and all fags like you can do is sit up on a forum, following the lacklustre Andy f*ing Humm and John Aravosis – both of which are dying to get on mainstream media and use you to grow their careers — and what are you all doing? Fagbashing some twinkie skater commentator, who’s guilty of making a bad record and doing some children’s birthday parties. Please.
Put down the coke spoon, turn off Grindr, stop listening to gossip – and get a real cause. You’re worthless, pathetic and doing more to harm gays than help. Russia is beating on queers – and you;re all doing the same.
Wow, it bleeds.
Nothing IT says makes any sense. Translation, anyone?
And what exactly are you doing?
Troll.
Have you ever had an original thought, or are you just enjoying making yourself look like a complete ass?
The pot/kettle joke: circa 1949. How clever.
I’ll gladly stand up to tyranny. Jonny Weir is not a tyrant, nor does he bear the responsibility of speaking for an entire (dare I say complacent, spoiled, out of touch) community on his own. The biggest reason why? HE WOULDN’T EVEN BE GOOD AT IT.
THANK YOU.
‘Other’s like you’ – let’s generalise…the mark of a Fox News amateur. Troll.
Fuck right off you troll. ‘Non-gays’ – have you ever spent any time out of a scenester bar without a bitchy little coke spoon up your nose? Wave the hands, flap, have the quick-quip – HA, HA, HA, all a joke to you tragic media-fed losers. I have one major issue here: internalized homophobia. I’ll gladly bow to being a control freak if it challenges self-hating queers like you.
*case closed* ahaha __insert bitchy little smarty ass remark here__
You found a week ‘fag’ and chose his ‘public profile’ to pick on because you can’t get to Putin. And Obama could care less. As does Coke, NBC and the rest. Like, lump it – this is a terrible situation and this kind of bullshit only makes it worse. Russia is beating up queers – now all you PC types are following suit. Nice one.
Talk about priorities. I mean, Russia has a lot of problems, sure, but it would appear that Americans continue to single out the homosexuality issue. Once a Christian nation, now a nation of fags, wouldn’t you say? :)
There are no parallels.
Yadda, yadda
Nice try
ppppfffftttt #Kremlin shill
It is truly shameful what passes for “freedom of speech” in this and other blog comment sections.
What must our brothers and sisters in Russia-and now India-think coming up for a breath of air
setting google translator loose on these exchanges in hopes of reading what? Acrimony. Grade
school name-calling. Bickering. Self promotion. Nanosecond attention span. Fatuous proposals.
If ever there was a need for genuine empathy/compassion and mature “solidarity” type thinking
to address life and death issues it is now. Nothing I’ve read since originally viewing the above
“just say it” video has lit a single candle. I’m looking for some kind of guidance/leadership
breakthrough same as everyone else and shaking my head over what I can do. Perhaps
in the end, embarrassing impotence is all this thrashing about is about…
He’s a duba**. Asking him any intelligent questions ls like asking Paris Hilton how to fix obamacare. I don’t know people go to him for anything. He’s a joke plain and simple.
Is he going to work for the repugs when Olympics are over? For all his work, to throw it away for a few silver pieces. This does more harm to the LGBT movement than Herman Cain does to African Americans.
John now all the right winging trolls posting in this comments section have to scramble for plan B now that you have screencaps as proof. Yep, the plan B is now semantics.
Only non-gays believe in using a brutal term like “rape” as a way of winning through intimidation in order to feel more powerful over an opponent (perceived, included) and to gain control over same, as well as in a contest of wills in solving and resolving issues; of which you obviously have many.
Case closed, control freak.
Yeah you’re left wing alright. You probably have Ted Cruz’s nutsack in your mouth as you’re typing all of this obvious tea bagging diatribe.
Everyone has a responsibility to stand up to tyranny, especially those in the media. Think of all those Olympic partiers who had fun in 1936 and then watched the aftermath…not to mention the good little Germans themselves. If you can’t see the parallels between today’s anti LGBT laws in Russia and the Nuremberg Laws of 1935, I can’t help you.
Again, the information came from his own PUBLIC PROFILE. How is pointing that out as a huge conflict of interest, “bullying?”
No, that honor belongs to you and others like you.
IT’S the pot calling the kettle, again.
TO my knowledge his activism was with young children. This is such a witch hunt. It IS in fact, bullying. Everyone wants to devour something, and the mob turns on the little skating commentator fairy, who can barely keep his mouth shut long enough to have a pay check. Sad, just sad.
