Battle of the Sexes – extra credit blog
This fun movie focused on the real tennis battle between aging men’s tennis champion, Bobby Riggs (Steve Carell), and #1 women’s tennis star, Billie Jean King (Emma Stone) in Houston, TX in 1973. It was a huge extravaganza, with corporate sponsorships and huge prize money ($100,000 if King won, over 1/2 million in today’s money), possibly 90 million people watching at home and over 30,000 in attendance at the Houston Astrodome. Their battle was a reflection of what was going on at the time period:
- Women’s liberation was making big headlines – part of liberation meant that women didn’t need men to be complete. It’s one of the reasons why radical feminists burned bras, refused to follow typical Western beauty standards, and protested sexist American traditions like the Miss America beauty pageant.
- The Equal Rights Amendment had been passed by Congress in March 1972 which called for an end to all sexual discrimination. By the time the match happened, 30 states had approved the ERA before the momentum stalled and approval finally expired in 1983. A total of 35 states would approve the ERA, three short of the needed total of 38, and there was significant resistance from ladies’ groups and conservative politicians who saw the amendment as opening up the door to unisex bathrooms, gay marriage, and women fighting in the military (funny how we have all three of those things w/o the amendment today).
- The 2nd wave of feminism had made significant strides in getting women elected to high positions, leading corporations and unions, and pushing for wage equality, day care centers, an end to sexual harassment, and equality in education and sports (Title IX).
In a New York Times review of the movie, the opening line of the review was this: “Every so often an exceptionally capable woman has to prove her worth by competing against a clown.” Maybe I’m a little biased, but this made me think of the 2016 Election. Hillary Clinton was a very talented and experienced candidate for the presidency, but unlike Billie Jean, Clinton would not triumph over the clown. Here’s a NYT article that finds parallels in the film. It’s a wonder if the filmmakers made it this way intentionally.
The film also really focused on the gender wage gap – using one tournament in particular, the men’s prize money was 8x that of the women’s prize money. The reasons that Jack Kramer (pictured above) and his cohort gave were pretty lame and were easily shot down by Billie Jean and Gladys Heldman (played by Sarah Silverman), and Kramer finally settled on the weak reasoning that the men’s game is more exciting.
There was also the love stories in the film – that’s the one thing that surprised me the most about the film – was that there were three love stories going on: one between Billie Jean and Marilyn, another with Bobby and his wife Priscilla, and the third between Billie Jean and her husband. Each has their own resolution with only Bobby and Priscilla ending up staying together.
One of the things that made me wonder was how accurate was the portrayal of Bobby Riggs. Steve Carell does a great job of making him seem like a real human being w/ faults and flaws. I also wondered how much of this challenge to women’s tennis players was real sexism, a gimmick, a chance to get back into the limelight, a way to feed his gambling hobby, or a combination of all of them.
Your job: Pick three of the questions below and answer them w/ specific examples from the movie.
- How did the film portray the gender wage gap? Do you think the women tennis players did the right thing? Why or why not?
- How did the film portray the love affair between Billie Jean and Marilyn? Why couldn’t Billie Jean go public with the affair? How have things changed since 1973?
- What do you think Bobby Riggs’ true motivation was for the match? Explain why you reached this conclusion.
- After reading the article on the supposed parallels between the election of 2016 and the film, do you buy the author’s assertion that this was an intentional nod to the election? Why or why not?
Due by October 27 in class. 350 words minimum for all three answers.
Works Cited:
Fact vs. Fiction in the movie – http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2017/09/25/fact_vs_fiction_in_the_movie_battle_of_the_sexes.html
Wikipedia page on ERA – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equal_Rights_Amendment
Comparison of Battle and 2016 Election – http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2017/09/21/battle_of_the_sexes_reminders_of_the_2016_election.html
Two rights from FDR’s Second Bill of Rights that I think have been addressed since then are 7 and 8.
For 7, there are many government programs, like ComCare Long Term Assistance, which helps people with financial support if they are too sick or old. Barack Obama increased the paid sick leave for hundreds of thousands of workers. And there’s also been the development of some websites like CareerOneStop.com funded by the government to help the unemployed.
For 8, every state now has laws that requires children to go to school, within a time slot averaging around 6-16 years of age, and this ensures that everyone gets their time in school.
Number 4 should be addressed by our president. Apparently (according to many newspaper like NYT) businesses can get out of paying taxes in some sorts, and I think that they could enforce this one a bit better.
The right of every family to a decent home. I can’t see them checking on every family, saying, “Oh, is your home decent?” First of all, people would totally mess with the meaning of decent, it would be too expensive, and a lot of people already put so much money into shelters, if we’re having trouble with the shelters we’d have trouble getting everyone a decent home.
Nia Kepes
1. The film battle of the sexes portrayed the wage gap by showing us that prize money for a tennis tournament was eight times more for the men than the women’s prize money who sell just as many tickets. I think that the women did the right thing in fighting for their right to make just as much money as men. As proven women competitions sell as many tickets and bring as many people and attention as men competitions so why shouldn’t women make as much money. This justified the fight for equal pay.
2. The film showed the love affair between Billie Jean King and Marilyn to be an instant connection between the two but a shameful secret as well. Billie Jean had never been with a woman so everything was new and “exciting” for her, the film seemed to romanticize the situation but I wouldn’t know. Billie Jean couldn’t go public with her affair because it would have ruined all of her credibility as a tennis player and an equal pay activist. If the public found out that she was not only cheating on her husband but with a woman they wouldn’t take anything she did seriously.
3. I think that Bobby Riggs had a few motivations going into the match with Billie Jean King. One of his motivations was pure sexism and the fact that he thought women should stay in the home and the kitchen and leave the real work and entertainment to the men. I think another motivation for the match was the money and his issue with gambling. He always wanted more money and he thought that if he could beat the women’s number one why not go for the next best and get the money while he was at it. Another motivation for Bobby Riggs might have been to prove to his wife that he could win any tennis gamble from running around in flippers to playing one of the best women tennis players. He obviously couldn’t win the later gamble but that ended up bringing the couple closer together because she might have believed that it humbled him. I came to all three of these conclusions because throughout the movie main themes surrounding Bobby Riggs included, his love for gambling, his sexism, and his desperation to prove himself to his wife.
Isabelle Borr
Mr. Wickersham
AP US History
16 October 2017
In the film, they portrayed wage gap as a blatant wrong. In the very beginning of the movie, Billie Jean King confronted Jack Kramer over paying the men 8 times more than the women. Then they go back in forth over reasons for it, where he settles for the reason “its more exciting than the women’s games”. They also show the ignorance and sexism in Kramer’s remarks by always showing the seats completely filled because the women’s games were just as attended as the men’s games. The women players most definitely did the right thing. They took power from the men who keep the system of gender inequality in place. They put the power in their hands to play and behind the business.
Bobby Riggs’ true motivation for challenging the great women tennis players was out of desire to be relevant again. At first, I believed that he needed the money, but as the story developed I saw that he saw this opportunity has a way to mend things with his wife and grow closer with his elder son. It also fed his addiction to gambling he could not stop. Everything he bet started getting bigger and bigger from a rolls Royce to an area full of people watching him play tennis against a woman. He fed off the attention. Bobby would never pass up the opportunity so use the legitimacy of woman’s tennis at his own gain. As we can see at the end of the movie, Pricilla, after dumping him, shows interest in the last scene, and in the end credits. They end of re doing their vows. I definitely do not think he thought so low of women as he expressed on TV, but he was just getting addicted to the spotlight and did anything to get more views.
In the movie, Billie Jean’s love affair with Marilyn was portrayed as a secret relationship between the two that everybody knew about. First of all, if we do not take into account the social climate account during this time, Billie Jean was a married woman who was in an affair. There was nothing to change that she was cheating on her husband, Larry. Now, it was 1973, any couples other than heterosexual couples were, if they were, secret. LGBTQ+ people during this town were underground. It was not accepted to come out publicly, but it was known. In the movie, their relationship was known. Larry knew when he met Marilyn in the hallway and found a bra in the hotel room. Even though Billie Jean and him do get divorced later, he considered this a phase of her, and it was distracting her from tennis. The two seamstress men knew of this relationship. At the end, one of them hugged Billie Jean and told her that someday we can love who we want to love. Things in the world have changed quite a bit in the United States for LGBTQ+ people. Though, they are still not protected from workplace discrimination, there have been other laws protecting their rights to adopt, marry, and spousal rights.
Battle of the Sexes Q’s
The film portrayed the gender wage gap as a reasonable thing to pay women less than men. Though both genders did an equal amount of work for tennis, big (male) leaders claimed such as Kramer that no one liked women’s sports or paid attention to them. This made the leaders believe that the women’s tennis team had to be paid less because they “lacked” attention. But as Billie Jean proved in the film; women’s tennis was gaining more popularity and they were selling tickets just as fast as men’s tennis. I definitely agree with women’s tennis players for sticking up for themselves and asking for equal pay. Billie Jean and her tennis team were extremely talented and successful tennis players. There was absolutely no reason to give the male tennis players eight times more the pay when both genders were equally working. Billie Jean did the right move to split and leave Kramer, and go on with her successful women’s tennis team. Kramer would never give them a chance and would only cause more complications to Billie and her team.
