性别之战

The True Story Behind the Battle of the Sexes Movie

The 1973 tennis match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs was a spectacle made for Hollywood. King was at the top of her game, the first female player to win over $100,000 in a year. Riggs was an over-the-hill showboat and self-declared chauvinist pig with a gambling problem. Riggs hoped for one last minute of fame, King to prove that women deserved as much prize money and respect as men.

Ninety million people tuned into “The Battle of the Sexes,” and 44 years later Emma Stone and Steve Carrell are bringing the match to the big screen. The movie details both the on-court drama and the behind-the-scenes turmoil affecting the two tennis legends. The married King had recently begun an affair with a woman, while Riggs was struggling to connect with his family. Here’s what the movie got right about the historic game that made King an icon — and what the filmmakers exaggerated.


Fact: Billie Jean King came into conflict with Jack Kramer

Once a tennis champ himself, Kramer (Bill Pullman) was running the Pacific Southwest Tennis Tournament in 1970. That tournament offered women just 15% of the prize money that it awarded the men, despite that the women’s final sold as many tickets as the men’s final did. King challenged Kramer about the pay gap, and when he would not agree to up the women’s prize money, King led a walk-out. She and several other women went on to create the Virginia Slims tour and later the Women’s Tennis Association.

Kramer and King came into conflict again three years later on the eve of the Battle of the Sexes game. Kramer was set to be a commentator for the game, and King threatened to call off the match at the last minute if Kramer wasn’t removed. She argued that he was biased against female tennis players. The network conceded to her demands.


Fact: Virginia Slims sponsored that women’s tennis tour

In retrospect, the cigarette company was probably not the best sponsor of an athletic tournament. But it was the only advertising money they could get. Sarah Silverman’s character, Gladys Heldman, did indeed arrange the Virginia Slims tour. She asked the players to sign symbolic $1 contracts before they had enough money to pay the players and then wrangled sponsors. The women were suspended by the USTA but when the women’s tour proved successful, the two tours merged again.

Once a tennis player herself, Heldman founded World Tennis magazine and supported female tennis players in their support for equal pay. Her own daughter, Julie, even joined the separate women’s tour.


Fact: Riggs played poker with his therapist

He was, truly, a hustler.


Fiction: King and Riggs were old friends

In the movie, the two tennis players seem to know each other well — not only does Riggs call King in the middle of the night to challenge her to a match, but King dismisses the call as typical Riggs behavior. In reality, King says she barely knew the former champion, who was 25 years her senior.

However, after the Battle of the Sexes the two became friends and remained close until his death in 1995. King said she spoke to Riggs the day before he died, and they said “I love you” to each other.


Fact: King did initially turn Riggs down for the match

And he did then ask Margaret Court (Jessica McNamee) to play him instead. Riggs defeated Court in the “Mother’s Day Massacre,” which changed King’s mind about playing Riggs.

King and Court really were rivals, their careers intertwined. King’s first major singles success came in 1972 when she upset the top-seeded Court in the second round of Wimbledon. For the next decade, they competed for the top spot of the women’s rankings. Over the course of their careers, Court won 24 majors, and King just 12. That made King’s ability to defeat Riggs after the Mother’s Day Massacre extra sweet.


Fact: Margaret Court is opposed to same-sex marriage

The conservative tennis player has publicly called same-sex relationships “a lust for the flesh.”


Fact: During the “Battle of the Sexes,” Billie Jean King was involved with her hairdresser

The affair really did take place in the period before the Battle of the Sexes. King’s relationship with hairdresser Marilyn Barnett later became public in 1981 when Barnett sued King for a share of the tennis player’s property. In the suit, Barnett argued that because she gave up her career as a hairdresser to become a secretary, confidante, cook “and all other things necessary so that Mrs. King’s energy could be totally directed toward playing tennis,” under California law Barnett was due palimony, according to the New York Times.

King, who was still married to Larry King (Austin Stowell in the movie) at the time, initially denied the affair. But later that year she called a press conference in which she admitted her involvement with Barnett (Andrew Riseborough). “People’s privacy is very important, but unfortunately someone didn’t respect that,” she told The Chicago Tribune. “I did have an affair with Marilyn, but it was over quite some time ago. I’m very disturbed and shocked that Marilyn would do this in such a selfish way.”

Billie Jean and Larry King divorced in 1987. King is now in a relationship with Ilana Kloss, also a former tennis player. She has since become a prominent booster for LGBTQ rights.


Fiction: Barnett showed up right before King’s match to give her a haircut

The scene in which Barnett runs out of her salon to find King and give her a confidence boost (and a haircut) right before her face-off with Riggs is Hollywood fabrication. The haircut did happen but in Los Angeles before King left for the match in Houston.


Fact: Riggs was sponsored by Sugar Daddy

Fact: Designer Ted Tinling did indeed design King’s dress for Battle of the Sexes
Alan Cumming’s character really did dress the female tennis players for the Virginia Slims Tennis Circuit. A former World War II spy and tennis player himself, Tinling became infamous in the tennis world when he was banned from Wimbledon because his outfits were “too racy,” according to Cumming.


