I always forget how much enjoyment I get from the Winter Olympics until it’s here. And it’s here, bitches! My favorite part? Figure-skating, of course. Isn’t that everyone’s favorite? And this year, all of the figure-skating drama isn’t on the women’s side. Because this year the biggest diva on the America team is Johnny Weir. Weir loves his fur trimmed costumes. He loves bedazzling his face. He loves Lady Gaga. And he doesn’t love anyone who try to dissuade him into taking it down a notch. Case in point? Apparently, some animal-rights/anti-fur activists have made some “threats” against Weir and his fur-trimmed costumes. Weir deems these people “crazy fur people” and bemoans the security threats that made him move into the Olympic village (rather than stay at a hotel), where he has to “rough it” in an Olympic Village room, according to Reuters, “lit with scented candles and decorated with pink bath mats.” Oh, Jesus.
Johnny Weir was forced to abandon his vow to never again live in the confines of a “communal athletes village” after the “crazy fur people” issued death threats against the American fashionista.
The figure skater felt the full wrath of animal rights activists PETA after he wore a fur-trimmed outfit at last month’s U.S. Nationals. The self-styled diva makes no secret of liking his own space and creature comforts but for the second Winter Games in succession, he has been forced to “rough it” — albeit in a room lit with scented candles and decorated with pink bath mats.
“All these crazy fur people definitely changed my mind. Security wise, staying in a hotel would be very difficult,” Weir told reporters after turning up for an 0800 news conference sporting a striking red and white silk scarf looped around his neck and with his nails manicured.
“There have been threats against me. Threats of harming me personally and I didn’t want to get hurt. So I decided to stay in the village and my team has made it as comfortable as possible. I don’t want any outside influences to hurt my chances here. Even though I’m not always comfortable rooming with somebody or being in a communal village sort of situation, it’s what I’ve got to deal with.”
Weir, who plans to join the fashion world once he has hung up his “leather skates made of cow” for good, felt he was unfairly targeted.
“There was a lot of attention put on a tiny piece of fur,” said the 25-year-old, the 2008 world bronze medalist. “While I do understand anti-fur activists views about fur and the fur industry, they aren’t part of my life. One thing that is horrible is when somebody pushes a belief on you like a religion. I was definitely threatened and felt very threatened. People are nuts.”
“I’m an easy person to pick on because I’m very open I like fur and I like things that come from dead animals. It’s easy put your cause against an athlete going to the Olympic Games, it’s good free publicity for these activists. I’m not a huge politician that gets these threats all the time. I mean I’m a figure skater. It’s not normal to receive a threat that really threatens your life. It’s a very scary thing.”
However, while the uproar forced him to ditch the costume and pick a more tame outfit for the Vancouver Olympics, Weir has no plans to change his taste in wearing fur again.
“If I still want to compete, if I felt the costume needed fur, I would wear fur. If all this happens again I get a bodyguard,” he added with a smile.
[From Reuters]
Gawker also pointed out Weir’s comments to the Associated Press, where he admitted that he wouldn’t even get to stay in a private room in the Olympic Village, he would have… (gasp!)… a roommate. He’s staying with figure skater Tanith Belbin, and Weir says they will decorate their room with “our icon, Lady Gaga…She needs to be there watching over us, protecting us.” Lord, I love this boy. As for the end-of-the-day fur debate, Weir is still not apologizing: “There are humans dying everyday. There are thousands if not millions of homeless people in New York City. Look at what just happened in Haiti. I tend to focus my energy, if there is a cause, on humans. While that may be callous and bad of me, it’s my choice.” You know what? I’m not any kind of anti-fur activist, but I do think people should avoid wearing fur whenever possible. But I might make an exception for Johnny. He’s too f-cking fabulous.
Here’s Weir in one of his fur-trimmed costumes, and the video below is Weir’s performance to Lady Gaga’s “Poker Face”:
The thing I don’t get about PETA is they are against cruelty to animals but they are some of the most violent activists. Most of the time they use “non-violent” means like throwing flour/paint on people and writing hate letters/cartoons but I do consider these violent acts. It also seems like they attack more celebrities than businesses.
I really hate fur, for MANY reasons and I don’t think people should wear it, but what is up with PETA and the people who support them? They make it so easy to hate them and I am a vegetarian!!!!! It is so wrong.