The love affair between Billie Jean and Marilyn is shown in the movie as a very unrequited love story. Which is correct, in the 70s LGBTQ people were flourishing but they were still frowned upon. There were clear examples in the movie when Billie Jean’s desire for Marilyn was put to shame by herself or others. When Billie Jean lost the match against Margaret Smith Court she blamed it on herself because she was distracted by Marilyn. Marilyn was open about her sexuality which did cause speculation between her and Billie Jean because they were bonding and together often. Billie Jean did not go public with the affair because she would face great humiliation and would receive greater attacks from the people against her. In addition Billie Jean’s husband did not want to be put to shame by others therefore making Billie Jean hesitant to come out with the affair. Times have changed since the 1970s, especially with the LGBTQ community, people were open then but now it’s almost the “norm” to have at least a couple of friends apart of the LGBTQ community. Also, women/men that are stuck in Billie Jean’s position today are able to get help without much fear. Thankfully Billie Jean King was able to ‘come out’ later on in her life and now has a partner; Ilana Kloss.
Bobby Riggs’ motivation against women’s tennis seemed as a misogynistic motive at first but it more than that. Bobby Riggs had an awful gambling addiction and relationship with his wife. Bobby Riggs was already retired when wanted to prove that women’s tennis was nothing serious and that women are far less superior than men. I believe that Bobby Riggs’ true motivation to go against women was for his self validation, as if he wanted to prove to himself that he’s strong and powerful. All of the complications he was facing were happening because of him, he set himself up for the failure between he and his wife due to his gambling. When his wife Priscilla finally decided that she was done with him and his gambling, Riggs finally hit rock bottom, which made him self loath. The match between him and Billie Jean in his eyes was like a battle between him and his faults. I believe that he wanted to feel like a big shot again, making him come to the conclusion that he had have a match against the best women’s tennis player. Bobby Riggs’ misogynistic motive was only a cover on why he wanted to match against Billie Jean, the misogynism was clever because all of the sexist male leads against Billie Jean (and her tennis crew) would give him their support. Also, having the ‘best’ retired male tennis player go against the best women’s tennis player in one epic match would give Riggs an enormous amount of attention. Attention was enough for Bobby Riggs in the end.
-Carolina Ishikura
The writer and directors of the movie, Battle of the Sexes, are very clear with the point that they want the audience to take away which is disapproval of gender inequality. They portrayed the gender wage gap as an unfairly accepted practice that needed to be corrected (and rightfully so). In the movie, Jack Kramer (tennis promoter) says, “People pay to see the men play; they’re more of a draw”
Billie Jean King’s response: 8 times more of draw when ticket sales and viewership don’t support it?
Billie Jean King and the other originals that started the Virginia Slims Tour and women’s tennis association (WTA) absolutely did the right thing. They could have left things alone and continued as is, but had they stayed, nothing would have changed. They would have continued making lower wages than their counterparts. Staying put wouldn’t have pushed the envelope on the major differences in compensation between men and women for doing the same job. Their leaving to become professionals in the WTA, for $1 no less, added to the conversation on the justification for the women’s movement and the need for social change. Change doesn’t come overnight and it definitely doesn’t come by doing things the same way. It must have been hard for the women tennis players’ to have someone tell you, you’re not as interesting to watch so we’re going to pay you less. It’s just like telling African Americans, you’re not as smart so we’re not going to pay you anything at all while you pick cotton and plow our fields. Someone had to take the leap and these women risked their careers and livelihoods to make a difference.
In the movie, the relationship between Billie Jean and Marilyn was portrayed in a manner which seemed complicated and oversimplified all at the same time. Complicated because Billie Jean was experiencing emotions for a woman that she knew the moral majority of the American public in 1973 would not embrace, advocate or understand as shown in comments made by her rival, Margaret Court. Also Billie Jean was a married woman cheating on her husband. Neither of those would have gone over well for her career if publicly released. The relationship between Billie Jean and Marilyn was over-simplified because Marilyn was depicted as an experimental phase of Billie Jean’s life that was distracting her from the game and keeping Billie Jean from sponsorships that pay for the tour and prize winnings. Surely, the women on the on the tour along with Billie Jean’s husband, Larry, must have known or at least suspected that the relationship between Billie Jean and Marilyn was greater than a business relationship but everyone probably stayed quiet due to the social climate at the time and the potential financial implications. Since 1973 the LGBTQ community has made tremendous progress towards equality with civil rights laws and marriage in some states; however, it is not where it needs to be, especially given the recent mass shooting in Florida at Pulse nightclub and cities that still have no safeguards from discrimination. While tolerance is better in 2017, there a still quite of a number of people that are not comfortable with athletes that identify as LGBTQ. For example, as recently as 2014 when Michael Sam came out as a gay football player some believe that it impacted his ability to remain on an NFL football team.
It’s interesting that 44 years after Battle of the Sexes, there still continues to be debate on women’s qualifications and salaries comparative to men. I don’t necessarily agree with the author’s assertion that this movie is an intentional nod to the recent presidential election as filming began before the election and had a different outcome. However, I do think the match between Billy Jean King and Bobby Riggs is a good comparison to the election and modern day conversations. Hilary Clinton, a Yale law school graduate, a two time first lady, the former senator from New York, and Secretary of State was forced to compete for the highest office of the land against a six time business bankrupt, reality star. The election is a good comparison for the author to make because of the similar insults aimed towards women. It was insulting to think that Billie Jean King, who was in the prime of her athletic ability at 29, would even be at the same caliber as a 55 year old man. Gender bias is very real and is still alive and well; take the recent summer exchange between Serena Williams and John McEnroe when McEnroe said Serena would be ranked like 700th if she played with men. I believe the author’s comment was made more so to speak to the similarities surrounding both events, and events of the day, more than it was a political commentary or endorsement.
1. The movie, Battle of the Sexes, portrayed the wage gap between men and women very well throughout the whole movie. Especially when Bobby played Margaret and Billy Jean in tennis matches, the amount of money Bobby was offering for the winner. For example, in the beginning, the women tennis players signed a contract for $1 in order to signify that they weren’t getting paid enough by the USTA. Also the reward money for the men in the tournament was eight times more than the women were being paid. I do think that the women tennis players did the right thing because they were standing up for what they believed in, even though it was against the norms of the times. If I was put in that situation, I would do the same thing.
2. The film portrayed the love between Billy Jean and Marilyn as scandalous and ground breaking at the same time. Not only did the movie portray Billy Jean and Marilyn’s love as scandalous for the times, but it also put their relationship in a good light. Billy Jean could not go public with her relationship because in 1973, LGBTQ people were neither common nor accepted in the 1973 society. Billy Jean also could not go public with her relationship because she was already married to Larry. In 1973, it was very hard to be LGBTQ. Now, in 2017, LGBTQ people are more common and not looked down upon by most people. Some traditionalists have an issue with these people, but many and most people view LGBTQ people as equals instead of how Billy Jean and Marilyn.
3. I think Bobby’s motivation for the match was to distract himself from his wife and how bad things were with his marriage. He went to his oldest son for help training for the match. This would look normal, except for his older son was moved out. He did not see his wife for the entire time he was training, in the movie. It was an escape for him. Also, it was a way for him to “prove that he was the best tennis player that ever was”.
1. I think the film portrayed the gender wage gap well and showed what it was really like being a women back then. Even though women would do the same job and the same amount of people would come to watch the female tennis players. The old men who ran the USTA tours wanted to reward the male tennis players more, simply because they believed it was a man’s sport. I also believe Billie Jean King and the other female tennis players who joined and founded the WTT just to protest did the right thing. I don’t think many women would put their career on the line just to make a point to Jack Kramer and the USTA. Without them Women in tennis might still have a difference in pay for no reason.
2. The film portrayed the love affair between Billie Jean and Marilyn to be more like an affair then love at the beginning but by the end you could tell that they were in love and Billie Jean didn’t love her husband, it was just all for show. I think Billie Jean just didn’t want to admit that she was a lesbian at the time because people were not as open to gay relationships as they are now. I think she was also wondering what will happen with her husband and how will her family react, that made her keep it a secret for so long. A lot of things have changed since 1973, for one thing same sex marriage is now legal but also socially many thing have changed including that people are a lot less hostile towards the gay community. Even though there is still people who disapprove, the treatment of the LGBT community has gotten better. Also Billie Jean didn’t want to come out because she feared her sponsorships would go away and her career could have gone to shambles if she admitted she was a lesbian. The feeling at the time was who would want to support a lesbian compared to a pretty, white, and straight girl someone like Chris Evert.
3. For me I think I can definitely see how Billie Jean could be similar to Hillary and Bobby is similar to Trump. For one thing, the movie made it seem like Billie Jean was a very well established tennis player compared to Bobby who was an old retired tennis player looking for anyway to get some money. I think this is very similar to Trump and Hillary. Hillary who is a very well known politician and figure compared to Trump who has never been in politics and has a lack of experience. Also I think that trump was not money crazy like bobby but power crazy. Another way that Hillary and Billie are alike is Hillary took her campaign very seriously like how Billie Jean took the battle of the sexes to be, she didn’t care about Bobby’s whole production she just wanted to win to make a point. Whereas Trump saw it more as a production then a campaign, which could be because of his lack of experience. So I can definitely see parallels between the two.
