52 responses so far ↓

• 1 Patricia Nell Warren // Feb 16, 2010 at 3:44 pm

  Stojko needs to get off his pulpit (because that’s what it is) and stop his bible-thumping (because that’s what he’s doing) to make all figure skaters conform to a single style — with men all compelled to meet his personal standard of “masculine” and women presumably compelled to skate in a very “feminine” manner.

  Surely the world of figure skating can be big enough to embrace all kinds of styles, with both women and men skaters. After all, not every man who skates in a softer, more aesthetic style is gay…and not every women who skates in a style that might be described as “aggressive” and “athletic” is necessarily a lesbian.

  I’m willing to bet that the “people behind Stojko” who “appreciate” what he’s doing are religious righters.

• 2 czvande // Feb 16, 2010 at 3:54 pm

  Lesson in maturity, Mr. Stojko……try changing your own attitude instead of everyone else’s.

• 3 iHeartSocks // Feb 16, 2010 at 4:18 pm

  Kind of strange and hypocritically for anyone to label this dude a homophobe, especially since a lot of gays feel the same way as he does.

  Have we all encounter gays that hate Weir, and other queens, because of his effeminate nature?

• 4 DBC // Feb 16, 2010 at 4:43 pm

  Skate Canada started this with their “toughen up figure skating” routine, Elvis joined in 3 months later. So I guess we know which people are “behind” him.

  Basketball has a large number of African American players and skating has a large number of Gay Male skaters and that is Ok….. unless you are a self hating homosexual…right Elvis????? Most Gay males have a strong female side and that is Ok, unless you hate all things female….right Elvis?

• 5 DR // Feb 16, 2010 at 4:46 pm

  Wow, Patricia, you’ve just shown us all that you can be just as narrow-minded and hypocritical as those whose positions you decry. Where is your proof to support your comments aside from your own assumptions and biases?

  Methinks you need to put away the broad brush.

• 6 Rob W. // Feb 16, 2010 at 5:35 pm

  The ironic thing is that it seems like something is up Stojko’s ass. He needs to figure out that different styles work for different skaters…AND spectators. It’s the different styles that make the sport interesting. Cookie-cutter performances equal boredom. Also, shut up Elvis.

• 7 DR // Feb 16, 2010 at 5:59 pm

  I have to say, after reading the article, Cyd, your selective quotations is utterly and totally intellectually dishonest. You mashed up the answers to two different questions into one giant quote. You took a good part of it out of context.

  Fine, you linked to the article, but you have an obligation to at least attempt to accurately quote him, whether you agree with him or not.

• 8 Davey // Feb 16, 2010 at 6:00 pm

  To me it sounds like he wants mens skating to be exclusively a jumping competition, which it is not. It is unique sport in which strength, athleticism, and yes, creativity and choreography are important. I don’t want to watch skating if all I see are guys trying to do quad jumps (which very few guys land cleanly by the way). I don’t think Elvis is a homophobe, but he needs to face reality. Figure skating has always had a large gay following and that’s just a fact he will have to deal with. Figure skating is never going to attract the NASCAR fan anymore than tennis will.

• 9 Steve Furches // Feb 16, 2010 at 6:05 pm

  Patricia:
  I have read and re-read Mr. Stojko’s comments, and I see nothing in them that suggests a religious bent, implied or otherwise.
  Peppering your criticisms with pejoratives such as “pulpit” and “bible-thumping” only inflames this issue in other directions.
  Perhaps when Mr. Stojko chooses to shelve his stereotypes you might do the same–and keep your church-bashing to yourself.

• 10 Rich // Feb 16, 2010 at 10:55 pm

  Each skater needs to be who they are. I perform stand-up comedy and if I am not who I am on stage, the audience knows it. I would say some could tone down their flamboyance if it affects the quality of the skating. Elvis kinds of always bored me and Michael Weiss I always felt doth protest too much how straight he is. With that said I am now a big fan of the French kid Florent Amodio - what a honey and a terrific performance tonight. I will be rooting for him in 4 years. It will be interesting to see how he matures.

• 11 Jim Allen // Feb 16, 2010 at 11:44 pm

  I’m watching the men’s figure skating and so far, the Canadian Chipeur (cute but too bad about that tumble) and the Russian Plushenko aren’t exactly butching it up, lots of delicate hands there.

