Tonya Harding, Tragic Muse? More Works Explore a Skating Scandal

[jenniferlyon]

From the New York Times, no less!

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/12/theater/tonya-harding-nancy-kerrigan-figure-skating.html

Mr. Aibel said his play, like recent films about flash-point ’90s crimes (“O.J.: Made in America,” “Casting JonBenet”) tried to bring awareness to “issues of class and race and the extent to which they are determinative of life prospects,” while not “airbrushing the rough edges or the absurdity of the plan” to attack Ms. Kerrigan “and the brutality of it.”

“There’s something inherently theatrical about the juxtaposition of skating and violence, which was so intriguing to the country at the time,” said Mr. Aibel, who calls “T.” a “history play.”

As a former English major, the author of a skating novel, and a fan who remembers the Tonya/Nancy era, I suppose I should say something profound and academic here. But I'll leave that to somebody else.

 

[MR-FAN]

Man, there's been a lot of interest in the Tonya/Nancy saga lately

 

[Vagabond]

Issues of class and race? Harding is white. She came from a working-class background, but so did Nancy Kerrigan and Peggy Fleming, both of whom are also white.

Harding had an abusive mother who married six times. Now that is something that can affect life prospects.

 

[Sylvia]

Here's the thread for Dan Aibel's Tonya-inspired play that debuted in Chicago last month and runs through June 25 (did anyone go or plans to go?): https://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/in...lay-premieres-in-chicago-5-18-6-25-17.101254/

 

[tony]

American Crime Story is set for the next three seasons (they were actually filming the Versace murder season down the street from where I live all last month as his mansion is still there), but I would be fascinated if Ryan Murphy & co. looked into this. The OJ Simpson case was, AFAIK, the next big 'story' in American news, and we will never know the 100% truth in that one, but they told the story so well.

And you never know. Something as drawn out and dramatic as that may even spark interest again in figure skating in the United States. Look at Marcia Clark's career turnaround and all of the younger generation now obsessed with all things OJ thanks to the show.

(Off-topic, but just a thought that popped up after reading the first post).

 

[jenniferlyon]

Issues of class and race? Harding is white. She came from a working-class background, but so did Nancy Kerrigan and Peggy Fleming, both of whom are also white.

Harding had an abusive mother who married six times. Now that is something that can affect life prospects.

As far as the race issue is concerned, I see its relevance on two fronts:

1. According to certain academic studies I've read, middle-class whites look down on "white trash" because their behavior resembles that of stereotypical lower-class black Americans. (Tonya's mother being married six times would be an example of this. White women "aren't supposed to" have six husbands.) Back in the late 1990s, I read a book of essays called White Trash that explores the subject on a much deeper level than what I have described here. And yes, one of the essays is about Tonya.

2. If you step back and look at the bigger picture, it includes Asian-American skaters, particularly Kristi Yamaguchi. Although Kristi didn't compete in the 1994 Olympics, one cannot grasp the full Tonya vs. Nancy story without going back a few years. Kristi won the OGM, yet Nancy became the big media star because she's white.

 

[antmanb]

2. If you step back and look at the bigger picture, it includes Asian-American skaters, particularly Kristi Yamaguchi. Although Kristi didn't compete in the 1994 Olympics, one cannot grasp the full Tonya vs. Nancy story without going back a few years. Kristi won the OGM, yet Nancy became the big media star because she's white.

Is this actually true? I wasn't an obsessed fan in 1992 so I don't remember but Kristi certainly seems to have had a longer and more lucrative pro career than Nancy. Did Nancy get more of the media spotlight and endorsements than the actual gold medal winner?

 

[Yehudi]

Is this actually true? I wasn't an obsessed fan in 1992 so I don't remember but Kristi certainly seems to have had a longer and more lucrative pro career than Nancy. Did Nancy get more of the media spotlight and endorsements than the actual gold medal winner?

At least shortly after the 1992 Olympics, Nancy had more lucrative endorsement deals than Kristi. Nancy had Campbell's Soup among other things while Kristi was only able to get Bausch and Lomb

 

[antmanb]

That's really shocking.

 

[Coco]

Yes, I remember Nancy getting more attention after Albertville. I think Kristi's most prominent endorsement was for acetate manufacturers or something like that.

I've often wondered what kind of impact experiencing all that in the months after Albertville had on Kristi. She certainly became one of the hardest working professionals I can ever recall on the ladies side. Always prepared for anything she did, never a hint of a complaint or scandal, kept her skills up, etc.

 

[Winnipeg]

Interesting, I don't remember that at all.

I do remember there was a big issue when then president Clinton made a bigger deal over Michelle Kwan after Nagano then Tar who won the gold?