10/15/17
2nd period
Graham Hupp
Battle of the Sexes
Throughout the picture, the gender wage gap can be portrayed by the women’s US tennis group compared to the mens. In the film, one example found that the wage gap can be portrayed would be prize money for the winner of the individual sexes. The Men’s pot being triple the cost of the women’s. Gladys Heldman, the manger, for the women is infuriated by the gap of the prize pot money between the men and the women it is explained by Jack Kramer as “not as interesting as the men” because of their weakness compared to men. The Women’s tennis players did the right thing, fighting for their rights and doing the right thing for each other. Billie was unsure of playing Bobby Riggs in a tennis match, as she had lost to the original women’s tennis player Bobby had played, but knowing of the change that she could make for all women showing that she is as equal as a man, the risk was greater than the reward to not take.
In the 1970’s where this film takes place, (specifically 1973) the homosexual and lesbian agenda was not yet accepted by society, making it hard for Billie Jean King and Marilyn to correctly express their feelings for each other, as Billy could lost her sponsorships, already not having many because she was a woman in a mainly man’s world. Also during this time for Billie, she was married to a man named Larry King so not even being marked as a lesbian in society, she would have mercilessly cheated on her husband while he just sat there and watched. Since the 1970’s the acceptance of being gay, has been much higher than compared before with even marriage being legal in the United States for a couple years now. Even with a much smaller amount of non-supporters, the acceptance rate of this agenda is much higher and liked compared to the year 1973.
Bobby Riggs’ true motivation for the match can be concluded as a showing of truly how far his gambling addiction could go. Originally, Riggs’ claims for the original first match, was to show the true dominance of man over woman. But throughout the movie, it is shown that Bobby has an unstoppable gambling addiction, even winning a Rolls Royce for beating a friend in a tennis match. Of course, it was not known to the complete public that he had a gambling addiction, but because of his need to fuel his gambling addiction, he creates this huge tennis match claiming he could beat any female that came to him. He was finally challenged by one of the best, Billie Jean King, he could finally win a second time and increases his money and gamble that he could win, especially when he called one of his friends before the game, and told him to gamble around $5,000 on him, being much more money today with inflation rates, fueling his addiction to gambling.
How did the film portray the gender wage gap? Do you think the women tennis players did the right thing? Why or why not?
Battle of the Sexes tackled all kinds of controversial issues still relevant today, including the gender wage gap. The film most prominently portrayed the injustices of the gender wage gap through sports, specifically centered on tennis. The movie opens up with King’s victory in the US Open, a triumphant moment as she accumulates four US Open titles to add to her celestial career. However, the victorious euphoria was cut short as Jack Kramer, founder of the Association of Tennis Professionals, releases statements regarding how much prize money was at stake for tennis tournaments. It was revealed that the men would win eight times more than the women. King and her companion Gladys Heldman, still boggling over such a cavernous wage gap, immediately go to confront Kramer in the middle of a party. As they approached Kramer, he is being served by a waitress whom he laughingly refers to as “honey”, which already set the mood for the way he regards women. Furthermore, when Heldman and King enter the room, As they analyze the obvious injustice of money, Kramer and his associate sit back smirking and drinking whiskey. According to him, the men are more entertaining to watch, making them worth more- “It’s just biology; men are physically stronger than women, making them more interesting to watch” he says with a laugh with his friend, as if he was teaching a third graders a science lesson. In response to his arrogant mindset, King retorts with saying that she didn’t need him- she make her own tennis association where everyone is paid equally, regardless if this costs her her prize money and titles. Kramer just gives her a signature smirk, saying how he’ll miss their pretty faces, which furthermore shows how he sees women as inferior and takes King’s cause as a joke. They prove that the fight for women’s liberation is real when in 1973, King and Gladys create the Women’s Tennis Association with eight other female tennis players. The movie even shows the iconic dollar-contract picture, where Kramer pulls King aside and asks her if this is really what she wants. “Sorry, I’ll miss your pretty face” she responds, as she goes to join the photo shoot. I feel that the women did the right thing, as it made the wage gap in tennis apparent to everyone and it showed that their cause was real, not just some game as Bobby Riggs and Jack Kramer saw it
How did the film portray the love affair between Billie Jean and Marilyn? Why couldn’t Billie Jean go public with the affair? How have things changed since 1973?
The film introduces Marilyn Barnett when King and the eight other tennis players go to the barber shop to get their hair done for photo shoots. Marilyn takes interest in Billie Jean, telling her how gorgeous she was and striking conversation. As they leave, she tells Marilyn that she hopes to see her again. King’s wish comes true, as she meets Marilyn again during the tour and asks her to stay with her for the night. Billy Jean discovers that she feels a strong lust towards Marilyn, and acts on it, as Marilyn and her discuss their feelings towards each other that night. Their relationship at first is written as pure adultery, as King is married to a man who didn’t deserve to be cheated on. But as the movie goes on, Marilyn is seen as a true companion to King, and despite how bad their relationship is morally, Barnett is not a bad person; the film does not portray her as “the evil mistress”. Billie Jean couldn’t go public with the affair because of Larry, her loyal husband who understands her. Furthermore, she has never come out publicly, not even to close friends or her parents. Although it is not shown in the movie, King comes out in 1981 and becomes the first prominent professional female athlete to do so. Through further research, I discovered that she lost millions of endorsement dollar and fans abandoned her when she came out. Although cheating on your spouse is not condoned in 2017, I think because there is an influencial LGBTQ community she would have been more broadly accepted and praised for her sexuality.
What do you think Bobby Riggs’ true motivation was for the match? Explain why you reached this conclusion.
In the film, Bobby Riggs wasn’t portrayed as a cold, sexist man who dominated everything around him; it revealed his family life and relationship with his young son to humanize him. I don’t think his main motive of the match was to deliberately shame women, despite his “male chauvinist” charade. I think that because of his turbulent marriage and gambling addiction, he wanted to show how invincible he was- to his wife and to justify his gambling. Prior to the match with King, Riggs is showed campaigning around with hot models and doing ridiculous photo shoots, showing his skills off to the media. He seemed so desperate for attention- maybe his glittering personality was a silent cry for help due to his crumbling marriage. The thought that he would win possibly meant to him that he could keep on gambling and he would feel superior to everyone, mad or women. Despite his loss, he still got back together with his wife, Priscilla. Hopefully, the match made him realize he didn’t have to be the greatest and most triumphant man in history to live a fulfilling life.
1.) The film showed that at the time it was completely normal to pay women less than men. In the tennis world both genders did the same amount of work and sold pretty much the same amount of tickets but the women got less than half the amount of prize money that the men did. When Billie Jean pointed that out to Kramer at the beginning of the movie he told Billie Jean that the men were just simply more interesting, and that the men were stronger and faster than the women. I think those women were perfectly right, there is no reason that men should be payed more than women for doing the exact same job it is neither equal nor fair. Those women had more power than most and had an audience already so when they did what they did it got around to more people which is helpful when you trying to change the social order. The actions of Billie Jean King and the other women tennis players were not only right, they were noble for all of womankind.
2.) The film portrayed the love affair as messy and complicated, most are though if we are speaking the truth. Maryilin alot more open with her sexuilty her attraction to billie jean then billie jean herself was. Although the both seemed to have an instant connection. However it couldn’t last because Billie jean already had a husband, the was a tennis star that not only needed stay on top of her game but she had to keep a good personal reputation if her campaign for equal pay was going to make real change. In addtion the LGBTQ community was still frowned upon and catechized in the 1970s. All were also reason she could not go public with the affair. The Odds were stacked against them, But you could see that there was more passion between Billie Jean and marilyn then Billie jean and her husband. Billie jean Was able to come out later in life and now has a long time partner. The LGBTQ community is far more accepted today than it was back then and Gay marriage is now legal across the country.
3.) The real motivation for bobby riggs to put on the match i feel was to further satisfy his obvious gambling addiction. Not to say he was not sexist he undoubtedly was. Also He was probably trying to show to his wife that he never lost in hope they would make up their marriage. They did end up staying together though despite the fact he lost. He would dress up in ridiculous costumes and get his friends to bet big on him. While he also made comments that make all feminists cringe. He was an ignorant old man that had a bad gambling addiction that he just could not see as evidence in the therapy sessions he had in the movie.
1. The film portrays the gender wage gap at the beginning of the movie when the prize money at one tournament was only 1,500 dollars for the women, but 12,000 for the men. The men stood to make 8x more than the women. Billie Jean King (Emma Stone) and Gladys Heldman (Sarah Silverman) talk to Jack Kramer and attempt to get him to change the prize money and make it equal for both men and women, but he refused. To protest this, they started their own league and tournament for women’s tennis called the Women’s Tennis Association. This resulted in them getting kicked out of their old league. I think that this was the right thing to do. They made a stand and showed that they were serious about wanting equal pay.