  Poor Elvis Stojko, for once he’s a minority and the poor dear doesn’t like it one bit. Welcome to my life 24/7 then.

• 12 Jim Buzinski // Feb 17, 2010 at 12:13 am

  I watched the live East Coast feed and there is a lot of crying to come.

• 13 Jim Allen // Feb 17, 2010 at 1:07 am

  After segments for luge and snowboarding –so much for NBC wringing all it can out of the “Lindsey Jacobellis is redeemed” storyline– back to men’s figure skating.

  Oh dear, Mr. Takahashi is soooo not butch, in fact he looks like what Adam Lambert would look like if AL were a skater and not a singer. [after the routine] Well, that was so gay but really well skated too in this novice’s eyes. Turns out, that was good enough for 2nd so far.

  Stephane Lambiel’s costume is quite gay, like he’s an extra in a production of Romeo and Juliet. His routine is tres gay but he’ll be done in by the stumble on a required move. The spins at the end were incredible though.

  4 skaters I’ve seen so far and not a whiff of butch anywhere to be seen.

• 14 Jim Allen // Feb 17, 2010 at 2:41 am

  I watched the live East Coast feed and there is a lot of crying to come

  Hahahaha, most of it from Evan Lysacek, I’d imagine, those tears are going to streak his tanning spray!

  No tanning crap on Jeremy Abbott, his pale skin is lovely. [later] Wow, great routine, nice mix of flappy hands and athleticism. Still not material for the NFL though. Wow, that seems like a harsh score for him.

• 15 jdohe // Feb 17, 2010 at 5:10 am

  Elvis Stojko is gay himself (38 years old and never married nor girlfriend?). Like many gay men who refuse to come out of the closet, they are homophobic gay bashers to disguise the fact that they themselves are gay (yes I mean you Miss Tom Cruise). Nobody should hate Tom Cruise for being gay - they should hate him for being a scientologist and terrible actor.

• 16 jdohe // Feb 17, 2010 at 5:20 am

  Evan Lysacek (Yvonne Lycsacok - licks or likes) is the one crying and will be crying more in the future. Johnny is the one people will remember. Johnny is the one people will be seeing in PROFESSIONAL ice shows instead of the overbearing - silly amateur competitions. Johnny is the only skater to ever have his own TV series (check out “Be Good Johnny” on Sundance).

  By the way, Miss Yvonne Lycsacok looked ridiculous in her black blouse with the curly junk up top. Looked like the sewing project of a high school student’s home economics class. It followed in the tradition of Lycsacok’s earlier costume which looked like gray longjohns with 50 cents of ribbon sewn on. Weir’s costumes, on the other hand, are made by HIMSELF in collaboration with the internationally famous designer VERCACE. Lastly, Lysacek’s former girlfriend Tanith Belbin seems to like sharing an apartment with Johnny Weir…

• 17 jdohe // Feb 17, 2010 at 5:22 am

  eek..one type.. Weirs designer is Versace not Vercace.

• 18 Daijhi // Feb 17, 2010 at 6:34 am

  The problem with Elvis was that he simply couldn’t be graceful. So he tried to tell everyone that his heavy thumping style was right and that the delicate grace of almost every other skater was ‘feminine’.
  Thank God no one listens to him.

• 19 ossurworld // Feb 17, 2010 at 7:40 am

  Dainty is as dainty does.

• 20 ger // Feb 17, 2010 at 3:16 pm

  You should hear the single he released (yes, it’s available on iTunes). It is as artistic as his skating.

• 21 Derek // Feb 17, 2010 at 3:30 pm

  Right on Elvis! You rock buddy!

  And to the lesbo writer who calls Elvis a bible thumper, for someone known to be a writer, know your topic, Elvis Stojko is the farthest thing from a religious person. He’s allowed to have an opinion, and instead of hitting back with your usual ‘poor gay me’ crap, why not try to add something constructive to the world? Oh wait, that’s right, the world hates you, waaaa waaaa waaaa.. grow up!

• 22 Earlissa // Feb 18, 2010 at 5:49 pm

  jdohe:

  Your a typical queen who thinks everyone he wants to shag (Tom Cruise) is a butt pirate. Stop fantasizing and stick to what you can get at the bus station glory hole.