From what I’ve read and understand, that’s a part you seem to play all too well. Shouldn’t you and the other fan girly bloggers be running out of toilet paper now from wiping up Johnny Weir’s messes?
You’ve said your piece and I respectively disagree with you on all of your points.
1. It is not 1936. – 2. He is not competing. – 3. So he quits, someone else steps in. He;s not a major celebrity. — Priorities completely out of place. — The villains are in Washington and Corporate boardrooms. Boycott the sponsors, instead of attacking some little, big mouthed queer.
As a big NYC Queen myself, darrrrling – it is not “fag-bashing” when I refer to someone in my own Community as a “Queen” .. and trust me, she would refer to herself as a Queen, if asked. #calmdowngirl
If someone wants to promote themselves as an “activist,” (as stated in his profile) shouldn’t they do things to support the minority group they are supposedly representing?
And people pointing out public information that hurts his status is not “bullying.”
WHAT “career”?????
Oh, so, is this right up there with “She shouldn’t wear that outfit so she won;t get raped” type of thing? I am truly horrified, but this discussion in and of itself boils up the hypocrisy of so-called progressives. Unbelievable.
If he doesn’t want to be an easy target, then he needs to stop making himself out to be one.
I’m flattered. But you are sadly mistaken.
Picture it: 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin.
A young Jewish track and field star decides to promote the games in the media by saying that the laws are annoying but have no teeth….then has a lovely photo op with Leni Riefenstahl. Conflict?
“it” nice one troll.
Go fuck yourself. You’re dismissed.
You can always tell when Johnny Weir is angry or mad; his English spelling and grammar goes to hell.
OK, all jokes and jabs aside, I seriously want to know: “I can not understand the blind arrogance of people like this who use their privilege only for the glorification of themselves.” – Is this not 90% of the celebrity culture??? I honestly am astonished that apparent ‘gays’ are sitting here acting disgusted by someone doing precisely what they applaud, if not worship in the shallowness of others?
Honest to god — you;re serious with this? You think Gaga or Madonna or what they Kardashians – some combination of these aren’t the gang leaders?
He’s getting bullied cause he;s an easy target. I don;t happen to like the guy, but this is just abhorrent. And now, instead of some reasonable discussion on the actual issue, anyone who disagree gets name-called and bashed on here… #ugh
It needs to learn English spelling and grammar. It’s so angry, it’s not making sense.
He and his followers are now on Twitter complaining that he is getting “bullied.” Maybe he should go in disguise in his beloved Russia and be openly gay to find out what “bullying” really is. I can not understand the blind arrogance of people like this who use their privilege only for the glorification of themselves.
Nope, wrong person. I actually wish I knew this fan-girly blogger she seems to be able to get you all up in arms pretty well. But go ahead with the little “let;s call him a troll for disagreeing with us” game. How very Limbaugh of you.
You and others posting here are definitely spin doctors from Weir’s team. Why don’t you just have the balls to say so?
Pot calling the kettle, much?
What even more tired and tacky: pulling out Fox News tactics on someone for disagreeing with you. If all you got is “You disagree with us, and must be a right-winger” – go back to Grindr. I’m more left than you’ll ever be. Why? Because I have the guts to question this pathetic excuse of so-called ‘leaders’ and activists. You are dismissed.
“If you don’t like Russia, boycott it.” …Yeah, that’ll do just fine for any broke gay kids persecuted in Russia… deep thinkin there, SayQue…
Hello Ms. fan-girly blogger-troll. Got your little and big girl panties in a wad, I see.
Again, wanna see a major contributor to the Moscow backlash we now have? See: Peter Tatchell.
Oh good one! Gotta love the cheap shots.
So now Johnny Weir plays the martyr card while a guy named “Vicktor” writes a blog with his Google+ persona and this QueerRevolution-whoever accuses the author of accusing Johnny Weir when in fact the author was just disclosing the facts that WERE facts til Johnny Weir’s “publicist” (the help) swept the internet with IPhones, Pads, WiFi and Ethernet blazing. And the crowd goes wild! Wow. Who needs “Hunger Games”?
A “film star,” “top-selling author, “pop-culture icon” and “skating superstar” of Mr. Weir-Voronov’s caliber can’t be bothered with correct English grammar. His time is more valuable than that, just ask the Russian Consulate in New York City.
