Johnny Weir: There's a reason I'm popular in other countries (part 2 of 4)

Johnny Weir held a conference call Wednesday afternoon as a preview to the 2009 AT&T U.S. Figure Skating Championships next week in Cleveland. This season, Johnny won the silver medal at both Skate America and the NHK Trophy and won the bronze at the Grand Prix Final. In 2008, he came in second at the U.S. Championships and subsequently went on to win the bronze medal at the World Championships. He's also won the U.S. Championships three years in a row (2004-2006) and I'm sure he's anxious and excited to reclaim that title.

I attended the teleconference and it was very interesting to hear him speak freely on a variety of topics. Below is a transcript (with minor edits) of his thoughts on his popularity overseas. This was actually my question to him at the teleconference. I'm always amazed at how popular he is in Korea and Japan, almost like...Brangelina popular. So I asked him to reflect on his popularity.

His theory on his immense popularity in Asia, specifically Japan and Korea...

I can say that since I've started traveling when I was 13 to countries around the world, I've always had a very open mind. I've been very culturally aware of the countries that I go to. I research every country that I go to before I go to it, so I'm prepared, and I know what's up, I know what people are like, I learn a few words in their language. I think people can appreciate that and they understand that I'm there because I want to be there, I love being in their country. Having the support come from them is something that's amazing to me when I'm just doing something that I enjoy. I'm a figure skater, I'm traveling around the world, it's a great life in that sense. When you go to these countries and you're closed-minded, and you stay in the hotel room, I mean, people can sense that. People can feel that you're uncomfortable there. But I try to be as comfortable as I can with fans, with everyone as I can be.

I just opened a Korean version of Facebook -- and in one week there were 100,000 unique hits on my Korean Facebook. It's called Cyworld. And that to me is insane, it's crazy, and I never expected it. I have no major world championship titles, I'm not an Olympic champion, but I'm the most popular American skater outside of America. And sometimes I think I'm more popular in other nations than I am even in my own country. And that's something that just comes from being open and being prepared for these countries. And especially with how America is viewed throughout the world at this moment, nobody is expecting anything less than an "ugly American." when the American shows up at a competition. And that's just from news and propaganda, but still, it goes deep even to figure skating, so if I can give back in any way I can, I do it, and I think that that speaks volumes.