2. The film portrayed the love affair between Marilyn and Billie Jean King as something that was more shameful and more immoral than a love affair with a man would have been. Overall it was portrayed as dangerous and destabilizing. When she was having her affair with Marilyn she wasn’t as focused. Billie Jean could not go public with the affair partly because she was married and it would be looked down upon that she had an affair. But, another large part of the reason she couldn’t go public was because it was an affair with a woman and not a man. In the 1970s it was not an acceptable thing to be in a same sex relationship. The news of Billie Jean’s affair would’ve ruined not only her reputation, but her relationships with many of her closest friends and family. Things have changed so much since 1973, gay marriage is legal and same sex relationships are portrayed in the media. Today, while coming out is still hard for many, it has become much easier and more widely excepted.
3. I think that Bobby Riggs’ true motivation for the match was to get back into the limelight and to restore his relationship with his wife. In the movie Bobby Riggs was portrayed as a worn down, beat up former tennis star. He needed to have attention on himself to feel good about himself, which is part of the reason I think he gambled and played that match while holding dog and people running around with his friends at the beginning of the movie. His need for attention could also be seen during his training for the match against Billie Jean. Riggs was taking every opportunity to publicize his training and was using ridiculous methods of practice to get more attention. I also think he wanted to play and win the match to restore his relationship with his wife. Before the match she had kicked him out because she saw him as a man who was just living off her family’s success without doing anything on his own. I think Riggs wanted to prove to her that he could do something more and beating the best woman in tennis would prove this point. I think that he was willing to portray himself as a sexist pig because it meant that he would get the attention of his wife, but only if was a big match, a big step in him changing his ways. I don’t think Riggs was as sexist as he pretended to be for the media. Many men were sexist in the 70s and I think he was too, to an extent, but I think that he just used sexism as a platform to launch himself into the public’s eye. I don’t think it was really a reason to do the match, if anything it would’ve been an added perk for him.
In the film the gender wage gap was portrayed as a horrible thing for women. Just in the tournaments themselves the men were paid 8 times more than what the women were getting paid. I believe considering what time period it was, I think the women did do the right thing of trying to get equal pay as the men. Nowadays women still get payed less money than men to play in these tournaments but that can simply be explained by the fact that while they could sell the same amount of tickets for each match, women only play best of three sets while men play best of five. I’m almost certain that’s how it was during the same time period as Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs. But now men don’t get payed 8 times what the women get paid.
The way the film portrayed the love affair between Billie Jean and Marilyn was interesting. Basically throughout the course of the film, I feel as though Billie Jean had to keep this affair secret or else it would’ve ruined her career. This is only because of how different the times were. There is a scene in the movie closer to the end after Billie Jean beats Bobby and she goes to the locker room to cry. The moment she come out of the locker room she is greeted by one of the men who would design her tennis outfits. Both men that helped design the tennis outfits were gay. During this exchange between Billie Jean and outfit designer, he tells her about how eventually people like them will be able to love who they want without being discriminated against. If Billie Jean went public with this it could’ve ruined her career in many different ways. One way could’ve just been how at the time gay people were seen as outsiders because they loved who they loved. Another way was just all the publicity Billie Jean would’ve gotten and none if it would have to do with tennis because also many times throughout the movie it was mentioned that Billie Jean needs to be able to focus on tennis in order to succeed.
3. I think that Bobby Riggs real motivation for the match was that he missed his life as a glorified celebrity. He missed all the publicity and the photoshoots and things like that. He was never really a sexist pig throughout the movie. The only he started being sexist was when the match between him and Billie Jean King became official. This was because he was doing it for publicity. He says earlier in the movie when he calls Billie Jean to discuss the idea with her that he was gonna put on a show. He was never really sexist because his wife was the main supplier of money in the house because he as a gambling addict. That’s one of the reasons him and his wife took a break in the first place.
1. The film chose a specific tournament to portray the wage gap. In general, the women made less than the men, while selling Just as many tickets, but not exactly eight times more. I do believe the young women did the right thing by leaving the tournament. While it is true that the men could easily dominate the women -there is no women alive today who’s going to beat Federer or Nadal, and their 130 mph serve- they are (in my opinion) just as entertaining, and worthy of equal pay.
2. The film portrayed their love affair as authentic but forbidden. It seemed as if the producer wanted the audience to fall in love with the couple. There were many reasons as to why Billie Jean couldn’t tell the world about it. First, and foremost, she was married. To a man. Even in today’s world, it’s not exactly socially acceptable for someone in a seemingly happy heterosexual marriage to come out as gay. Understandably, it’s also not socially acceptable to cheat on your spouse. I believe that if a woman in her situation, or one similar to it, was to come out as gay, it would impact her career negatively. But in her day, Billie Jean King faced a different problem, coming out as gay would have alienated a large number of her fans, sponsors, and supporters. Today, people in the public eye will face controversy for their sexuality, but if they are primarily an athlete, it will generally not ruin their career. Billie Jean King needed all the support she could get, branching away from her league.
4. I think that the story of Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs has many parallels to the election, but I do not feel like the movie was produced to show that link directly. The movie was fairly accurate as far as the original events went down. Bobby Riggs was just as ridiculous and sexist as the character in the movie, and Billie Jean was a serious and feminist as her character. I believe that any parallels are simply historically accurate, and not deliberate.
~Maddy Penoza
Extra Credit: Battle of the Sexes
1. How did the film portray the gender wage gap? Do you think the women tennis players did the right thing? Why or why not?
The gender wage gap was a focus early in the film, with the female players discussing how the women’s prize money is 8 times less than the men’s. After being confronted by female tennis star Billie Jean King, former tennis player and promoter Jack Kramer openly admits that the men were being paid more because they were superior athletes and, “more fun to watch.” The women then decided to split off and found the Women’s Tennis Association and the Women’s Sports foundation, which risked ending their careers. They also risked sponsorships, or celebrity opponents willing to play them in tournaments. They continued to found their organization and were all photographed accepting $1 for their membership, thus risking everything for the promise of equal compensation for women and men’s equality in tennis prizes. At the start of their tournament tour the women were sharing hotel rooms, eating cheap meals at diners and sharing transportation. As support and interest in their movement grew, they were able to have their own hotel rooms, afford a hairdresser and tennis outfits. They profited from Billie Jean King lending her voice to the need to recognize women for their contribution to the game of tennis from an athletic and entertainment perspective. Billie Jean King then accepts Bobby Riggs challenge to prove that women could be athletically superior and attract the same entertainment value as men.
2. How did the film portray the love affair between Billie Jean and Marilyn? Why couldn’t Billie Jean go public with the affair? How have things changed since 1973?
The film portrayed the love affair between Billie Jean and Marilyn as relationship that had to be kept secret. At one point the two women did not want to be seen leaving the hotel room together and Billie Jean was nervous about Marilyn riding in her car to tournaments. Billie Jean could not go public with the affair for several reasons. In addition to destroying her marriage, it would impact her career as her husband was her agent. She needed him to support her in making the business deals and could not let her game be distracted by the new relationship. She also knew that her parents would not approve of her homosexuality, stating that they would never speak to her again. She also worried that the news of the affair would cause her to lose her sponsors because of the bias against gay relations. Other characters in the movie such as the wardrobe designers warned Billie Jean against letting the public find out things about her new life that they were not ready for, specifically leaning that she was gay. Since 1973, gay marriage has become legal in several states. Athletes have come forward and announced their homosexuality and there are now more acceptances for those wanting to complete gender transitions, such as former Olympian, Bruce, and now Kaitlyn Jenner.
3. What do you think Bobby Riggs’ true motivation was for the match? Explain why you reached this conclusion.
Bobby Riggs was portrayed as the ultimate male chauvinist pig. Billie Jean even gave him a baby pig at their match. Bobby constantly stated that woman belong in the kitchen and that men were the breadwinners. In reality, his wife supported him and was responsible for his income as she got him a job working for her father. Bobby relied on gambling to make his own money, costing him problems in his marriage. His reputation as a champion tennis player had faded and he could not get matches with famous male tennis players. The women were willing to play him and he saw this as a way to gain back his credibility whilst making his point about chauvinism. Bobby wanted to beat women as he was resentful that he had become so dependent on them for his career and living.
1) The gender wage gap is portrayed in the film, and it is portrayed in the way where women were being paid less than the male tennis players although the women were getting the same amount of sales and same audience. Although the women did play less games than the men, it wasn’t 8x less, like how the pay less 8x less than the men’s. The women as a result quit from the US Tennis League and created their own tournament league, and women’s only league. In my opinion, I think what they did was right. It was an example of how women can overcome the wage gap today, and how their economic freedom, where they have the freedom to quit, can help get around the wage gap.
2) I thought that the love affair between Billie and Marilyn was not unnecessary, because it did show how times were different back in the 70s, but I didn’t think that it was really as necessary compared to how many scenes there are in the movie. The movie portrayed the affair as an example of how being LGBT back then could’ve costed you your job or your fame. It would definitely get publicized if a famous actress or actor came out as gay or lesbian, but not in a good way. If Billie went public with her love affair with Marilyn, I think that would’ve costed her fame as a tennis player. Back in 1973, LGBT was not tolerated like it is in 2017. If Billie played tennis today and came out, she would get a lot of praise, and the intolerant wouldn’t really take it as a big deal. Of course there are the few that would harass her for it, but that crowd is very small, and not as big as it was in 1973.