 

[LarrySK8]

There was a lot of "Japan bashing" at the time of the 1992 Olympics. Kristi even tried to show her patriotism by wearing a Star Spangled Banner costume for her exhibitions and she tried to show the world she was an American girl, which she is.

Now, onto Tonya. The entire argument that USFS did not support her because of her background is actually false. If you investigate the competition and testing history of Tonya Harding, you will see that she did not work her way through the USFS system. It appears that she had no intermediate, Novice or Junior level experience. She entered at the Senior level, had all the jumps and spins, but not the figures, and no experience at the Junior level (US or World).

She expected, simply because of her jumps, to be ranked higher than many others already in the system. Plus, she and her coaching team had exhibited bad behavior on multiple occasions. This can explain more than the age-old argument she gave of not being accepted because she was poor. She wasn't accepted because she had no experience and tried to crash the USFS party at the top levels. No wonder there was so much resistance.

 

[overedge]

Now, onto Tonya. The entire argument that USFS did not support her because of her background is actually false. If you investigate the competition and testing history of Tonya Harding, you will see that she did not work her way through the USFS system. It appears that she had no intermediate, Novice or Junior level experience. She entered at the Senior level, had all the jumps and spins, but not the figures, and no experience at the Junior level (US or World).

"Work her way through the USFS system"? What? She wouldn't have been the first skater ever to not make it to Nationals as a intermediate, novice or junior but then to make it to Nationals as a senior. Just because you don't see her name in Nationals results doesn't mean she wasn't competing during that time.

She expected, simply because of her jumps, to be ranked higher than many others already in the system.

How do you know this?

Plus, she and her coaching team had exhibited bad behavior on multiple occasions. This can explain more than the age-old argument she gave of not being accepted because she was poor. She wasn't accepted because she had no experience and tried to crash the USFS party at the top levels. No wonder there was so much resistance.

 

[gkelly]

"Work her way through the USFS system"? What? She wouldn't have been the first skater ever to not make it to Nationals as a intermediate, novice or junior but then to make it to Nationals as a senior. Just because you don't see her name in Nationals results doesn't mean she wasn't competing during that time.

Caryn Kadavy, in almost the same time period, was another skater who made her Nationals debut at senior level.

 

[aftershocks]

"white trash" because their behavior resembles that of stereotypical lower-class black Americans.

Loaded, loaded, loaded!!!! What means???!!! Assumptions, assumptions, assumptions. And yes, stereotypes galore! Look back in history to see so many upper-class whites (and even royals) tryin' dey best to imitate and yes, behave like darkies, especially up in Harlem during the 1920s, 1930s, 1940s and beyond! I sarcastically await the day when rich 'high-class' black Americans will be casually and mindlessly compared to so-called 'upper-class WASPS,' or indeed 'white' royalty. Who are we all really? Human race ... and we are connected in indivisible ways that apparently will never be grasped, but I digress.

Indeed, this is a seriously loaded discussion because 'different races' is a man-made construct. I do understand it's something we can't easily eradicate ourselves of, as it's so ingrained in our society and our institutions, historically and otherwise.

Asian-Americans did have a hard time making their way in the sport initially. There were definitely still stereotypical attitudes during the 1990s, and Kristi notably was not offered the endorsement opportunities equivalent to her success. Figure skating is an elitist sport traditionally. Even Carol Heiss and Dorothy Hamill had difficulties being accepted into skating clubs for class reasons. It was a well-kept secret from the general public early in her career that Tai Babilonia's mother is African-American. Tai's Filipino/Chinese? father was pictured and mentioned, but I never actually knew anything about her mother until the 1980 Olympic fluff feature shown on television, just before Tai/Randy's unfortunate withdrawal occurred due to Randy's injury.

Michelle Kwan's outsized, rare domination and consistency combined with changing times is partly what threw open the doors for many Asians to enter the sport with greater acceptance. Also a contributing factor was the burgeoning success of Asian-American ladies in pairs. And yet there was still the weird headline in 1998 or was it 2002: "American wins, Kwan falters..."

Yes, the Tonya/Nancy story is like a mythical Greek tragedy of sorts, and therein lies it's appeal that actually transcends figure skating. And therefore, has very very little to do with figure skating. That was my beef back-in-the-day. People in the skating community falling all over themselves to cash in on the scandal that put figure skating in the headlines, for the wrong reasons. This, when TPTB in figure skating needed to be finding a way to use that high profile opportunity to show the wider community what the real appeal of figure skating is all about! And as well, they should have used the opportunity to beneficially promote the amazing athletes of figure skating! Opportunity squandered!

I can see Maribel Vinson Owen in her grave twisting on a rotisserie endlessly and infinitely...