I don’t understand the logic of being against only certain types of violence. So it’s ok in some circumstances? Why not help end suffering in any capacity you can, including not wearing fur?
It’s his choice, yes, but his thought process seems very limited.
I think his thought process is limited by his need to be fabulous, in this case.
Sad thing is, he isn’t fabulous.
I happen to think he’s fabulous. I hate fur & could not withstand the touch of it on my skin & avoid “faux” fur because it may come from dogs & other less “valuable” animals (I’ve seen those horrific videos form China & elsewhere). That being said, it’s his individual choice & since when the heck does PETA care about animals? They’ve become all about outrageous antics & celebrities. You want to donate? Donate to the ASPCA, they’re wonderful!
as anti-fur as i am i completely agree with Johnny’s statement! people die everyday and these worry so much about animals..and they are so anti-violence they even THREATEN people? man im all for team canada but for johnny i so make an exception! he is amazing as a skater and i simply adore his attitude!
at least peta does something. they get animals out of fur farms and so on and with their actions against celebs they get attention. that’s important. and they save animals from suffering. i’m glad peta exists.
how can someone wear fur? seriously? it’s dead skin! this animals felt pain while they were skinned (most of them alive) and an idiot like that wears it like it grows on trees.
what i don’t understand is that huge difference humans make between our species and animals. we are animals too… we just invented the word human for us.
there are books made of human skin… i think they were made in medieval times (sorry my english is not good) and everybody goes: eeewww that’s disgusting!
but… skin from animals is always okay and no big deal. mh…
I wonder how many of those PETA nuts are gobbling down cheeseburgers between protests? As far as I am concerned, if you can eat ’em you can wear ’em.
Johnny.Is.Fabulous!
PETA’s message gets so horribly lost amidst their guerrilla style tactics, threats and violent actions.
Let’s hope that all of this controversy doesn’t distract Johnny and make him lose focus!
Bring home the gold Johnny!
@ the poster above me in my last comment:
who told you a humans’ life is more worth than an animals’ life? isn’t the worth of life always the same no matter what?
google the movie earthlings with joaquin phoenix.
@cecil: You do wear leather shoes, don’t you? They kill the cow before they make the shoes.
I dont get it. Why the big uproar in something thats already dead and proly has been for awhile now? why not focus more energies on the prevention? Im a huge fan of the old saying ‘a ounce of prevention saves a pound of trouble’ and find that it pretty much applies everywhere. Why not focus on shutting down the mink farms or limiting the way the suppliers get their supplies than ‘protecting’ something that’s already dead? Then the skin is just going to wastes and thats another mink thats going to have to take its place.
I hear this all the time about PETA..why can’t they just sit down and shut up…for the same reason The Dixie Chicks wouldn’t because they have the right to protest as we all do. To shut down protest is to stifle freedom of speech. As for Johnny Weir his skating talent doesn’t make him any less famewh**ish in my book. He wants attention, he is promoting himself, courting the press, whatever he needs to do to stay in the headlines. I don’t begrudge him his fame but I do see it for what it is…attention grabbing antics off the ice to make sure people watch him ON the ice.
Ruining Johnny’s Olympics is not going to stop anyone from wearing fur. Its just not going to work. I don’t wear fur although I love it, I think its beautiful, but I’d rather see it on its original owner. However, picking on Johnny at this time is really low. He has worked for this moment for so long, and he has enough pressure and nerves to deal with. There has got to be a better way to get their message across. Bullying a figure skater at his Olympics is not the way.
Fabulous? He is the very definition.
Johnny Be Good on Sundance Channel:
Channel.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVmGsmW2W9s&feature=youtube_gdata
I rarely think anyone is fabulous, but that adjective was probably made for Jonny.
He’s the only male skater that makes me laugh.
The whole fur issue – PETA is hanging on to Jonny because he’s making news right now – they do the same stuff during fashion week. If George Clooney started stepping out in a full mink coat today, they’d be after him, leaving Jonny in the dust.
As for wearing fur, I wouldn’t wear it, but I happen to love my suede and leather shoes and I have a craving for a big slopppy cheeseburger now.
I love Johnny Weir. PETA can suck my balls.
PETA is nothing more than a group of whacked out lunatics. We all use animal furs, leathers, etc, in our daily lives. And, hunters provide more resources for wildlife preservation than all other groups combined.