• 23 John McClelland // Feb 18, 2010 at 7:15 pm

  I’m sorry. You just can’t really “butch up” figure skating. It is what it is.

• 24 Will // Feb 19, 2010 at 9:45 am

  If Elvis things figure skating should be more masculine, maybe he should have picked a man’s sport. His criticisms are all pretty absurd. Art is a huge part of the event. If it were not, it would be 5 second turns to see who could jump the highest and spin the most. Unless he wants that, art is going to be part of it. He was never an artistic skater and not very graceful. Yes he was a good athlete, but I guess not good enough to participate in a man’s sport (hockey, football, or even speed skating). This guy is a douche.

• 25 Sheila Muirenn // Feb 19, 2010 at 2:11 pm

  Oh please. The strenght in Johnny’s skating is much more internalized that Elvis’s. Johnny has control of the small muscles, Elvis relies on larger, easier to control muscle groups. That is why Johnny’s control is more subtle. People with the subtle control are stronger. It is harder, much harder, to move that way.

• 26 Anthony // Feb 19, 2010 at 2:15 pm

  Elvis: Shut up and skate, oh wait..you don’t do that anymore. What ridiculous dribble.

• 27 DR // Feb 19, 2010 at 2:45 pm

  Uhhm, Will, Elvis is a black belt in Hung Gar Kung fu and karate and has competed in full-contact competition (silver medalist with the PKA, one of the big full-contact martial arts governing associations). He’s more than capable of doing “real man’s” sports.

• 28 Julie // Feb 19, 2010 at 8:39 pm

  What decade are we in?? Gay, straight
  who cares? Obviously Elvis- have lost
  any bit of respect I ever had for him.
  We all have testosterone and estrogen-
  maybe Elvis just needs a dab more estrogen
  to even him out. So one is to assume he
  does not like gay artists(rules out many of the
  world greats Elvis), gay actors, gay musicians,
  gay ballet dancers. I wonder how he would feel
  about a “masculine” unartistic super jumping
  female skater???

• 29 kim clark // Feb 20, 2010 at 1:23 am

  I loved the comment about Evan Lysecek’s spray tan. He really went for the gold! He looks like Snookie on Jersey Shore. Elvis Stojko is far from a bible thumper, he is an example of all things evil and unholy.

• 30 Molly // Feb 20, 2010 at 4:41 pm

  Why is everyone so focused on Evan not doing a quad? In ten years, will it be required to do a quintuple? Get over it. His skating far surpassed Pleshenko’s. It wasn’t even close. And for Stojko, he’s just sore that he never won a gold. I’m skeptical about his sexual orientation myself. Come on out of the closet Elvis. It’s easy these days.

• 31 Laurie // Feb 20, 2010 at 7:26 pm

  Homophobic men can’t identify with artistic skating. Insecure men can’t identify with artistic, classical skating. Secure men can appreciate the depth of talent, total body awareness and control, musicality, strength, dedication and natural talent involved in skating with great artistry. You either have it or you don’t.

  It sounds to me like there’s an element of sour grapes here as one of the criticisms of Elvis’ skating years ago was his lack of artistry. Over time it improved admirably. It feels like over the years he has become embittered, which is a sad world in which to spend one’s life. I hope for Elvis that he learns gratitude and kindness. Bitterness is one of the saddest places in which to dwell.

• 32 Southern IL Skating Fan // Feb 20, 2010 at 7:33 pm

  Big talk for a man who never managed to win an Olympic Gold Medal even though he had the ‘quad’ AND strong transitional elements. Machismo doesn’t always win the day either.
  Brian Boitano and Scott Hamilton never worried about being macho and yet THEY won gold!

• 33 Molly Nolan // Feb 20, 2010 at 10:15 pm

  What a narrow and simplistic view from someone with diverse talents. You’d expect a person who had to train for different disciplines to understand and appreciate the the variety of paths into sport and the variety of legitimate expressions within a subjectively judged competition. Whatever else is going on with Elvis Stojko, he is by his declared prejudice, not qualified to judge figure skating.

• 34 222 // Feb 21, 2010 at 11:39 pm

  Stokjo’s homophobic opinion is irrelevant. Being effeminate and/or gay is just fine in my opinion — BUT, being effeminate, plus being an arrogant bitchy queen that exaggerates their “gayness” in order to form some kind of identity for themselves — is absurd, and that is what helps breed homophobia.