Fact: Howard Cosell draped an arm around tennis star Rosie Casals during the match commentary

The condescending move was all-too-real and broadcast on live TV. The filmmakers edited actor Natalie Morales into the real footage.


Fact: King wore blue suede shoes

Her outfit is now on display at the Smithsonian.


Fact: Riggs was taking 415 vitamins a day before the match

Before the match with Margaret Court, the 55-year-old Riggs enlisted the help of Hollywood nutrition guru Rheo Blair. He began a protein and dairy-focused diet and popped hundreds of vitamins every day.


Fact: Larry Riggs did not attend the match

Selena Roberts writes in A Necessary Spectacle that Bobby Riggs’ son foresaw his father’s downfall when Bobby didn’t take his training seriously. In protest, he refused to attend the King-Riggs match.


Fact: Billie Jean King was carried like Cleopatra into the Astrodome


Fact: When King won, Riggs said, “I really underestimated you.”

King has shared the mid-court conversation, included in the movie, with reporters. Riggs reportedly later said after the match, “This is the worst thing in the world I’ve ever done.”

ESPN once reported that the entire match was rigged by the mob. King denies that this was true, and the directors say that those they spoke to close to Bobby thought the accusation “ridiculous.” The filmmakers probably show Riggs betting on himself to win in the film in order to debunk the rigging rumor.


Fiction: King cried alone in the locker room after winning

King says didn’t get a moment to herself after the historic match. “They kept me so busy after that, but that’s how I was feeling, such relief,” King told USA Today.

P.S.
How Billie Jean King Won the Battle of the Sexes, as Told in 1973

註：這篇是寫於電影上映之前


《Battle of the Sexes 胜负反手拍》已在美国上映，台湾要到11下旬或12月初推出。两位女主角Emma Stone(饰演Billie Jean King)和Andrea Riseboroughe(饰演Marilyn Barnett)联手登上8月份同志杂志OUT的封面，不难想见片中的女同含量超越原本的网球性别大战。

以《Little Miss Sunshine 小太阳的愿望》、《Ruby Sparks客制化女神》知名的夫妻档导演，Dayton谈到拍片动机：“We love tennis, don’t get me wrong,But it was the love story that drove us to make this.”(我们热爱网球，但别误会了，是剧中的爱情故事驱动我们)

是的，而且是非常浪漫的爱情。导演指出金恩夫人和美发师Marilyn第一次相识，透过她的头发被轻抚触摸，耳边的声音⋯⋯营造出autonomous sensory meridian response的情境，简称ASMR，中译为“自发性知觉高潮”，也有人用“颅内高潮”来形容。其实是对于视听触闻的知觉被聚焦，在脑中或是头皮、颈部、耳内产生愉悦的感觉。所以并不限于“高潮”，很多应用在舒压安眠。

其实我们也见识过类似的反应，那就是《Carol》行车经过隧道一景，特芮丝小鹿乱撞，只看得到大特写和飘在半空的声音。

｛网球性别大战的时空背景｝

除开这段浪漫故事，我们回顾这场比赛的时空背景，虽然社会逐渐进步了，仍然有些历史倒转的现象，这个故事依旧符合现在式。

Bobby Riggs是活跃于40年代的男网好手，1967年荣登网球名人堂，照理应该安享晚年。可能是不干平淡，还想再捞一笔，1973年大放厥词，夸口以他退休状态仍然可以击败当时女网高手。第一场确实如他所愿。他在五月对战当时澳洲新秀Margaret Court，不到一小时即以6比2，6比1获胜。此役被称为“母亲节大屠杀”。

金恩夫人从60年代发迹，到了1970年成为女网顶尖人物。这一年她和8位女网选手为了争取性别平等同工同酬，抗议男网奖金高于女网八倍，独自成立Virginia Slims Circuit巡回赛。美国网球协会并不承认这个巡回赛。到了1973年6月便催生美国女子网球协会相庭抗礼。

金恩夫人接受Bobby Riggs提议，想来也是借力使力，突显性别争议。

两人为这场比赛做足宣传。Riggs继续扮演男性沙猪，激起女性公愤。金恩夫人保持笑容和他合拍公关照。


1973年9月21日比赛现场聚集观众三万人，电视转播估计有九千万人收看。Riggs坐着轿子被美女拉进球场，金恩夫人也被半裸男子像女王般抬进场中央。


金恩夫人以6比4，6比3，6比3彻底击败Riggs。不过很多人怀疑Riggs故意打输，因为他是出了名的赌鬼，很可能阵前营造气势，私底下却押自己输球。

女子网球经此一役，确立不容轻忽的地位。金恩夫人的职业生涯更上一层楼。然而她和Marilyn关系交恶，差点毁掉前半生的努力。

｛外遇关系对簿公堂｝

金恩夫人在1965年嫁给大学同学Larry King，因为她一直挂夫姓，台湾媒体习惯称她为金恩夫人，而不是比莉珍。

比莉珍在1968年才发现自己有同性倾向。1971年遇见Marilyn Barnett深陷情网。就在同年，她堕胎拿掉小孩，其实是她的婚姻恶化的讯号。她认为两人关系变质不适合有下一代。她更生气丈夫次年擅自对外公开堕胎私事。