3) In my opinion, based off of how he portrayed his views in the movie, I don’t think Bobby Riggs played the women he played, Margaret and Billie, because he was a male chauvinist and wanted to prove to the world that women are not equal to men when it comes to some things, like sports. I personally think that Bobby played the girls for money, attention and publicity. As you can see in the movie, Bobby was a huge gambler, losing his wife to gambling, and having to attend some “gamblers anonymous” meetings in the film. This obviously shows that Bobby is someone who wants more money, and someone who wants to show the world that they can bet their own money. Because of his gambling issues, it seems to me that Bobby would do something that would get him so much publicity and fame, for exactly that. Another example would be where Bobby would play younger tennis players and his friends while doing crazy things, such as dressing like a shepherd and having many sheep on a leash, or playing in flippers. Another reason I don’t believe he played because he is a chauvinist is because it seems to me that he is too into male chauvinism, it seems to me that Bobby was too chauvinistic or too biased to actually be serious, it almost seems like he is over exaggerating it a little too much.
1. One concept that the Battle of the Sexes portrayed in the movie, was the gender wage gap in that time period. They showed this near the start of the movie when Billy Jean King and Gladys burst into the club that that Jack Kramer and his associate were in, and demanded to know why the woman champion was getting payed eight times less than the winner of the men’s championship. The two men can’t really come up with any good reasoning as to why this was, and the two women storm out of the room saying they will start their own league. In this instance, I do believe it was right for the two women to demand a better pay, because they were meeting all the same expectations the men had, for example, they were getting the same amount of viewers.
3. I believe the primary motivation for Bobby Riggs to do this match was to try to pay off his gambling debts. Contrary to popular opinion, I don’t really think there was a huge sexist motive behind Bobby Riggs during the match. I started to conduct this belief during the scene where Riggs calls Billy Jean King in her hotel room from a payphone in a parking lot. This is where he initially asks to play her. He says something along the lines that it would be a great publicity stunt if they were to play, because she was such a large feminist, and he mentioned that he could be a sexist pig. I also think this because of how goofy he was acting when he was “training” for his match. I really feel if he truly wanted to beat her, he would be training hard. After all, he is around fifty, so if he was taking the match seriously, he would have still had to practice, to keep his aging body in shape to play the match. I also gather this during the press conference scene, where Billy Jean is laughing at Rigg’s jokes, and even feeling his muscle as a gag picture. I feel like if Rigg’s was truly sexist, the press conference would not have been anywhere close to that goofy and playful. I don’t think Billy Jean would have been that amused at the jokes he was making (and making some right back at him), if they were blatant attacks at her. I feel like the meeting would have been very much like last years presidential debates, heated and tense. I think a better example of a sexist character in the story would be Kramer.
4. I think in certain ways, this movie was similar to the 2016 presidential election. It was kind of similar characters in both events. One being a woman, who is breaking barriers, and supposedly fighting for all women, and the other being an egotistical male with a not-so-serious thought process. I think the only difference between the two events is the outcome. Both Billy Jean and Hillary Clinton had advantages going into their fights, King being younger and more agile than her aging, out of (real) practice opponent, and Hillary already had experience in government, and more political backing than Trump. I think the only difference between the two is the outcome of the events. Billy Jean won, as she should have, because she had the advantages listed above, but Hillary did not win, because she ended up not being the better candidate for various reasons.
1- In the movie the women, specifically, billie jean and gladys heldman find out that the men athletes get paid 8 times more than the women athletes. They decided they were not going to support this so they decided to start and run their own tournament. Yes i believe the women did the right thing, by acting this way they showed that they were worth the same amount f money and that they could prove wrong the point the USLTA was trying to make about men tennis receiving more fans and selling more tickets than women’s tennis.
2- Marilyn and BIllie Jean fell in love in the movie and this was not accepted years ago, but since they had real feelings for each other they did the right thing and even if their love had to be secretive they still tried to make their relationship work. Even though they were brave enough to keep their love a secret there were other reasons as in why they couldn’t go public with their relationship. First of all BIllie Jean was married. Even if the affair was with a man it wouldn’t be accepted. Another reason why they couldn’t go public was because being gay wasn’t accepted by the society and people, fans, and family would be disappointed. Lastly her career as a famous and talented athlete would be ruined because as I said before, this type of relationship was not accepted. I believe some things have changed since 1973 because more people accept gay marriage and many are more open about their sexuality. Things have clearly changed but not fully, I say this because I believe if a football player or soccer player would be open and honest about their sexuality they way he would be seen would change drastically.
3- Bobby Riggs’ true motivation for the match against Billie Jean was trying to get as much money as he could since he had spent all his money gambling and his divorce with his wife would cost even more money. I came to this conclusion because before the match he bet even more money that he initially bet hoping he would win. Another thing that convinced me even more about what his real motivation for the match was, was when, during the match, he wouldn’t take off the jacket that said “Sugar Daddy” because he was a sponsor and would receive a lot of money if he kept it on. Bobby kept the jacket on even when he was sweating and even after his coach suggested him to take it off. This convinced me that his real motivation wasn’t, like Billie Jean, to stand up for her people but just to receive as much money as he could.
Sofia Di Stefano
Extra Credit: Battle of the Sexes
1- In the movie the women, specifically, billie jean and gladys heldman find out that the men athletes get paid 8 times more than the women athletes. They decided they were not going to support this so they decided to start and run their own tournament. Yes i believe the women did the right thing, by acting this way they showed that they were worth the same amount f money and that they could prove wrong the point the USLTA was trying to make about men tennis receiving more fans and selling more tickets than women’s tennis.
2- Marilyn and BIllie Jean fell in love in the movie and this was not accepted years ago, but since they had real feelings for each other they did the right thing and even if their love had to be secretive they still tried to make their relationship work. Even though they were brave enough to keep their love a secret there were other reasons as in why they couldn’t go public with their relationship. First of all BIllie Jean was married. Even if the affair was with a man it wouldn’t be accepted. Another reason why they couldn’t go public was because being gay wasn’t accepted by the society and people, fans, and family would be disappointed. Lastly her career as a famous and talented athlete would be ruined because as I said before, this type of relationship was not accepted. I believe some things have changed since 1973 because more people accept gay marriage and many are more open about their sexuality. Things have clearly changed but not fully, I say this because I believe if a football player or soccer player would be open and honest about their sexuality they way he would be seen would change drastically.
3- Bobby Riggs’ true motivation for the match against Billie Jean was trying to get as much money as he could since he had spent all his money gambling and his divorce with his wife would cost even more money. I came to this conclusion because before the match he bet even more money that he initially bet hoping he would win. Another thing that convinced me even more about what his real motivation for the match was, was when, during the match, he wouldn’t take off the jacket that said “Sugar Daddy” because he was a sponsor and would receive a lot of money if he kept it on. Bobby kept the jacket on even when he was sweating and even after his coach suggested him to take it off. This convinced me that his real motivation wasn’t, like Billie Jean, to stand up for her people but just to receive as much money as he could.
1. How did the film portray the gender wage gap? Do you think the women tennis players did the right thing? Why or why not?
The movie portrayed the wage gap in many different ways, but one of the biggest ways was through what the tennis players got paid. In the beginning of the movie we see that the women get a significantly lower prize for winning tournaments then the way. This is their big motivation for starting a new league. The women’s prize for a select tournament was around 1,500 dollars while the men was 12,000 dollars. I think the women tennis players definitely did the right thing. Without them creating another league, awareness would not have been spread throughout the professional athletics world. Although this solution did not solve the problem it definitely shed light onto the issue. Without people like them we could not be in a place we are today.
2. How did the film portray the love affair between Billie Jean and Marilyn? Why couldn’t Billie Jean go public with the affair? How have things changed since 1973?
The film showed their love affair to be very secretive. They had to keep their relationship behind closed doors and make sure none of the fans found out. The reason no one could no is because the world just wasn’t an excepting place back then. One of King’s friends in the movie said, “One day we can love who we love and be who we want to be” basically indicating that the world was not so accepting at that time. If Their relationship had been out in the open, Billy Jean would have lost hundreds of fans because people didn’t accept same sex relationships back then. This would have also resulted in the new league going downhill which would ruin the women’s fair pay movement. Things have changed a lot since 1973. For starters gay marriage is now legal in America as well as much more accepted. Not only is there a larger population of homosexual people, but people are more accepted and encouraged to come out about how they feel.
3. What do you think Bobby Riggs’ true motivation was for the match? Explain why you reached this conclusion.
Bobby Riggs’ motivation was not that he was a sexist man, but a risky man. Bobby loved being on top and making money, as well as constantly living on edge and gambling. He saw these matches as wagers, and the more attention and the more was on the line, the more he enjoyed it. He knew that to make more money off the matches he would need to portray himself as a sexist human being. This would create more of a buzz and attract more attention. He loved the thrill of competition and gaining a buck or two in the process.