For you PETA whackos: it is easy to threaten someone over the phone or the internet. But, not one of you has the guts to do so face to face.
I’d like to see PETA go after the Hells Angels for wearing to much leather.NOW that would be cool!:)
Human lives ARE more valuable than animals. PETA just hates human beings and that’s the basis of their campaign-self hatred.
I now firmly believe in Karma. All his jumps totally sucked, they were too tight and short, like he had trouble extending his leg when he landed, he was nervous as hell, and the performace was stiff and very animated. A horrible performance for an Ice Scater.
Johnny Weir Completely Sucked in this performance, now he can go home and roll in his mounds of fur.
Johnny Weir is an idiot, for incorporating real fur into his wardrobe in the first place. All scaters know what is painfully obvious.
All the Johnny Weir fans need to shut up, he’s dancing was terrible.
Animals are skinned alive for their fur, and PETA has done a tremendous job in informing the public about extreme cruelty in the fur pelt industry. I applaud PETA for making that MONSTER remove fur from his shirt.
The Mens Olympic Figure Skating competition hasn’t even begun yet. Why are you guys saying he skated horribly? Is it the Poker Face video? Just a little bit of info: that was a skating expo, not a competition. Their “fun” skates are far less technical than their competitive ones.
I’m going to put on my favorite leather boots today and rock em’.
@ Johanna – faux fur isn’t completely synthetic?
@ cecil – PETA does something? What do they do aside from make a big stink, threaten to hurt people and then kill (not always humanely) those animals they claim to rescue?
@ OC
It depends where the faux fur comes from. My friends lived for a long time in Korea and guess what..? The faux fur was made from dogs. Ha, the funny thing is that no one cares about it or really minds it. (At least my friends didn’t see people freak out and flour bomb/destroy shops that ate dogs or used the fur for faux fur)
How awkward would it be for someone who is anti-fur and wears faux fur to find out their faux fur was dog? Eek.
Also faux fur is not environmentally friendly for those on the global warming train. Real fur can last for decades and does not need to be processed the same way faux fur does. Guess which one is more environmentally friendly.
how about a little contrast? Darkened rink and black outfit…geez.
@Cheyenne: i do not wear leather. i don’t like the thought that a creature that feels joy and pain is on my feet and so on. it’s just not right and not respectful. there are other options.
@oc: yes, they do something. they put persons undercover into locations where animals suffer to get attention from people about something (check http://www.peta.com for it) you can check out the movies on peta.com they made while bein’ undercover
and they have people who free animals from laboratorys and so on (again, sorry english is not my mother language)
most of you people are very selfish. it’s just about your own species. when you would’ve seen how animals suffer you would never write like that.
every life is worth so much no matter humans or animals. it’s sad that people don’t think about that in this time. i could understand that kind of behaviour a hundred years ago. but now… with all the options you have… that does not scream intelligence of human beings to me.
Filthycute,
I was thinking the same thing.
PETA and the ADL. I don’t know which one I find more abrasive.
Hatsumomo – EXACTLY! Throw paint on a rich woman’s fur coat, she’s just going to buy another fur coat, and that’s just more animals that will be killed. These anti-fur people need to focus their efforts on shutting down the sources, not pestering the individual folks who wear the fur.
Johnny is fabulous! That said, he be just as fabulous with fake fur (as in synthetic material).
People who don’t care about how animals are tortured for fur, disgust me. Johnny Weir is an ugly hag.
I hope PETA follows up with that looser, to make sure he never glamorizes fur again. He’s so stupid and arrogant.
I saw his “ice dancing” it was pathetic, poor guy was probably on valium.
And his makeup looked like a bird dropped a load on his face.
Does Jonny Weird have anything else to do other than sit at his computer and defend his stupid choice of fur on this blog.
He should compete in women’s ice skating not men’s. He moves like a woman. I’m gonna watch this video again, this is the funniest video I have seen today, especially when he grabs his crotch and when he makes a sexy face.
He looks drugged.
If you think an animal is worth just as much as your child or any human being then you are one sick, self-hating person.
@ Kate
If PETA follows up with that “looser” (I think you meant “loser”) then I hope he slaps assault charges on there asses.
I think the point Johnny is trying to get across is that no matter what your beliefs are you have no right to push it onto another human being.
If you believe in Christianity so be it, but just because you believe it does not give you the right to declare everyone else devil worshippers. If you believe in pornography that is your choice, but once again it does not give you the right to declare everyone else to be prudes or backward.
