John Bolaris Is A Real Person With Real Feelings

Even now, it’s tough to know what to make of John Bolaris. He clearly wants our attention—why else take a Philly.com gig and make jokes about his Miami “do shot” experience during a snowstorm live chat—but he doesn’t like it when people point out the weirdness of it all.

@phillymag When are you guys going to realize I'm just over sensitive Weather Geek, who loves life nothing more

— JOHN BOLARIS (@JohnBolaris) December 10, 2013

So let’s agree, John Bolaris is large. He contains multitudes. He has the right to want your attention and the right to not like how you give it to him, but also the right to use the fact that you’re giving it to him for bad reasons as a sign that, yes, you’re giving him attention. This is, in fact, probably about as consistent as any of us really tends to be. And if John Bolaris would get comfortable in being ignored, that’s probably where it would end.

Seems unlikely, though.

Anyway, he’s on an epic-length—more than two hours!—podcast over at Crossing Broad, and he takes a few minutes (about 43 minutes in) to discuss being a Philadelphia punching bag, and (ahem) a Philly Mag punching bag in particular.

• On being a target for jokes and offensive comments: “No one likes to be torn apart. … It just gets to you you. You should never respond to the haters, but sometimes you get stupid enough to get bated into it. … I’m learning and learning you gotta let it go.”

• On the “do shot” encounter that got him robbed by Russian mobsters: “I was a victim of a crime. … I worked with the feds for over a year. I was a key witness to bring down the mob, this Eastern European crime ring.”

• On Philly Mag’s report Bolaris reportedly “shit himself” during the aforementioned encounter: “It never happened … I knew that (story) would linger forever. … I never felt so demoralized or so taken back.”

He says he’ll unveil a new private weather venture before the end of the year. Go to the Crossing Broad site and listen to the whole thing.