• 35 Dawson // Feb 22, 2010 at 3:45 pm

  The original Quad King———-Timothy Gobbles was an American Skater. He did 3 quads in his long program. Did he ever win a world championship? No. And isn’t he gay?

  Skating is an art form that is equally athletic. So is ballet. So is basketball. Yes basketball.

  Does it really matter? Evan won and beat a very poor sport that has been getting away from mouthing off for way too long. And let us not forget that Johnny boy has been taking shots at Evan for years.

  What we have learn through all of this is who has class and who reverts to a primative quality. Good Job Evan. You have shown class and dignity. A world champion on and off the rink.

• 36 Tim // Feb 23, 2010 at 12:28 am

  Well, the humanity thrives because of its mostly normal constituency. Certainly, there are minorities with various differences from the norm - by far the largest minority is the left-handed people, then we have (in no particular order) color-blind, tone-deaf, hemophiliacs, people with allergy to pollen, animals, peanuts - all of the above whose particularities have a direct impact on their active life. Further, we have people who have controllable tendencies: over-eating, under-eating, sex-hungry, frigid or impotents. Others have various sexual preferences in the selection of their bedroom partners. Why should the latest group be the most vociferous and to claim special rights, I don’t understand.

• 37 ossurworld // Feb 23, 2010 at 8:00 am

  No gay skating?? Time to hang up the blades, Elvis.

• 38 Jayne // Feb 23, 2010 at 7:26 pm

  Note that Elvis won both his Olympic Silver Medals, he won them with zero quads. Elvis is the Joe Dirt of ice skating, I don’t know why anyone pays him any mind. The “old school” mentality was if you skated clean, you won. The “new school” mentality under the Code of Points is that even if you make one mistake, if you keep going (like Takahashi) and complete elements with high execution, you can still place, or even win. I like this attitude, because in the “old school” days, skaters would give up after making one error, and pop the rest of their jumps, spin slowly, half-bake their footwork. Now, they are rewarded with points for every move - whether it looks masculine or feminine.

  Jonny’s skate was front loaded with jumps, with few transitions, which was why he scored lower than the others. But it was still a beautiful skate, and yes, he will sell far more tickets to shows worldwide than Elvis ever did - or will.

  I just wish Jonny would co-opt that number Katarina Witt used to perform “I am what I am” as his encore to the Lady Gaga number.

• 39 Jim // Feb 24, 2010 at 1:53 pm

  Elvis quite rightly made a point about the gay community making no effort to move away from effeminate stereotypes. I mean, fine if you are naturally effeminate, but if you are not then you shouldn’t feel compelled to queen it up just to fit in. Gay does not equal effeminacy, any more than it equals hyper-masculinity, although some gay activists cling to the stereotype in order to set themselves apart from what they perceive as those awful straights.

  Also, I wish people would stop accusing this or that person of being a closet case just because he or she has said something the gay community at large doesn’t like to hear. Stoijko might be gay. He might not be. Unmarried does not always equal gay.

• 40 Say What? // Feb 26, 2010 at 4:53 pm

  Elvis is entitled to his opinion, but the reason I prefer men’s skating to women’s skating is mainly the diversity - you have “masculine” skaters like Brian Joubert, “artistic” skaters like Weir, and all those who fall in between in verying degrees. Joubert is hot, but thank goodness everyone doesn’t skate like that - shallow spins and mediocre footwork. But that face, that ass and those gorgeous legs of his, are truly a gift from the Gay Almighty.

• 41 Frank // Feb 26, 2010 at 5:15 pm

  I don’t like the way elvis skates because he looks like a girl. A short girl with big hair. NOT!

• 42 hampton // Feb 27, 2010 at 10:20 pm

  Hmmmm.! Well congrats to ALL the Olympic skaters. Evan has cllass and dignity and reps what is the best in US athletes. Plenky is a sore loser. Skate Canada shot themselves in the foot when they made Jeff Buttle retire for not bein a “butch” enough skater. Elvis, who could jump but had no artistry whatsoever and attacked the ice like a jackhammer-sour grapes. Who cares who is “in or out” Isn’t it about artistry and sportsmanship.?PS. How many football can do a triple lutz!