While the Tonya/Nancy story still has valid appeal for reasons that have very little to do with figure skating, I don't see the sport taking any beneficial advantage of it at this late date. Especially not when they don't even know how and don't seem to have the slightest desire to figure out ways they can bring the sport into the 21st-century. To even begin they must truly make an effort to study and understand the complexity and significance of the sport's past, which they seem loathe to do.

 

[smurfy]

2. If you step back and look at the bigger picture, it includes Asian-American skaters, particularly Kristi Yamaguchi. Although Kristi didn't compete in the 1994 Olympics, one cannot grasp the full Tonya vs. Nancy story without going back a few years. Kristi won the OGM, yet Nancy became the big media star because she's white.

I do remember reading some article ( I can not recall where - a business magazine?) about how Nancy was doing better than Kristi post 1992 with endorsements - and race/prejudice was the reason given.
Not to lessen that, but I do remember how Nancy was expected to win Worlds in 1993 and then Olys in 1994 - lots of attention and pressure. So was a little bit of the difference a marketing push? In general I remember loving that another winter Olys was coming around in 2 years - and the people that were in 1992 and expected in 1994 had more attention in btween Olys, or was I paying more attention? Or did one have a better agent? Just a thought. But race was definitely being discussed pre 1994.

 

[Inessence]

1992 came at the time of the 50th Anniversary retrospective of the attack on Pearl Harbor. Poor Kristi.

 

[Seerek]

Kristi was only able to get Bausch and Lomb

I believe what happened was Wesley Jessen (who I believe was the correct company in question) did a "2 for 1" endorsement deal, where they offered Kristi Yamaguchi the contract, but also in addition took over naming rights of the World Pro Event in Landover (under the marketing name of its contact lens product Durasoft).

 

[Yazmeen]

What hurt Kristi endorsement-wise was the latter part of anti-Japanese resentment that grew during the 1980s due to Japan's economy booming while America's tanked and industry failed or moved overseas (plus the influx of Japanese cars and major U.S. companies being bought out by Japanese investors).

 

[aftershocks]

True, but it still doesn't make sense nor is there an excuse for this anti-Japan attitude to have backlashed on Kristi, a homegrown American, California girl! Shades of the 1940s-era internment camps!

 

[Vagabond]

Yet another thread hijacked by Kristi Yamaguchi!

Not that there's anything wrong with that.

 

[aftershocks]

^^ Three U.S. ladies on the 1991 Worlds podium!!! Three, count 'em! Never seen before, and never seen since!

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/8c/32/78/8c327892e14b85233dbdefa9184a4372.jpg
http://38.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mde0zizWSs1qm9rypo1_1280.jpg
http://media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/1b/12/59/1b1259087381eebeec1f9230bece5b75.jpg

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-x_sOBlLe5F4/U2G9fhJX_GI/AAAAAAAAAwM/OxpFVhPxEHs/s1600/Tonya+Harding.jpg
Wow now, would this type of costume be allowed these days? Tonya pushing the boundaries in more ways than one, prior to Michelle Kwan's sleeveless aesthetic holding sway.


Meanwhile the hype-ridden Jere Longman had this to say in The New York Times circa 2010:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/15/s...edCoverage&region=EndOfArticle&pgtype=article

"What this sport needs is another knee-whacking!"

Longman goes on to say he only means that figuratively:
"Skating needs another assault, not on a person but on its lost allure."

Hmmm, that's awkwardly phrased, as it seems more logical that the sport needs to enhance and build up its allure, not assault what's nonexistent.

More-so figure skating needs an assault on head-in-the-sand, antiquated Mom-Pop thinking, and an all-out war against lack of leadership and vision. The forced operational connection to speed skating doesn't seem to hold any benefits either.

 

[skateboy]

If you investigate the competition and testing history of Tonya Harding, you will see that she did not work her way through the USFS system. It appears that she had no intermediate, Novice or Junior level experience. She entered at the Senior level, had all the jumps and spins, but not the figures, and no experience at the Junior level (US or World).

Tonya was no slouch at figures. She was quite good, routinely placing higher than Kristi and Nancy in that segment.

 

[jenniferlyon]

Loaded, loaded, loaded!!!! What means???!!! Assumptions, assumptions, assumptions. And yes, stereotypes galore! Look back in history to see so many upper-class whites (and even royals) tryin' dey best to imitate and yes, behave like darkies, especially up in Harlem during the 1920s, 1930s, 1940s and beyond! I sarcastically await the day when rich 'high-class' black Americans will be casually and mindlessly compared to so-called 'upper-class WASPS,' or indeed 'white' royalty. Who are we all really? Human race ... and we are connected in indivisible ways that apparently will never be grasped, but I digress.

Indeed, this is a seriously loaded discussion because 'different races' is a man-made construct. I do understand it's something we can't easily eradicate ourselves of, as it's so ingrained in our society and our institutions, historically and otherwise.