Perhaps, unlike hrmmm let’s see Gaga, Cyrus, Madonna, and about a zillion others the rainbow brigades worship like demigods…and what’s wrong with it? This one certainly doesn’t deserve a character assassination just because he’s the easiest target. This is nothing but piss-poor activist fishing for something to keep their jobs. Go after the real culprits.
Maybe Weir can report back from his motherland about how his urine tastes when he’s forced to drink it on video.
where the fuck is this so-called conflict of interest? a man who is passionate about skating, hired to comment on his own profession, taking place in a country he has a passion for knowledge of…i don’t get it. is there a conflict because he’s a Russophile? or because he’s a skater? or because he’s gay? i’m not sure which offends this guy more.
i, personally, would rather have someone who knows about the sport AND the country in which the olympics are taking place, as a commentator, instead of some asshat who just got the job by a game of spin the fucking bottle.
i get you don’t like his outspoken-ness, or his flamboyant behavior, or his comments. tough shit. that doesn’t mean he should be fired, or ridiculed like this asshole has decided is good for johnny weir.
i don’t see this asshat putting his name or reputation on the line to defend his principles. all i see is someone who is jealous and bitter.
If you feel that it’s tired and tacky the why are you sending so much time here in the comments section? Shouldn’t you be back with your own ilk on some right wing forum participating in the usual Obama bashing circle jerk?
DO us a favour and stop smoking dope before commenting. You don’t sound normal.
SHould be under ‘close federal investigation’ for what? Skating – this kid is hardly an agent – and do you think the NSA does;t know ALL about whatever he does. Please – go back to HBO with this.
There’s nothing normal about your homophobic rant. “No one has to follow your way of thinking and harassing people to do what you want makes you a pathetic human being”.
Take a good look in the mirror before you speak!!!
Oh GIVE ME A FUCKING BREAK. The guy has his career on the line – not unlike ALL of the athletes who have to make a tough choice here. No one thought Putin would pull this shit – you go ahead and give up your job, which he;s had a hard time getting, and do it for your ’cause’. Has he handled it well? Probably not. Does he deserve your inane, childish bullying, certainly not. Grow up and get organized on the real people that need targeting: namely the useless compromiser OBAMA, KERRY, and the SPONSORS. Heck go after NBC for even covering it… But please stop picking on the little homo – it;s just hypocritical 101.
‘That Queen’ and ‘she’ – fagbash much? Funny, they used he same kind of language in Moscow. #tired
HOw tired and tacky – bashing this one lone and not even very important young guy on a bigger than all of us social issue. It is fair enough people want to get active and make a difference, but attacking this skater, with a history of cultural work and connections in Russia, with his one and only passion – is just ridiculous and hateful. Go pick on someone that matters – like do-nothing Obama…
This is SUCH a non-starter and cheap paid activist stunt. Weir had been a Russian skating
enthusiast since long before any of this started. And isn;t he married to a Russian partner? Should he withdraw now? Possibly. But this is a witch hunt gone off the rails. Andy Humm is far from credible – If you want to get to the bottom of who starte a LOT of this mess in a culture he clearly knew little about – have a chat with British Activist and Moscow agitator Peter Tatchell. Good intentions be damned – they went over there forcing Western rainbow crap down everyone’s throat – right or wrong doesn;t matter – it did not sit with the culture, at all – and no one is now taking responsibility for the backlash. If you want to pressure and pick on someone, start with Obama and his lemming John Kerry, and the Olympic committees – they’re the real do-nothings. And let’s face it, when push comes to shove – every queer in Kansas will be watching anyway. Sad, sad, sad the whole thing. Stop fag-bashing this kid.
To the fan-girly blogger about “fact checking”: There’s no defamation inferred or implied in this article. You don’t know anything about anyone, you lying sack. You’ve lied about so many things and people involving Johnny Weir that if your lies were all disclosed, you’d spend the rest of your life in prison. “Fact checking”? You? Ha.
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Hey just so you know there is a grammar error you put get two times in a row in the page not found screen shot and the new bio screen shot.
You’re right. Gay is not normal. It’s way better than normal. Gay is fabulous.
Gay is not normal. Gay people may be normal human beings but being gay is hardly the norm.