1) In the film Battle Of The Sexes, it portrays gender age gap by showing the difference of pay from a man versus a woman winning a tennis tournament. It turns out to be almost eight times more pay for a man. When Billie confronted Jack about this issue, he said that mens tennis was more fun or entertaining to watch then a woman game. He also added in that men were faster and could keep up the pace of the game. The woman tennis did a brilliant thing by creating the WTA. Even though they started off with only one dollar, this social movement for woman made big change not only in the sports world but all around our country. Through playing each other in tournaments and having sponsors, they were able gain money to create profits and pay for the players. These few ladies made a bold and daring move by doing this, but it benefited them well in the end and the WTA is still present today.
2) The love affair between Marilyn and Billie was scandalous, complicated, but also secretive and almost super simple. When they were alone they looked so happy and in love each other. But in public they didn’t show a hint of affection and they were simply “just friends”. Billie couldn’t go public with the affair for two major reasons. The first one was she was married to her husband, Larry, and couldn’t obviously mess up her marriage with him. Larry supported Billie and really helped her throughout her tennis career. Secondly, in the 1970’s, the LGBTQ community was not that popular nor as accepting as it is today in America. Billie could have lost viewers, been publicly hated and people could have said rude things in articles or on the news. Billie was also afraid she would be stripped of her titles and sponsors because of a scandal like this. Now, a large majority of our country is very accepting of the LGBTQ community and many athletes and famous people are coming out more frequently making our country beautifully diverse in a unique way.
3) Bobby Riggs true motivation for this match was simply the fact that he beat one of her peers and he believed that men are superior to women. He wanted to be relevant again after winning many titles and wanted to show the world that men were better than women and that this sport is for a man. He was so hyped up after his first win, that he believed that it would be another easy win but that was not true. Bobby barely practiced for this match and simply just publicized himself instead. You can get all the support in the world, but in the end, it comes down to who plays the best and who wins.
1. The film Battle of the Sexes portrays the wage gap by showing how much more money men were paid for playing tennis matches, which was eight times more than women. I think women tennis players boycotting the tournament and fighting for their was the rights was the right thing to do because it truly had an impact on the gender wage gap, and was a step in the right direction to where we are today. As Billie Jean and Gladys said in the film, women’s tennis matches sell just as many tickets and make just as much money as men’s tennis matches. With these statistics, it only makes sense for the two parties to make just as much money as each other. I think this was a beyond valid reason for the women tennis players to fight for equal pay.
2. The film portrayed the love affair between Billie Jean and Marilyn by showing their meeting in the hair salon; immediately, you could tell something was going to happen between these two characters. The relationship took a negative and positive toll on Billie Jean; she seemed happier and excited about the relationship, but the relationship started to take a toll on Billie Jean’s life, and started to derail how she played during tennis matches (as displayed in her losing of the match against a fellow female tennis player).
It showed that despite Billie Jean being happy about this secret relationship with Marilyn, that she was also ashamed because she had never been with a woman before. Billie Jean did not want to go public with the affair because it might have ruined her reputation, and she did not want to hurt her husband. Things have dramatically changed since 1973 in the fact that gay and lesbian couples are now allowed to get married.
3. I think Bobby Riggs’ true motivation for the match was the chance of earning money, that he missed the lifestyle of playing tennis, and that this somehow fueled his gambling addiction. I reached this conclusion because Bobby seemed desperate for money, the movie showed his gambling addiction in surplus, and it seems to make sense that this would somehow satisfy his gambling addiction in a big way. I also think Bobby missed the lifestyle of playing tennis because the movie seemed to enunciate the fact of hi disparity to play matches; it was his way of gambling (which also supports the fact that the match might have been a way to satisfy his gambling addiction). Overall, I think Bobby was just desperate in general to get back in the game of tennis, and the gambling addiction happened to be a plus.
The Film Battle of the Sexes accurately portrayed the gender wage gap issue in a general sense by showing how the female tennis players, including Billie Jean King, were offered a lower amount of prize money for their tournament as opposed to the men’s, even though just as many people showed up to said tournament. This illustrates the reality that in America, women are commonly given less monetary opportunities by society through means of either deliberate discrimination or systemic prevention, and the successful and powerful women in the world sadly are typically exceptions in the fields of the world. I believe that they female tennis players allied with Billie Jean that attempted to make their own tournament were justified in their actions. I believe this because their act of rouge sponsorship and enterprise showed the capabilities of Women in the sports and business world, and signified the fact that Women do not need to be controlled by Bill O’Reilys- I mean Men to live a successful life.
The Film explored Billie Jean’s affair by accentuating the emotional and psychological strain of her accepting her sexuality and Relationship condition with her husband to illustrate the problems with staying in the closet and the prevented openness of a Gay Relationship. Billie and Marilyn tended to fall into sexual encounters when Billie was at her weakest, and usually found themselves having to separate to return to their normal lives. Billie and Marilyn still cooperated throughout the end of the film, but they usually had to pretend to just be friends and avoid contact instead of being honest about their relationship. Billie couldn’t go public with the affair because 1. An affair would make her seem like a “scandalous harlot”, 2. It was already a stereotype for feminists to be lesbians, or as some in the film kindly put it, “carpet munchers” and 3. Her relationship with her husband and colleague would surely end and jeopardize her life. The era we live in is much more accepting of Lesbian relationships and sexuality publicly but still holds apprehensions toward the validity of their struggles and existence.
I believe that Bobby Riggs’ real motivation for ushering in the battle of the sexes was to prove to his estranged wife that he could be a real contributor and breadwinner for his family, and was not a gambling, lazy oaf. Near the start of the film we see Bobby get criticized and redirected by his wife when his gambling addiction became a prevalent issue in the family’s state. This tension causes her to kick him out of the house, and Bobby is forced to live out of his new Rolls Royce he won from a gamble, and then his own son’s apartment. This puts Bobby down in the dumps, but he then sees Billie’s campaign against male chauvinism and her attempts to win tournaments, and Bobby sees this as an opportunity to make some money and win his family back. So he trains hard to get back into fighting shape, and challenges the best Female tennis player to a match, which she loses. Bobby then uses this win to enforce male chauvinistic beliefs in the media to lure Billie into the fabled match, by performing outrageous promotional stunts in order to gain sponsorship and support. Fortunately and Unfortunately, our beloved sexist does not win.
I believe this film was shot and created for the purpose of telling an empowering story about overcoming bigotry and adversity to fight for what’s right (and highlighting the tensions of the LGBTQ + community), and was not created for the sole purpose of showing a parallel between the issues of the 70s and the presidential election. I don’t think it would be fair to assume that the production of the Film Black Panther was solely based upon making a film to reflect the rise of the Black Community in America, because Black Panther was an existent canonical character and serial comic book in the Marvel Comics lineup, and is not to be released in February in a similar fashion to the alleged release of B.O.T.S. in the wake of Trumps Reign. To say that a movie that empowers women is made with the intent of a left wing political statement is unfair in the sense that this film has probably been in production for a longer time than the reign of Orange Supreme, and encompasses more than petty subtext.
1.) In the film the wage gap played a huge role in the beginning. The whole reason that Billie Jean King and 8 women split off from the United States Lawn and Tennis Association, was because Jack Kramer wouldn’t allow the Prize money for the women to be raised even though the men’s prize was 8 times what the women’s was. I do think that the Women’s tennis did the right thing by leaving the Lawn and Tennis Association, because they wanted to show the point that women’s tennis was exciting as men’s and that the lawn and tennis association needed them to keep making money. The Virginia Slims and the Lawn and Tennis associated did merge to let other women play, like Margaret Court. They risked their jobs to show they could get equality and succeeded and they did
2.) In the film, Billie Jean meets Marilyn at a hair salon, where the rest of the Virginia Slims women are getting a haircut. Billie Jean wants to be with Marilyn and keep it a secret, like when both of them are staying in the same hotel room. Billie Jean also wants to stay with her husband Larry. Billie couldn’t make her and Marilyn’s relationship public because gay rights wasn’t well supported then. In the movie Larry tells Marilyn too be careful because if she messes this up the sponsorships will go away and the Virginia Slims league wouldn’t have money. One of the ways that things have changed for LGBT rights today is; Laws have been passed throughout the country for Gay marriage.
3.) I believe that Bobby Riggs didn’t play the match because he was a racist. I think his true motive was that he was a gambler. You first see that Bobby is a gambler when he wins the Rolls Royce in the beginning of the movie. When he calls Billie Jean about his first offer, he says to set it up as a character, after his wife throws him out. He goes to a gambling addiction meeting and says to everyone you’re not here because your just really bad gamblers, so what’s the best way to get better, keep doing it. He could have walked away with money from the tennis match against Margaret Court but he said if anyone would face him he would double the money he just one. The ending of the film said that Riggs never gave up gambling. This evidence is overwhelming in saying that Bobby Riggs motivation for playing Billie Jean King was because of his Gambling Addiction.