为了和Marilyn在一起，比莉珍以私人助理的名义雇用她，带着她参加巡回赛，每月支付600美元薪水，让她住在马里布海滩的价值17万5千美元的高级住宅。金恩先生当然清楚两人关系，在利益考量下只能睁一眼闭一眼。

记者还找到1973年网球大战的照片，女友和先生一起当场边应援团，看着比莉珍自己擦汗。



过份牵涉到金钱的感情通常没有好下场。1979年两人闹分手，原本是私下角力。没想到Marilyn在1981年依据Palimony案例告上法庭。

Palimony是指未婚同居伴侣分手后，其中一方依约定提供类似赡养费用。美国最有名的案件是1976年影星Lee Marvin(李马文)被女友控告。这个案子在没有书面合约的情况下成立了。不过不适用于Marilyn，因为同性关系尚未被认可。就算是未婚伴侣，异性恋的合法地位一样高于同性恋。

有报纸说Marilyn意图自杀，从屋顶滚落伤到后背。上法庭时脖子套着护具，坐在轮椅上出场。

这篇1981年5月2日的新闻报导金恩夫人记者会的情况：


Tennis star Billie Jean King admitted Friday that she had a homosexual affair with a woman several years ago, but she call it " a mistake" and asked her fans to show her compassion and understanding.
网球名星金恩夫人周五坦承几年前有同性恋情，这是“一场错误”，希望粉丝能体谅。

Mrs. King, 37, was joined by her husband, Larry and her attorney, Dennis Wasser, at a news conference she called to respond to allegations in a "palimony" lawsuit filed earlier this week Marilyn Barnett, 32, a former hairdresser who claimed she and Mrs. King were lovers.
37岁的金恩夫人由丈夫和律师陪同召开记者会回应先前由32岁的玛丽安提告“赡养费”官司。她曾为发型师，自称是金恩夫人的恋人。

The suit said the tennis star had promised to give Miss Barnett the Malibu beach house she now lives in and to "provide for all of her financial support and needs for the rest of her life."
指控书提到这位网球名星承诺赠与伯纳小姐现居住的马里布海边别墅，而且“提供她日后所有经济支援和需求”。

Mrs. King told reporters at an airport hotel: " I felt very strongly about this. I've always been above board with the press and I will talk now as I have always talked, from my heart. People's privacy is very important, but unfortunately someone didn't respect that.
金恩夫人告诉记者：“我的情绪很激动。我一向对媒体公开坦白，现在一如往常发自内心。隐私很重要，但有人就是不尊重。”

"I did have an affair with Marilyn, but it was over quite some time ago. I'm very disturbed and shocked that Marilyn would do this in such a selfish way."
“我与玛丽安确实有过恋情，但是已结束多时。我很难过也很讶异，玛丽安这样自私的举动。”

Mrs. King refused to disclose details of her lesbian relationship with Miss Barnett, who claimed in her lawsuit that "sexual intamacies commenced approximately six months after their first date."
金恩夫人拒绝揭露她与伯纳小姐的交往细节，对方宣称“两人约会六个月开始发生亲密关系”

Mrs. King, who has won record 20 Wimbledon championships in singles and doubles, along with scores of other major titles, at first had denied Miss Barnett's allegations.
金恩夫人曾获温布敦20次单打双打冠军。一开始她否认伯纳小姐的指控。


But Friday, against the advice of her attorney, she called the press conference. She entered the room holding her husband's hand. Later, when the press conference was over, the couple kissed. 但是周五，不顾律师反对召开记者会。她和丈夫牵手进入会场。两人离去时还互相亲吻。


比莉珍想尽办法在这场官司“合理化”自己的同性恋情。我在拙著【拉子时代】书里记载1984年1月11日台灣“民生报”提过这件事：
“⋯⋯女运动员的交友范围就更形缩小。在这种情形下，女选手互相暸解、互相慰借，而成同性恋，是很自然的发展。已半退休的女网老将金恩夫人，去年闹出女同性恋赡养费官司，就是被伴她一起『旅行』的秘书恋人猛告一状。金恩夫人在记者会上，坦然承认曾有这段同性恋情时，头倚在丈夫赖瑞・金恩肩上说，她犯了『错』。她很幸运，得到丈夫的支持与谅解。

赖瑞・金恩对这件事的解释是，他逐渐投入金恩夫人的网球事业后，常以经理人的身份（赖瑞为律师）与金恩夫人起争执，这是他不能忍受的。还有，巡回比赛的日子对他是既无聊又疲累，于是，他也就让金恩夫人『放单』，而造成了她那一段历时五年的同性恋情。”

金恩夫妇的关系并未修补言合，撑到1987年，两人还是离婚了。

对照史实，《Battle of the Sexes 胜负反手拍》可能不免美化Marilyn Barnett的形象，甚至是美化了比莉珍本人。但是对自己性倾向的觉醒，这应该是个很好的时代故事。

我特别深感同志也是凡人，有人间的七情六欲，也需要法律的公平正义。