If you don’t like Russia boycott it other wise shut up. No one has to follow your way of thinking and harassing people to do what you want makes you a pathetic human being
PS: Sarah Palin says she will use binoculars to watch the Winter Olympics from her back porch, “No way I’m gonna’ visit that Godless country!” she told reporters.
Russia is reinventing its own Stinking Commie USSR and there are more than enough people, who for the right price, will be more than happy to support it. Communist-Capitalism will be the new byword for stock exchanges world wide.
we need to start a write in campaign letting NBC know that if they don’t fire weir we will not only boycott the Olympics on NBC but all NBC programing during the Olympics
I don’t understand why we are so afraid of a straight out boycott of the Sochi and World Games, both of which are taking place in a country that advocates harming a segment of their own population. Boycott ALL things Russian – don’t travel there, don’t spend money there, refuse to support any American company that does business with Russia, demand that your County and State retirement funds be banned from Russian investment and speak out negatively against Russia whenever Russia becomes a part of a conversation. Strip Russia of the more than 300 billion they will make from Americans off the Sochi Olympics and their citizens will revolt. Do nothing and Russia will continue to maim, beat, pummel, and kill gay Russian citizens.
Weir needs to be sent to a “Protest Zone”.
Holy damage control, Batman! But for most, it’s a little too late. The words “with” and “for” are literary cousins, people. They almost always and in most cases mean the same exact thing; but we really shouldn’t expect common fan-girly bloggers to get that. They’re so lost in their own little world. I believe the author of this made his points very clear and concise. Truth is, Johnny Weir should be under close federal investigation due to his past and present dealings with Russian authorities, here and abroad. The truth is, if Johnny Weir is as this article states someone who works with OR for (same difference) any arm of the Russian government, yet he is not a licensed agent of same via our own DOJ, then somebody’s in big trouble and can spend time in federal prison.
And no, a common everyday fan-girly blogger who gets paid a monthly stipend out of Johnny Weir’s foundation to do what she does wouldn’t get that. So, let’s play nice and allow these fan-girly blogger types to let this and other facts that they obviously wish to ignore, to their own detriment, sink into their brains, shall we?
Couldn’t this story have been a lot shorter? “Johnny Weir padded his online resume, spinning a one-time co-hosting role into an ongoing business relationship with the Russian consulate in New York.”
His official bio is on his official website. The bio on Premiere Speakers is not an official bio. It’s unfortunate that it appears it was not well-written, but apparently it has been corrected now. Perhaps had you brought this to their attention during a fact-checking mission, all of this ridiculous, baseless, and inflammatory nonsense could have been avoided. Again, may I ask, since you’ve not yet answered this question: what actual fact-checking did you do before posting this piece? Because without incontrovertible facts to support your headline that Johnny Weir works for the Russian government, and your first paragraph, that he claims to be an agent of Russia, you’re simply left with … libel.
Well , lets see John. What could be next? I only worked with certain people on certain days and so on and so forth yada,yada. Personally , his comments about gays in Russia protesting and no mention of them being terrorized and brutalized is what tells the tale. But doesn’t he look fab in his little Russian uniform.
I’m not sure why you feel such a strong need to defend this fuckweasel, but you’re starting to look like a monomaniac. Have a martini and lie down for a while, okay?
With or For. I see little difference with the current state of affairs in Russia.
I am just as suspicious as I would be if he had been working FOR or WITH Goebbels
So now we’re supposed to assume that the bio he uses to get paid speaking gigs is a lie? That would appear to constitute fraud. I’m sorry, but you assume a lot of malfeasance in your desire to defend this man. I’m still having a hard time understanding how you’re being more fair to him than I.
Actually, the consulate reference just got sent down the memory hole.
Yep, thanks, just updated that. Curiouser and curiouser.
UPDATE: It’s back! Things just got even stranger. Premiere has replaced Weir’s bio with one that continues to mention the children’s welfare group, but now doesn’t mention the Russian consulate at all. But if he was on the host committee of an event with the children’s group and the consulate, and felt it fair to claim that he “works” with the children’s group and the consulate, then how can he now still mention the children’s group, but not the consulate at all, when they both were part of the same event? Wouldn’t it be both or nothing? (I’ve included the new bio in the post as well.)
Former President Richard M. Nixon: “I am not a crook.”
Just because someone says something, or denies something, doesn’t necessarily make it true.
He most certainly has not. At one point he even went so far as to claim that gay people in his home state of New jersey have it just as bad as Russian gays.