1)The movie portrayed the wage gap exceptionally. I feel as though if I didn’t know of the gender wage gap. Also through them explaining this wage gap they displayed character development and plot development of how the events occur.One great scene is when Billie and Gladys barge into the gentleman’s man cave.Kramer tells them they are not supposed to be there. Gladys responds with “Is it because I’m a Jew or a women?” . This line doesn’t just display anger but shows the time period. Then they cut sweet cut and go to the root of why they were there: to ask about how she is paid 8x less as you stated earlier. He responds with it’s in their biology to be less entertaining and boring. He says there is no way you deserve the money if you are not as good. They respond with making a tournament only for women where they are paid equally. Of course this issue becomes a theme throughout the movie. This conversation is brought up by Billie before the battle of the sexes match about why she didn’t want Kramer as a commentator. She also explains why she didn’t make a mistake making the tournament instead of getting an unfair pay gap.
2)The love affair between Billie and Marilyn was important because Billie was an LGBTQ figure for some time. In fact she received the medal of freedom in 2012 for Women’s Rights and LGBTQ rights. During the time of this film she was finding out her sexuality and was experimenting with Marilyn. Once she realized she also liked girls it messed with her head. In the scene after a loss which she dadn’t had in awhile, she took it out on Marilyn. This showed her conflict which led to a few losses, as shown in the movie. She later divorced her husband because of this. She also was worried because during the time gay people weren’t accepted as much as they are today. Not to mention during the time time it was saw as a mental disease and needed to be treated. Also she was famous! She didn’t want a “mental disease” to tarnish her reputation. She later accepted her sexuality and remarried.
3)I think he knew he was doing this to get his wife back. He told his wife about the match immediately. She knocked on the door and he entered. Bobby rambled on how he was versing Billie King and it was a lot of money. Though she wanted to be back together she needed him to break his gambling addiction. They later get back together even though he never solves his gambling addiction. Though she realized she married a sexist pig, she loved with him and played with him. I do believe there was other reasons but I think this was a Huge one. Steve Carell did a good job a stealing glances and the mushy I want you back things.
1)This film portrayed the gender wage gap through tennis. The struggles that women went through to make the same amount of money as men are demonstrated in this film. In the beginning, Billie Jean had threatened to boycott the 1973 U.S. Open unless the woman winner and the man winner were receiving equal prize money. The U.S. Tennis Association refused, causing Billie Jean and her fellow woman tennis players quit the association. These women created a new association for women, allowing them to receive equal prize money. There are multiple instances throughout the movie where the prize money for men is more. I think that women tennis players did the right thing. These women stood up for what the believed in and worked hard to make their dreams come true. These women had a large impact on the gender wage gap and made a change for the better.
2)Billie Jean and Marilyn first met when Billie Jean was getting her hair done at the salon and Marilyn was her stylist. While Marilyn was doing Jean’s hair, Billie Jean and the other tennis players were talking about their plans for the tennis matches. Marilyn didn’t know much about any of it because she didn’t have a tv at home, so Billie Jean invited her to come to the match and provided her with a ticket. Marilyn came to the match and ended up staying the night in Billie Jean’s room because Billie Jean had promised her a ride home. While they were in the room, a connection sparked between the two ladies and it got more intimate than anticipated. Marilyn left the tour for a little while because Billie Jean needed to focus and her own husband wasn’t even there. Later in the movie, before Billie Jean’s big match against Bobby Riggs, Marilyn came back and helped Jean get into the zone. The connection between Jean and Marilyn was mutual, although it didn’t seem like it at first. Billie Jean couldn’t go public with the affair because lesbians weren’t socially accepted in 1973. In 1973 being a lesbian was seen as a bad kind of different, whereas today, being a lesbian is seen as just different. Not better or worse, but different.
3)I think that Bobby Riggs’ true motivation for the match was showing superiority. When Riggs was in his finest shape, he won the U.S. Open. As Riggs aged, more problems popped up in his personal life. Riggs and his wife had a falling out and he had a pretty bad gambling problem. With the mix of Riggs’ personal issues and the fact that he was no longer the greatest tennis player, he was going through mild depression. Riggs needed something that gave him that boost. Riggs needed to be the best. This match was very important to Riggs because of the attention aspect. Riggs liked to put on a show for people, which is why he spent more time advertising than training.
“Battle of the Sexes”
Extra Credit Blog
The film portrayed the wage gap in multiple cases throughout the movie. Multiple times in different national tennis tournaments, the prize money for the men’s bracket was significantly higher than that of the women’s bracket. In one tournament, Billie Jean finds out that the men’s prize is eight times that of the women’s. She goes to Jack Kramer to get an explanation. Billie Jean brings up the crucial point that on the women’s side the same number of tickets were sold than that on the men’s side. Kramer tries to explain his way out of the situation with a few not so up-to-par answers. Yes, I believe that the women tennis players did the right thing. Yes, they did risk being kicked out of the tennis organization, which they were, and scrutiny by a lot of people, but sometimes that’s what it takes to make the change you want to see. They did sign new contracts and were rewarded a signing bonus of, well, $1, but that $1 represented a lot. Jack Kramer points out in the movie about how the girls need to realize they are literally only holding $1, but that $1 represented rebellion against sexism and the start of a new era in women’s tennis.
The film portrayed the love affair between Billie Jean and Marilyn as a new outlook on Billie Jean, in a way. As soon as Billie Jean had first met and saw Marilyn, they formed and shared an instant connection. However, the film and Billie Jean’s actions also portrayed the love affair as secretive and “under wraps”. Billie Jean couldn’t go public with the affair for fear of her career, identity, and reputation. If people found out about the affair, they would immediately discredit Billie Jean as a women’s rights activist. If Billie Jean can’t even be honest with her husband by not cheating on him, how can she be honest and have the best interests of women in mind during her activism? This is a question many women would have to ask themselves if the affair was revealed. In addition, men would just have another topic to pick at her about and make her imperfections known, among discrediting her. In more modern culture, I feel like more people would be accepting of not only Billie Jean’s sexuality, but also her struggle. In 1973, many people would discredit her based purely on the fact that she was seeing a women, not another man. Also, in more modern times many people can understand and sympathize with the struggles of fighting for equal rights. Back then, the idea of fighting back in the manor Billie Jean did was unheard of and not prevalent in the media and on a national stage, with millions watching.
Bobby Riggs’ motivation for the match against Billie Jean was for two main reasons; the overlying reason and the main theme of sexism, and also the quite literal reason of greed. First off, Riggs was a strong believer that women belonged in the kitchen and tending to the kids and the house, while men should take care of industrial jobs outside the home and entertainment. He wanted to once-and-for-all end women’s bid for equal pay because they were equal. By defeating Billie Jean, he would essentially shut the population up about how women were equal to men, because he had just proven that men were better. The second reason is greed. Riggs had a long time gambling addiction, for which his wife strongly did not approve of, and was constantly looking for new ways to get money when he lost. Not only would winning the match against Billie Jean put him ahead of all the other women in the world tennis-wise and gender-wise, it would provide him with extra cash to fuel his addiction for a little longer.
Battle of the Sexes Movie-Autumn M. Reed-Nordwall
1.The gender wage gap was very unfair because women got one eighth that tge neb git the other seven eighths of the funds went to the men. The argument that men are biologically faster and stronger doesn’t support how Billy Jean beat Bobby. If men are suppose to be better, then how did she beat them? Physically can give evidence why it may be more common for a man to be better, but psychologically depends on the person and can also cause the outcome of the match, and women are proven to have better brain functions compared to boys. Those men tried to base it off of biology, but the way they were talking just proved that was all the men could say without obviously stating that they were being sexist. Whether or not people are more interested in men’s tennis compared to women’s tennis isn’t the same for each individual person and unfair to estimate the number of fans against the women’s team. The wage gap had only one purpose. Fund the men and scrap the women.
2. The film portrayed her love affair with Marilyn as conflicting and a major risk towards her career if others were to find out. Billie Jean King didn’t want to betray her husband and continuously tried to ignore her feelings for Marilyn. If others were to find out about her secret affair, Billie Jean would have her entire career and reputation at stake. In 1973, Being homosexual or Biosexual was seen as a sin, and was even mentioned by Margaret Court, who later competed against King and Riggs. There would be a large number of people who wouldn’t want to see a woman believed to be homosexual compete. Not only that, but many more men would try to filthy her name. Times have changed now, and those who would be against homosexuality wouldn’t have as much of a say if King could play.
3. I feel that Bobby’s true motivation was that he had nothing during that time and no entertainment. Bobby’s marriage wasn’t working out much and his days as a tennis player was obviously missed. Bobby was working himself into a hole. When he defeated Margaret Court, he felt his life could never have been better. He was partying and having a great time while Billie Jean was working her tail off to be in the best possible shape she could be in. It may seem that Bobby wanted to put down women, but I feel he was trying to draw out Billie Jean to get a great deal of money. He wanted to be young, gamble, let loose and have fun. Little did Bobby know that when he beat Margaret Court and claimed he could beat women, he sealed his fate because he only awoke a best instead of a simple, frail mouse.
Battle of the Sexes: Extra Credit Blog
1. How did the film portray the gender wage gap? Do you think the women tennis players did the right thing? Why or why not?
