An abridged version of The Slore War, currently staged between two American ice lords with a fondness for things that are Russian:
1. Stars on Ice didn’t pick Johnny Weir for the post-Olympics U.S.-based tour.
2. Evan Lysacek, the Vancouver gold medalist who is touring with Stars on Ice in between spray-tan sessions at Dancing With the Stars, told the Indianapolis Star, “They only hire the best to skate.”
3. On Wednesday’s Wendy Williams Show, Weir called Lysacek a “slore” (combo platter of slut + whore).
4. Weir told People Thursday, “We are at war. My claws are out,” adding, “I have no respect for Evan Lysacek.”
5. Lysacek releases a statement calling Weir “an accomplished and talented skater” and wishing him well at his New York show. “I let my personal feelings cloud my judgment in how I answered a journalist’s question about Stars on Ice and Johnny that I should never have answered,” says Lysacek. “I should have known better.”
Like the Boer War of 1899, the Slore War could last three years and be very bloody until both parties finally sign the Treaty of Tassels in 2013. As a spectator, I hope the Slore War’s soldiers experiment with weaponry — why limit yourself to mere claws when a Lycra spandex bodysuit could make such a great whip, a particularly sturdy giant sequin could potentially function as a meat slicer, and toepicks are deadly already?
Team Evan or Team Johnny, PopWatchers on Ice? Watch Weir say “slore” after the jump.
More PopWatch on Ice: Johnny Weir responds to commentators who questioned his gender, example he sets
Annie on Twitter: @EWAnnieBarrett
Image credit: Junko Kimura/Getty Images
Team Weir! Evan is pretty, but there’s not much else going on in that orange head of his. Johnny is intelligent, funny, AND talented. Stars on Ice would have been lucky to have him…
Absolutely agree! I adore Johnny!”Johnny is intelligent, funny, AND talented. Stars on Ice would have been lucky to have him…” On the other hand, Evan I admire for focus, being able to take the high road, and also being able to apologize. Two admirable men.
They are both great skaters. But let’s face it, since Evan won gold at the Olympics, Johnny has been making nonstop snarky comments to the press about Evan in order to keep himself in the limelight. Enough!
Hottest, sparkliest, war EVER!
Yes, slap fight at dawn.
werdo will win it all just like in italy, meetsinglefiremen
Evan’s skate at the Olympics was technically excellent but left me emotionally uninvolved. Ditto his Dancing With The Stars stint. Johnny on the other hand is funny, smart and after the Olympic skate I found myself on YouTube looking to watch it-and his other routines-again and again.
Team Johnny
TEAM JOHNNY!
And I’d love to read evan’s REAL response instead of the PR one.
Exactly! he was told to say sorry, but he doesn’t really mean it.
Evan always sounds so scripted! Team Johnny!
Johnny Weir had a REAL shot at the gold in Torino in ’06 and fell apart on the ice, and was never as good again. He is a great artist, but also a fame hog who has baited Evan Lysacek w/ snarky comments for months. Clearly you can’t beat Johnny when it comes to media soundbites, and he may even have a longer career in the public eye. But give Evan a break – he skates 5 days a week, and dances for two, and has to deal w/ every reporter asking him about Johnny’s latest remark; it’s got to be annoying.
like I said before Evan is better skater more than johnny.
Johnny has millions of fans all over the world and I think Evan has one fan club in the U.S.
Debbie you are right about the fan intensity between the two of them. But does having more fans give Johnny a license to pick on Evan at every turn to keep himself in the press? Making veiled remarks about his sexuality (i.e. winking on the Chelsea Lately show), calling him a whiner for having a him replacement, topping it off w/ calling him a “slore”. How many digs is Evan supposed to take to amuse Johnny’s fan base?
Can’t we be satisfied that America produced a great artist in Johnny AND a gold medalist in Evan?
Evan has tried to put out the fire on this feud, the ball is in Johnny’s court if he wants to follow suit or keep getting his name in the papers.
I read more of their comments in an article somewhere else. Seems like Weir is mad that he isn’t getting as much attention as Evan. Evan made one comment that was said in haste, and not completely thought out, and Weir has taken it and declared his so called “war”. Doesn’t seem like Evan even cares. Weir is just trying to create more drama and more attention for himself.
Seriously, Gator. I was team Both of Them…but Johnny is being kind of unpleasantly defensive, whereas I appreciate Evan’s calm and apologetic statement acknowledging his competitor’s abilities and condemning his own poorly thought out comment. Of which there was only one, I notice. On the other hand – Weir, by repeatedly saying things like “at war” and “slore”…it seems kind of juvenile and melodramatic. I prefer athletes who are mature adults to compete on behalf of my country, and I appreciate a more thoughtful approach to life in general. Johnny seems like great fun and he’s a wonderful skater, but perhaps he needs to get over himself a bit.
