The Intersection of Misogyny and Classism in I, Tonya

Back in 1991, Tonya Harding was a powerhouse figure skater who became the first American woman to complete a triple Axel in competition. Three years later, Harding was the world’s laughing stock, embroiled in a controversy over the attack on Nancy Kerrigan, a fellow skater. The image we see of Tonya, (played by Margot Robbie), in the 2017 film I, Tonya is a stark contrast to those we saw prior. The film chronicles Tonya’s life, from her childhood with an abusive mother, to her prominent rise and equally prominent fall as a skater, to her tumultuous and abusive relationship with (now-ex) husband Jeff Gillooly, (played by Sebastian Stan).

The movie depicts the infamous attack on Nancy, in which her right leg was struck above her knee with a baton. But at the same time, the film does not hold back on the numerous symbolic (and sadly, literal) strikes Tonya endured in her life; her mother, Gillooly, the skating world, and the media. 

Tonya is portrayed as a tough woman who is unapologetic for her working-class background, and her athleticism in a sport that puts wealthy, delicate, and ultra-feminine skaters on a pedestal. Whether she’s hit by Gillooly or by the judges’ low scores and condescending remarks, Tonya always fights back. However, the combination of the skating world’s misogynist and classist standards, domestic violence, and the fallout of the Kerrigan incident, breaks her down. This sympathetic image of Tonya is one which had never been put forth by the media hitherto, but which this movie sees and reveals to the public.

From the moment she first stepped on the ice at age three, Tonya never had a chance to evade the label of being working-class. In figure skating, how the female skaters present themselves is a significant indication of their socioeconomic status. Clothing is a major factor; Tonya’s lack of expensive clothes and skating costumes makes her stand out from the rest of the wealthier skaters. Her coach tells Tonya’s mother LaVona, (played by Allison Janney), to buy her a fur coat, a popular item among the skaters and a prime symbol of wealth and class, despite these skaters only being children. The judges need to see a presentable image of Tonya, and her coach even says that Tonya looks like she “chops wood in the morning” - a clear devaluation of blue-collar labor. However, this devaluation is turned into a redemption by Tonya, as her father makes her a fur coat with the fur of an animal he personally skinned. This fur coat looks different than the others, and the other skaters point that out. But Tonya flips them off. Like the creative nature of her fur coat, Tonya would create her own definition of being a female skater, rather than conforming to the standards placed around her. 

Her rebelliousness does not change as she grows up and enters the professional skating world. Tonya wears dark colored nail polish paired with handmade costumes, she skates to rock songs, and it’s obvious in her skating that she is strong. The judges do not even try to find a reason to like Tonya; their dislike of her is reflected in her scores. Competition after competition, the judges refuse to give Tonya any high scores, regardless of how well her performances are executed. 

In one scene, Tonya has enough, and she confronts the judges during a competition. After asking why she never receives any fair scores, the judges say that they also judge based on presentation. In this moment, Tonya is wearing a dress in a bright shade of pink, covered in tuiles and sparkles, blatant signs of femininity - but the judges are not pleased. They do not like the person wearing it and the type of woman she represents. Instead, they want a woman who is dainty and soft; Tonya shows a certain strength and outspokenness in her skating, which threatens the outdated standards the skating world praises. 

Tonya’s lack of a nuclear family adds insult to injury. After her parents’ separation, Tonya’s mother LaVona was left to raise her daughter alone. LaVona was notorious for being a hard-ass with a permanent cigarette in her hand, yelling criticism at Tonya during practice. Tonya confronts another judge, this time after a tournament. He responds, through his barely-open car window, that this country needs a skater from a, “wholesome, American family” - something Tonya can never have. His refusal to even roll down the window all the way and talk to her mirrors the skating world’s refusal to accept and give credit to skaters who do not fit into the image of an American beauty who lives a happy life of class and elegance. Tonya can work as hard as she can at skating in this world, but she will never be accepted as a champion.

Tonya’s life outside of skating does not bring her an escape either. Her relationship to Jeff starts off as shy and innocent, especially since Tonya is only a teenager at the time. Yet it quickly becomes toxic; as fights increase, Jeff becomes physically abusive. It is heartbreaking to see the cycle of abuse she goes through, from being abused by her mother to her boyfriend, and eventually her husband. Tonya even rationalizes Jeff’s abuse by comparing it to the abuse induced by her mother; her mom hit her and still loved her, so Jeff must love her too. Any time that Tonya leaves the relationship, they end up back together, as the two become codependent on each other. But no matter how many times they reunite, the abuse never stops.

Jeff and his friend, Shawn Eckhardt, (played by Paul Walter Hauser), orchestrate a plot to send Nancy threatening letters after a threat was called on Tonya. However, Shawn changes the plan, which ends in Nancy’s attack. This scandal catapults Tonya into the public eye. The more information is uncovered about Nancy’s attack and Jeff’s connection to it, the more the media hounds Tonya. The media’s portrayal of the attack matches the images emphasized by the skating community; Nancy is depicted as a tragically beautiful victim, while Tonya is the ruthless, violent hick. Before the incident, Tonya had to struggle with being stereotyped in the skating world. Now, that image is cemented into minds worldwide, solidifying Tonya’s fate. 

The protagonist remarks that she was, “the best figure skater in the world, at one point in time”. Indeed, Tonya could have been regarded as one of the greatest of all time, but even without the notorious incident, that may have only been an outcome of reappraisal. Today, unconventional athletes may be more likely to be celebrated than ostracized, whether it’s by those in the field or audiences. The attack may have hindered Tonya’s chance at being reappraised for her skating, but the film gave another chance to see Tonya as a person who has been through a lot, and not the monster she was made out to be in the 90s by the relentless mainstream media.