I am a huge fan of Maria Butyrskaya and she had the same dignity and reserve that Johnny has when competing and also the same artistry.

On the other hand, I have something of an aversion to a very decorated and popular skater who shall remain nameless here because of that reason. I dislike the show-boating, especially when other areas of the routine are somewhat weaker than other competitors.

There is a quote by Tolstoy on JW's main site that I saw that said (this might not be exactly right) "art is not a handicraft, it is a tranmission of feeling that the artist has experienced."
I think that is what he is going for.

If I had to guess I would say it may be because he sees himself as intepreting a character's subjective experience for the audience, instead of being Johnny Weir on the ice.