The same must apply to PETA. In the western world we have a lovely thing called democracy which, by rights allows us to have our own opinions on every subject we come across. PETA can choose to believe that animals have as much right as humans, the can chooose to not wear fur or eat meat… but it does NOT give them the excuse to force their beliefs on other people to the point where they physically attack people who don’t believe what they do. That is dangerous ground.
If that was the case in every senario than we would be living in a communist world my friends. Live and let live… respect others opinions and wishes and stand up for what you believe in. Just not at the belittlement and stiflement of others.
I don’t see what the point is comparing value of animal life to a child. It’s preposterous. No one is killing children or people for fur.
Peoples’ lives are endangered everyday by food companies who sell food filled with chemicals to save money, and airlines who bypass inspections to save a few cents, the list goes on and on. Human life is devalued every day to save a couple of cents.
These animals are being skinned alive for their fur, one subject has nothing to do with the other unless you are an idiot.
Hm. Looks like one or two haters on Johnny posting in the same thread…
Protip: if you’re going to make posts under different names try to differ your spelling, syntax, and topics (yes, you “Wier is a Druggie OMGOMGOMG!”- not like the Olympics or Team USA would EVER drug test him!). Or learn how to spell “scater”, silly hater.
@Lisa: Misogynist much? “He should compete in women’s ice skating not men’s. He moves like a woman.” What on earth is so bad about skating like a woman???
“people die everyday and these worry so much about animals.”
Animals are nicer than people. When I die I’m leaving all my shekels to animal charities.
But I agree with blue_planet, we should want to end suffering in any capacity we can, including not wearing fur.
I think long-time Animal Activist/Supporter Betty White summed things up nicely when she said:
“I don’t get into the political side or the demonstrative side. I’m just totally devoted to health and welfare. You know what the problem that animal activists sometimes have? They only concentrate on the heartbreaking things to the point where the general public think, ‘Oh, here comes those animal folks again and I’m going to hear all the things I don’t want to hear.’ They forget to celebrate all the gains that we’ve made. … Sure, there are still big problems, but we’re making some good moves. I’m a big cockeyed optimist. I try to accentuate the positive as opposed to the negative.”
http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/47197
More Awareness, Less Hate!
He’s all about drawing attention to himself, no matter how ridiculous he has to be to get it. He can’t let his talent (?) speak for itself, so he pulls a Madonna: Ridiculous theatrics to hide the bad singing.
“If you think an animal is worth just as much as your child or any human being then you are one sick, self-hating person.”
I believe all life is precious and equal. To me, an animal dying is just as bad as a human dying. That doesn’t make me sick or self hating at all. I’m not saying people’s lives arent worth anything, I’m saying ALL lives are worth something. Maybe you’re the sick, self hating person for getting mad and offended just because someone else thinks an animals life counts for something. That doesn’t automatically mean I think peoples lives are worthless. People have different opinions. Learn to live with it. You don’t have to get so nasty about it. Opinions happen. Thinking an animals life means something =/= thinking a humans life means nothing.
That being said, I can’t stand PETA, I think they do more harm than good and are hypocrites.
This whole article reminds me of a quote George Carlin once said: “If there was a starving kitten and a starving baby sitting side by side on the sidewalk, I would feed the kitten first.”
Not saying I agree with that quote, just saying this whole debate is reminding me of it.
I love the fur question. While I would be the first to throw paint on someone in a new fur, I wear vintage fur myself. But don’t hate yet! My opinion is that it exists, throwing it in a landfill wont change the way it was made and because I dress like a crazy scary ho there are very few people in this world would consider me a template for their own sartorial desires. Thus it can’t be argued that Im fueling the market for more fur.
There are so many beautiful fur garments still in circulation and wasting them is just stupid grandstanding.
I financially support animal charities, have a house full of rescue animals and have been an environmentalist since I could read a book. I deplore killing animals solely for their pelts. But that’s my argument for vintage fur.
Now that I’ve finished pontificating about that, this skater guy is a fucking dick for not giving a shit. Hello, dipshit, they rip it off animals while they’re still alive. It’s not fairy pubes.
PETA are a bunch of arseholes who’ve set animal welfare back three decades. So Im hating on them too.