Apparently, Ms. Williams blindsided Johnny with that whole Evan comment, not giving him time to compose himself or an answer. He could have said much worse after Evan basically implied that some of the amateurs that haven’t won ANY titles that are INCLUDED in the Stars On Ice tour have MORE talent than Johnny Weir, a 3-time National Champion and World medalist and 2-time Olympian? It’s clear to any idiot that Stars On Ice is excluding Johnny because they do not like his personality or whatever (costumes, opinions, etc.), when the skating should be the criterion for inclusion and NOTHING ELSE.
Evan is looking to stoke this drama by dropping insulting comments because he’s JEALOUS of Johnny’s natural talent. Evan is a talented skater, but does not possess the artistry that Johnny has naturally and is much acclaimed and appreciated for worldwide (Olympic medals or not). Evan is jealous that Johnny still gets press and attention after Evan got the medal and Johnny did not. Evan wants the WHOLE enchilada, leaving nothing for anybody else. Learn to share Evan, learn to share. There’s room for you both in the world of figure skating. Different styles appeal to different audiences, you will each find your own and there is no need for war in the entertainment world. It makes for good press though…here we are talking about it.
These guys have been at it for years. I don’t think Evan is getting more attention, considering Johnny’s placement in the olympics, I find him to be all over.
The real problem is Johnny being “open” and many in skating having a problem with it, even people who may potentially be like Johnny but choose to be “closed”
All I hope is it brings people back to skating–it’s better than clubbing one or the others knee!
I wish we lived in a world where everyone could just be themselves and be comfortable and safe and treated fairly.
Johnny can be a bit much at times, but so funny, and so much more fun than Evan, who I think is a bit like a block of wood. I know that sounds insulting, but it’s the best analogy I can think of. Try opening up, Evan–it can be liberating!
If Evan didn’t care, he hadn’t said something so hurtful (and so untrue!).
He has the PR people of his huge management feeding him “not-apologies”, but it doesn’t change that he went too low.
I think Johnny went even lower.
We’ll have to agree to disagree, Sue1
Johnny has been to Elton John’s Oscar Party, he’s going to the party for the Kentucky Derby, he has a book coming out and a reality show set for its second season. If anyone is jealous it is Evan, because ever since the Olympics of which he won, Johnny has been everywhere
You forgot Johnny insinuating Tanith (Evan’s ex) was his beard on Chelsea Lately, prior to any of Evan’s comments this time around, despite refusing to talk about his own personal life.
Weren’t Johnny and Tanith roommates during the Olympics?
They were, and you can tell they were very close . . .
Well, she could’ve shared a room with Evan (her ex boyfriend), or Johnny. Obviously, she picked not her ex boyfriend’s room.
Yeah, if there really is a “war” going on between Evan and Johnny, then Johnny most definitely started – not only with the comment Kate mentioned, but I also remember him saying derogatory things about Evan during the Olympics.
The “war” started long, long ago, and it definitely wasn’t Weir the one who started. Their Federation, and Evan playing their tool started it.
Stars on Ice started and Evan did everything to defend them. He should be ashamed of them, not defend him.
I thought Evan said something about male figure skating should be “masculine” or something of that nature before the Olympics to slight Johnny’s style. I love Johnny. I want to like Evan (I love watching him on Dancing with the Stars). So I would really like it if they would stop this spat. I think if the Figure Skating community just accepted Johnny for being openly gay (including you, Evan), it would be so much better.
Team Weir the Crystal Enchantress (thanks DListed)of cousre. Evan is a good skater but he’s dull as plain toast. Johnny is bold, creative, fun and funny. I love his show Be Good Johnny Weir because when he’s bad, he’s better.
Loved the show, and D-listed (my snark heaven!)
On the show, Johnny did a charity event with children and teaching them to skate—he was so generous and caring, and the kids LOVED him . . . when will we accept that children are not born prejudice–they are taught it by us! (and organizations that choose to discriminate like “Stars on Ice”)
Ps. Not all the skaters on “Stars on Ice” are the greatest medal holders, either . . . most are very good at entertaining . . . I’ve been many times!