• 43 Mark // Feb 28, 2010 at 9:02 pm

  Does Stojko still have that awful mullet? The best thing he could have done for figure skating was to admit how screwed up that mullet looked. He looks like he should be back in Eastern Europe with a bottle of vodka in a paper bag.

• 44 EJ // Mar 3, 2010 at 3:38 pm

  Well the pot is certainly calling the kettle black !
  For someone who couldn’t find a beat in the music and didn’t understand that there is more to figure skating the a drum beat and a few very cheated jumps he truly does not have a right to comment, good or bad!
  get back in the closet Stojko, you are giving us all a bad name!

• 45 Dan OConnor // Mar 5, 2010 at 2:47 pm

  I’m a personal friend of Elvis, and I agree. I think that the gay skaters should skate more “butch”. Like Elvis.

• 46 Jean Schmith // Mar 5, 2010 at 2:56 pm

  Elvis is not a homophobe, for god’s sake. He’s merely suggesting that men skate in a more masculine way, because their dressing in drag and acting effeminate can be distracting to the judges and cost them both points and their audience. Watch Elvis’ interviews on Weir and you’ll see he thinks Weir is talented and would have scored higher, had he not been in a tutu.
  Jean M. Schmith, Ajijic, MX–and believe me, I know about guys in tutus.

• 47 Laurie Campbell // Mar 22, 2010 at 3:39 am

  Why doesn’t anyone look up facts before calling someone a homophobe or a closeted homosexual.

  1. He went to train with Doug Leigh because Brian Orser trained there and he looked up to Brian Orser, a gay man yet didn’t skate efeminiate

  2. Elvis has had numerous girlfriends, and has one right now that he stated publically was with him at the Olympics so I guess he isn’t closeted after all.

  You can disagree with what he says but putting labels on him is as bad as when people do it to gays and lesbians.

  I thought you all would be above name calling when people call you the most names. You should be better then that.

  All my gay friends adore Elvis and do not like Johnny Weir so everyone is entitled to their own opinion but labeling? I thought we were over that.

• 48 DannyEastVillage // Aug 25, 2010 at 3:55 pm

  I think Elvis needs to take the world the way he finds it. Gay men liberally populate the figure skating landscape and always have. This hatred of the feminine–in men particularly but it always seems to leak out toward women also–is sick.

  I’d say Elvis needs to take HIMSELF out of it for a minute and look around.

  “Feminine” is part of who a lot of gay men are. One can like it or not like it but it has always been so. Get over it or get used to it.

• 49 Bob // Dec 6, 2010 at 10:42 pm

  Thank God for roller skating. Where men are men, and the women aren’t. The women are women, and the men aren’t.

• 50 Christina // Jan 7, 2011 at 2:54 pm

  You people are idiots not all male skaters with finess and elegance are gay. Paul Wiley was one of the most beautiful skaters on the ice and he is definitely not gay! Just because Evan is not flamboyant and in your face like Johnnie, does mean he deserves the criticism that Elvis is giving him…also if you follow Evan on Twitter it is pretty hard to say he is gay!

• 51 Ann // Sep 7, 2011 at 3:19 pm

  When Elvis was on the ice, the atmosphere was electric. I think he was very artistic in his own genre and what annoyed me was that the judges refused to credit him for this. I DID NOT want to see Elvis skate in any other way than was best suited for him. Why should any man who skates in a definitively masculine fashion be penalized? Where there’s movement there is artistry.

  Weir made me feel extremely uncomfortable–very difficult for me to watch–sometimes even impossible. Paul Riley was very artistic as was Brian Orser but neither in a stereotypically gay way, which someone else here has already pointed out.

  And then, of course, there was (is) Kurt Browning–a totally different breed of cat who’s truly Gene Kelly on ice–ever the consummate showman–a born-again entertainer.

  There’s room in figure skating for a whole range of skating styles with the exception of over-the-top caricature gayness.

  When Elvis finally had to retire, I began to lose interest in men’s figure skating. He helped so much by adding that masculine style to the mix.

• 52 Lou // Dec 23, 2011 at 9:14 pm

  Elvis is right.these gays getting away with everything that is normal.they are sinful. I don’t like gays period.

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