Andrea, I don’t get your point, you just sound as if you hate animal activists. I don’t think hurts an animal any less being skinned alive than it’d hurt you or I, so this ‘value’ crap is bullshit.
There’s no need for animals to suffer by the hands of human beings but this shit people do is just CRUEL. Animals can’t fight back, they’re completely helpless so if you give a shit at all about the feelings of another creature you’d do your part not to perpetuate it. Some people just choose to block this out or are happily in denial, It’s sick and indifference why there is that type of suffering in the world.
Mr Weir’s point is PETA lack tolerance to the beliefs of others. Hunting and the eventual use of fur is an essential part of humanity’s evolution. Now, if our development was more balanced and ecologically sound then we wouldn’t have problems pertaining to the extinction of some of these endangered species. Belief of animals having souls or should not be hurt had been present for more than a millennium (Hinduism anyone?) but that doesn’t mean they go out of their way to force others to follow their beliefs.
Interesting how the PETA supporters think that it’s free speech, and therefore their right, to talk a bunch of crap about someone just because he wears fur… but they don’t seem to respect that said free speech means Weir has the right to talk about liking fur, too. Ahh, free speech; ready defense of the hateful hypocrite.
Johnny Weir has no talent as a skater. He’s not even skating with the music. What a waste. He loves fur because it makes a great cushion when he leans on all fours for his boyfriend.
Alternative fabrics to fur is the evolution of mankind. It is completely unnecessary to wear fur accept out of sheer stupidity and arrogance.
He dry humps his fur rug.
Kelly – I agree with you. I have a vintage coat too, and I don’t think I should have to feel guilty about an animal that’s been dead for decades.
And while I definitely wish any harvesting of animals, for food, fur, or otherwise should be done humanely, I wonder of any of the detractors think of the people who’s only means of feeding their families are these animals. I’m sorry, but I think they are no more guilty than the magnificent cats that take down wildebeests in the wild. Each is doing it to take care of their loved ones. I don’t see PETA disparaging the lions and tigers for not humanely eating a gazelle…
Kelly – I agree with you. I have a vintage coat too, and I don’t think I should have to feel guilty about an animal that’s been gone for decades.
And while I definitely wish any harvesting of animals, for food, fur, or otherwise should be done humanely, I wonder of any of the detractors think of the people who’s only means of feeding their families are these animals. I’m sorry, but I think they are no more guilty than the magnificent cats that take down wildebeests in the wild. Each is doing it to take care of their loved ones. I don’t see PETA disparaging the lions and tigers for not humanely eating a gazelle…
Unfortunately, there is no humane way to harvest fur.
Comparing lions eating gazelle in the wild to skinning a live animal for fur, is comparing apples to oranges.
The animals killed for fur can live out their natural lives without being skinned alive for the sake of vanity.
I don’t care for PETA, but they were correct to make a statement against Weir for glamorizing cruelty to animals because it’s evil.
There are fabrics far superior to fur, in quality and warmth and it is completely unnecessary to wear fur except to make a vulgar statement.
People who wear fur, even vintage fur disgust me.
I saw a video of a tiny animal being skinned alive and every time, the fur is pulled away from it’s tiny body, it makes a horrid scream and tears are flowing from it’s eyes, and it’s tiny front paws are quivering in pain.
This type of animal torture does not justify the making of fur pelts and products.
That moron bubble ass Weir should have skated to “Apologize”
Sorry, MymaJane – while I kind of agree with your first comment about PETA sucking your balls (I believe in their mission, not their tactics) your second post is erroneous. The Men’s Short Program was on last night. (I actually liked his program and felt he deserved a higher score.)
And you should check your spelling if you are going to correct other posters for their errors (Kate – loser). It’s “slaps assault charges on their asses” not “there asses.” Just sayin…
Damn, this guy is gay and still has more balls than those peta fucks.
If we don’t eat it don’t wear it. Some things are in our food chain.So why not use there feathers and skin for coats,boots,extI don’t see Johnny with cattle hair around his neck.Why would a very talented young man put this on himself? He said in an interview that his skater circle is not supporting him?He has made a choice to dress and act the way he is for attention. Rather people agree or disagree. Johnny also made a point to grow facial hair to let the public eye know he is a man. I don’t think he dresses like a female.My opinion he reminds me of how I groomed my poodle. I am not saying this to be uagly.Bothersome to me. What really is his thinking process?