Weir, or Wier-d as we call him in my house is just jealous because he is not as good as Evan. He can’t do a clean performance to save his FABULOUS life! I will say he’s bitchy and entertaining as hell to watch! Go on with yer bad self gurl! HAHA
I don’t wanna go near your house
He did at the Olympics two very clean programs and the judges still didn’t give him good scores or a medal and that is not his fault. Evan in my opinion did two clean programs, but they were boring as hell. So you don’t know what you are talking about.
He screwed up on his long program in Vancouver, but he covered very well. If you rewatch the skate, you’ll see him do a very interesting looking spin, and then give the ice a dirty look. It looks like it was planned, but it was a cover up. He still was underscored, but he didn’t skate clean.
“My child’s not weird. Everyone else is.” -John Weir Sr., 2006
And you’ve got it backwards, it is well known in figure skating that Johnny has more natural talent than Evan and that Evan has had to train much harder than Johnny to compensate, plus learn to milk the points system. Even so, he gets complimented primarily on his work ethic, while people still gush about the beauty, artistry, grace, and expression in Johnny’s skating. (And at the same time, most of Johnny’s jumps at the Olympics were scored higher than Evan’s, so he does have the technical ability as well.)
Let’s not forget what Stars on Ice said about why they didn’t want Weir–that he’s not “family friendly” (which has to mean “presumed queer,” because he’s never done anything un-family-friendly on the ice).
That puts a very different spin on the whole thing, and keeps me solidly in the Weir corner.
Key phrase: “on the ice.” I agree that not inviting him to join the tour because of the “presumed queer” thing would be disgusting, but…his actions now are not particularly family-friendly to me. I don’t know if Stars on Ice has a history of only hiring nice, professional skaters, but maybe that was a factor and they didn’t want to risk Johnny going full-on Weir with his dramatic statements. I love Weir’s skating, but he’s just not as good as the three who medaled this year and I don’t know why he can’t either accept that or train harder to reach their level…but I feel like he’s still bitter about the Olympics. Maybe, I don’t really know, of course. Anyways, my point is, I support Johnny and his skating…so long as he respects his competitors/colleagues, and he isn’t right now. Evan had the grace to admit he was wrong to say what he did, but I don’t know if Johnny is capable of doing the same. I hope he is, because I don’t want to think poorly of him.
I think there have been times he has apologized. It’s ridiculous to think “stars on ice” doesn’t get their audience.
Certainly the kids these days are comfortable with gay people–anyone watched Glee . . . or MTV, etc, etc. Johnny is a huge draw and they are fools not to consider him for the tour.
And please, can anyone say that skating doesn’t have a huge gay following–I know I’m gay, and I’m a huge skating fan! It’s like a joke every time I discuss it.
did anyone think that maybe he’s not family-friendly becuase he calls fellow skaters derogatory names on tv shows and uses bad language in the press? he’s a liability, and that’s a good reason not to choose anyone to join a cast. Johnny doesn’t play nice with others. It has nothing to do with his sexual orientation. Secondly, Johnny is clearly thrilled that Evan mentioned his name – he is LOVING this free press.
misha you obviously didn’t watch be good johnny weir. he answers a panel interview that he is not going to do a quad in the olympics & evan starts taunting him insinuating that a quad is easy & johnny is less of a skater for not attempting one. he also mentions that the rivalry started in their teens
Did SOI *actually* say that Johnny wasn’t “family-friendly?” The only person that I’ve seen that quote attributed to is Johnny himself, speculating on why he wasn’t hired by the show. Can you point me to an official statement by SOI where they said that?
They did, in their official forum, 3 years ago. Someone brought it up this year, everybody talked about it, then asked Weir about it. He wasn’t the one bringing it up.
I love Evan’s skating, but Team Johnny. He skated beautifully at the Olympics and finished 6th behind 4 skaters who were worse than him. He should definitely be on Stars on Ice.
How gay is EW? Is there anyone straight that works for this magazine?
Perhaps you’d prefer Rugby Today . . .
IDK, rugby’s got a LOT of man-on-man contact. Might not be straight enough for d.
LOL!
I think Weir has been defensive about a lot of things, so this makes me think he’s trying to create drama where there isn’t. Evan clearly wants to bury the hatchet, so Weir should just accept the apology and move on.
I agree. They are both very talented and seem like nice guys. Let’s all move on.
Weir’s comments, and I only buy the ones in quote marks until I get the soundbites, were made before IMG released Evan’s “apology”/statement.
Besides, Johnny Weir tweeted after Wendy Williams show that he hasn’t been well spoken nor tactful, and he did it by himself, not with a big monster management dealing with the press for him, like Evan, who took his time.
Team Weir! Evans a robot (a cute robot, but a robot no the less)
“none the less”
Evan is a slore-bore