The film portrayed the gender wage gap starting at the beginning of the film, Billie Jean found out about the fact that the tennis championships was awarding the men with more money compared to the women. Billie Jean was angered by this and confronted Jack Kramer about this. Jack Kramer couldn’t understand why men and women should be paid the same amount money even if they were attracting the same amount of people. The prize money for the men was almost eight times as much as the women. Billie Jean continually questioned Kramer about the real reason they weren’t paid as much. Eventually, Kramer admitted that the men’s tennis matches were just more exciting than the women. Billie Jean was completely apalled by that statement, and it led to her making one of the biggest decisions in her life. During the 1970s, it wasn’t uncommon for the men to be paid more and Billie Jean knew that. This led her and the other women to quit their tennis league and created an all women’s tennis league. I believe that the women did the right thing because by doing that it opened the doors to other women and allowed for the decrease in the gender wage gap across the nation. It also allowed for the creation of strong women activist role models for young children to look up to.
2. How did the film portray the love affair between Billie Jean and Marilyn? Why couldn’t Billie Jean go public with the affair? How have things changed since 1973?
Billie Jean and Marilyn’s love affair was portrayed in many different ways in the film. When the two first met, the viewer was able to see them both experience love at first sight. As the movie continues we are able to see their relationship grow and change. Billie Jean and Marilyn go and hang out at a dance club and then head back to Billie Jean’s hotel room after. This is the first time that the viewer sees Billie Jean contemplate her feelings about Marilyn versus her feelings for her husband. While, at first she tries to ignore those feelings eventually she can’t and they sleep together. Billie Jean and Marilyn sleeping together set off the start of their very controversial relationship. The film portrayed their relationship as very complicated and never really secure. It was complicated due to the fact that Billie Jean didn’t want to go public because she was worried about the backlash. At the end of the day Billie Jean loved tennis and nothing was going to distract her from that. Billie Jean couldn’t go public with affair because she was married and didn’t want to ruin the marriage, but her husband did eventually find out about the affair. Billie Jean didn’t want the affair to lead to negative critism which would distract her from her real one true love tennis. Also during this time sexuality wasn’t a common table conversation and to a majority of Americans there was only one sexual preference and that was being straight. A lot of things have changed since 1973 when it comes to LGBTQ+ rights in America, one of the bigger ones being the legalization of gay marriage nationwide. There is also the greater majority of Americans accept everyone no matter what their sexuality is.
3. What do you think Bobby Riggs’ true motivation was for the match? Explain why you reached this conclusion.
I think that Bobby Riggs true motivation was sexism along with his gambling problem. Riggs truly believed that women were inferior to men and he wanted to prove that. He wanted to make sure the world knew that no matter how old you were that all men are better than women. Riggs repeated this idea numerous times throughout the movie and wasn’t afraid to say it out loud to the world. Riggs also had a gambling problem and wanted to gamble all the time. This also led him to the first tennis match not only because of his sexist views towards women but also because he wanted the prize. We see instances of his gambling problem at the beginning of the movie and it damages his relationship with his wife and family.
Battle of the Sexes
1) In 1972, Women in America were earning 57.9% of a man’s wages, while working the same job. So forth, the WTA had very valid reasons to protest against unfair work establishments like these. In the film, the gender wage gap was looked at with a negative connotation, holding these successful women back from reaching their full potential in the workplace. I believe that the WTA definitely made the right move in this situation; without a controversial group to bring attention to the situation, fans would not been able to be rallied in support the way they were. By putting together a tournament tour and proving themselves fully capable of being successful, the tennis pros of the WTA showed Americans that women do deserve an equal spot in the workplace as men and that gender has no effect on ability or motivation.
2) From the beginning of the film, it was made clear that Marilyn and Billie Jean’s love was unpopular and must’ve been kept a secret. Moreover, 40 years ago, homosexual relationships were not customary to Americans and collided with many religious beliefs. To a woman in 2017, coming out as lesbian often means finally getting to be happy with herself, hoping that she will be accepted by her family and friends. Conversely, Billie Jean King’s reality of possibly going public with Marilyn could very well have meant her career ending and experiencing extensive disapproval from society. Although it is still a prevalent controversy in the country, progress is prevalent in the LGBTQ+ movement; marriage has been legalized, pride parades celebrate individuality across the country and platforms for support have opened up on the internet, showing people that they are not alone in their struggle to be accepted. America may have ways to go in the LGBTQ+ efforts for acceptance, but in the last few years, we have made more progress than in past centuries.
4) When watching this film, I noticed clear parallels between Bobby Riggs and President Trump, especially in behaviors. Primarily, both men express their dominance and confidence without even a second thought about their sensitivity towards others. Donald Trump has been often referred to as a “clown,” embarrassing himself on the internet simply through his words. Similarly, throughout the storyline, Riggs would express his unfavorable opinions about the insignificance of women playing sports at the same level as men, hurting the feelings and diminishing confidence of many women. Both men have said demeaning things about women, making them feel inferior to men, attempting to prove that women can’t handle the”real” world, whether in politics or tennis. Overall, the direct comparison of Bobby Riggs and Donald Trump is too similar to have not been on purpose by the producers of this film.
Megan Zacharias
Battle of the Sexes Blog
1. The film portrayed the gender wage gap by showing the differences in the amount of prize money between men and women at the tennis tournament. I do believe the women tennis players did the right thing. In the movie, Billie Jean finds out that the men are receiving more money if they win the tournament than the women. Billie Jean tries to convince the people in charge that this gap is unjust. They, however, refuse to make the prize money equal. This is an example of the wage gap between men and women during this time period. I believe that the women tennis players made the right decision in creating their own tournament. This helped show people that they were willing to fight for their rights. I think that it was important because it probably inspired other women to speak out. This tournament was just one effective way to raise awareness.
2. The film portrayed Billie Jean and Marilyn’s love affair as scandalous and secretive. Billie Jean could not go public about their affair because she was married and being gay was looked down upon at that time. Since 1973, people are more aware and accepting of LGBTQ rights. In the movie, Billie Jean’s affair with Marilyn was shown as unusual. An example of this was once the tennis player Margaret suspected their affair, she lost respect for Billie Jean. Marilyn and Billie Jean could not be open about their relationship. Billie Jean was married, and it would ruin her relationship with her husband. More profoundly, coming out would be shocking. Billie Jean did not know if her family, friends, fans and the public would be willing to accept her. Presently, things have changed. More people are willing to be open about their sexuality. There are some people who still aren’t accepting, but we have made huge progress since 1973.
3. I believe Bobby Riggs’ motivation for the match was to increase his confidence of his masculinity and make women appear and feel weaker. He also wanted to make money out of this publicity stunt. I think this because Bobby was a very sexist person who seemed to have a lot of troubles. His marriage was rocky because of his gambling problem and he was growing older and his tennis abilities were dwindling. Because of this, he no longer could beat other male tennis players, so decided to challenge women players. He thought he could win against any woman because he was very sexist. He wanted to show the world that he was still able to play while at the same time shutting down the women’s increasing voice of equal rights.
This film portrayed the gender wage gap through tennis. The struggles that women went through to make the same amount of money as men are demonstrated in this film. In the beginning, Billie Jean had threatened to boycott the 1973 U.S. Open unless the woman winner and the man winner were receiving equal prize money. The U.S. Tennis Association refused, causing Billie Jean and her fellow woman tennis players quit the association. These women created a new association for women, allowing them to receive equal prize money. There are multiple instances throughout the movie where the prize money for men is more. I think that women tennis players did the right thing. These women stood up for what the believed in and worked hard to make their dreams come true. These women had a large impact on the gender wage gap and made a change for the better.
Billie Jean and Marilyn first met when Billie Jean was getting her hair done at the salon and Marilyn was her stylist. While Marilyn was doing Jean’s hair, Billie Jean and the other tennis players were talking about their plans for the tennis matches. Marilyn didn’t know much about any of it because she didn’t have a tv at home, so Billie Jean invited her to come to the match and provided her with a ticket. Marilyn came to the match and ended up staying the night in Billie Jean’s room because Billie Jean had promised her a ride home. While they were in the room, a connection sparked between the two ladies and it got more intimate than anticipated. Marilyn left the tour for a little while because Billie Jean needed to focus and her own husband wasn’t even there. Later in the movie, before Billie Jean’s big match against Bobby Riggs, Marilyn came back and helped Jean get into the zone. The connection between Jean and Marilyn was mutual, although it didn’t seem like it at first. Billie Jean couldn’t go public with the affair because lesbians weren’t socially accepted in 1973. In 1973 being a lesbian was seen as a bad kind of different, whereas today, being a lesbian is seen as just different. Not better or worse, but different.
I think that Bobby Riggs’ true motivation for the match was showing superiority. When Riggs was in his finest shape, he won the U.S. Open. As Riggs aged, more problems popped up in his personal life. Riggs and his wife had a falling out and he had a pretty bad gambling problem. With the mix of Riggs’ personal issues and the fact that he was no longer the greatest tennis player he was going through mild depression. Riggs needed something that gave him that boost. Riggs needed to be the best. This match was very important to Riggs because of the attention aspect. Riggs liked to put on a show for people, which is why he spent more time advertising than training.
Nicole B