Yes, it's a VERY loaded subject and it's one that goes beyond the scope of this thread. Here's an article from Everyday Sociology that might interest you. There's a lot more material out there; this was simply the first relevant article I could find that wasn't in some difficult-to-access academic journal.

http://www.everydaysociologyblog.com/2009/04/what-is-white-trash.html

White trash, differentiates poor white people from other white people – the "real" white people – the ones who are not poor. The term white trash presumes that they are a different race or ”breed” of people. It’s interesting that whites who don’t fit our stereotype of whiteness—being financially wealthy—have to be separated out and named differently. As with most such stereotypes, this one is meant to be a short-hand description of how a certain group of people behave: White trash live in certain places and behave in particular ways.

 

[aftershocks]

^^ Yes, beyond the scope of this thread. Thanks for the link. Interesting, and it will take a long while and a lot of confronting ourselves and our history as humans before we become people with the same common unified goals, accepting personal responsibility and realizing we all must work together to survive on this planet. I guess some are waiting for disaster to hit before waking up. Some may not care because they don't imagine anything disastrous will come to pass in their lifetime I suppose. One thing to think about is how climate change is affecting fresh water sources. Humans are doomed when the water dries up.

Oh well, back to figure skating where for now there's plenty of ice.

 

[MacMadame]

Issues of class are complex and are about much more than how much money someone makes or even what job they have. It's not accurate to say that what was going with Tonya vs. Nancy can't be about class because they were both white girls from working class families because of that complexity. For example:

1) Tonya did not come from a working class family but a lower class one. While money struggles are common in both classes, there is a difference culturally between the two IME.
2) Tonya and her family and friends exhibited behavior that was typically associated with poor whites; Nancy and her family & friends did not -- they appeared to have middle class values regardless of what job Nancy's dad had or how much money he made.
3) Nancy and her family chose to package and market her in a way that said "middle class" more so than working class; Tonya fought such packaging.
4) Throughout their careers, the Kerrigans made choices that would raise them up while the Hardings made choices that would keep them down. This reinforced the view of Tonya as "white trash" and Nancy as "middle class".

So I do think that class issues were at play. I also think a nuanced exploration of them would be interesting. So far I haven't seen any because most of the analysis I've seen has bought right into the surface story and not delved any deeper.

One such issue I'd like to see explored would be assimilation vs. staying true to your roots. A lot of times in a working class or lower class family, a member uses education as a way out of poverty and to "better themselves." Maybe their parents drilled them into speaking like the news anchors on TV and use good grammar and do well in school. But when they did that and went on to college and got a good education and professional job, they also had family (sometimes even their parents) telling them that now they were "too big for their britches" or that they'd "forgotten where they came from." It's a tug of war.

And sometimes families see a way out for their kids but when their kids try to take it, they sabotage it because they really aren't comfortable with the lifestyle and values that go with moving up. Or maybe they fear their kids will look down on them. Or they just don't have the skills or knowledge to know how to take advantage of the opportunities offered.

I think Tonya and her family did see skating as a way out of poverty. But they couldn't cope with what they had to do in order to make it work. This is not unusual in the US and studies show that social mobility is on the decline here so it's getting worse, not better.

 

[manhn]

I am so over this. The assault and injury to women is always an afterthought in these productions.

 

[Vagabond]

Tonya did not come from a working class family but a lower class one.

Did she? How can one draw a meaningful distinction, given her mother's instability?

For what it's worth, Al Harding's work history doesn't scream "lower class," though I can readily believe he had some hard times.

He grew up in Portland and served in the Air Force for eight years He then held various jobs including truck driver, rubber worker and apartment manager.

http://www.atcweb.org/al

 

[Coco]

Another interesting point of comparison, both their moms may have been disabled. Mrs. Kerrigan was partially blind, and Mrs. Harding may have had mental health issues.

Physical health issues are, of course, treated much differently than mental health issues. That's putting it mildly.

 

[Yazmeen]

I am so over this. The assault and injury to women is always an afterthought in these productions.

THIS. This continual modern effort to turn Tonya into a folk hero is getting ridiculous. While she didn't swing the baton, she still participated in a vicious and disgusting attack that injured another person. I'm getting tired of the way the attack on Nancy seems to have been turned into no big deal or even a joke (whiny, "why me" Nancy) as time goes on. Yes, Tonya had a lousy childhood and crummy taste in husbands, but she can only blame her own laziness and stubbornness for her inability to reach the highest peaks in skating. The biggest obstacle in Tonya's skating life wasn't Nancy, or her ex-husband, or USFS, or any outside factor. It was Tonya herself. And she committed a crime, and she's gotten way more than her 15 minutes surrounding the incident.

For that matter, I don't know how any accurate portrayal of her life could actually be captured. Every time she is interviewed she changes parts of her story to make herself look more tragic...