News of the Weir
It’s my morning “what the heck happened at the Olympics yesterday” news check on Yahoo’s Olympics site. What to my wandering browser’s eyes should appear but today’s top story.
Is it about Seth Wescott’s triumphant gold medal in the brand-new “Snowboard Cross” event? Lindsey Kildow’s amazing return to the starting gate not two days after a spectacular crash and an airlift to the local hospital? Is it about those goofy-looking medals?
Nope. It’s all about men’s figure skater Johnny Weir and whether he is or isn’t. If that’s too subtle for you, try these: Does he do the deed with dudes? Is he AC/DC? Does he hide the salami? In short, is Weir Queer?
Why this is a lead story baffles me beyond all human comprehension.
Hey, I’m sure this is big news for somebody out there. I realize there is some small, sad segment of our society that lives their pitiful little lives vicariously through the trials and travails of their favorite celebrities. Hence the popularity of American Idol. But why in the world would an athlete’s sexual orientation be the subject of a lead news story — even more to the point, an Olympic news story?
Ever since the 70’s, modern Olympics coverage has been obsessed with “getting to know you” stories. About how this skater overcame poverty and disease. About how that bobsledder defied the odds by overcoming his fear of speed. About how that other snowboarder conquered his allergy to flannel shirts. It’s all part of “building drama and tension.” Great. Super! But when you start delving into these silly closet-outing expeditions, Olympic drama turns to Olympic melodrama, and I turn to another channel.
Why are people even interested in this? Maybe the gay-bashers want to know so they can have another target for dinner-table rants. Maybe some lonely gay man out there will entertain a hopeless hope or two. I can see why the gay press would pick up on this story. But those are small fringes of the news audience — why does a story like this appeal to the mainstream?
Even Weir himself wonders what all the flap is about, saying:
“I don’t feel the need to express my sexual being because it’s not part of my sport and it’s private,” Weir writes. “I can sleep with whomever I choose and it doesn’t affect what I’m doing on the ice, so speculation is speculation.
“I like nice things, and beautiful things, so if that is the only way people are determining that I swing one way or the other, then to me, that’s sad. You can’t judge a book by its cover, ever. I am who I am, and I don’t need to justify anything to anyone.”
But the writer of the article alludes to a seedier side to Weir’s desire for privacy:
“He can’t [come out] because he will deal with repercussions from judges,” claims Jon Jackson, a former skater and Olympic-qualified judge, who is the author of the book “On Edge: Backroom Dealing, Cocktail Scheming, Triple Axels and How Top Skaters Get Screwed.”
“I’ve seen it,” Jackson said Thursday, “And it goes beyond (prejudice) from straight judges. (It includes) gay male judges who have their own sexual identity threatened if a gay skater does something feminine.”
Poppycock, I say. (or does that sound too gay?) Figure skating is a flamboyant, expressive sport that thrives on grace and passion, which can often be mistaken for femininity. For a judge to frown on someone for skating “too gay” would be like a coach benching his wide receiver for running “too fast.” In my opinion, a judge shouldn’t care whether or not a skater is straight; all that matters is whether or not he can skate straight.
I will freely admit to having a completely non-functioning gaydar. I was 21 years old when I found out the Village People were gay, and someone had to actually tell me. But this lack of same-sex detection ability has served me quite well — it makes me completely and utterly free of orientation bias. I am one of those rare individuals that just doesn’t care.
Please take careful note: I am not saying whether or not the gay lifestyle is right or wrong. That’s a conversation for another time. But when we’re in the process of extoling our heros and villifying our villians, the last thing on our minds should be whether they prefer Doris Day or Rock Hudson. Johnny Weir is a fantastic skater, and that’s all that should matter to any sports reporter.
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I think a more pertinent question for them to be asking is why is an American skater pictured wearing a Russian jacket/sweater? And an OLD one, at that, since CCCP is as outdated as Max Headroom?
Agreed. Who cares?
The Village People were gay? Well, blow me down and call me drained…
Kidding, of course. I knew that…and didn’t care about that either.
CCCP is coming back in style. I think it has to do with nostalgia and the fact that most people in the former CCCP are often worse off than they were under the communists. But that isn’t because capitalism and democracy are worse than the dictatorship. It’s a symptom of how deeply the former communist leaders had been involved in mafia type activities and the selfish manner in which they transitioned the country into a free market.
As for Americans wearing the stuff, either it is the trend simply crossing borders or nostalgia for a time when we had a big, bad, easy to see opponent. Or both.
Uhm, so… yeah. There is your misplaced social studies lecture for the day.
I wonder if it might also have something to do with the fact that he’s too young to have any actual memories of the Soviet Union. He would’ve been, I figure, maybe 3 years old when it collapsed (if that).