XPost: alt.fan.tonya-harding

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The Portlandian, the Internet's premier source of Tonya News

April 29, 2018 Edition
(C) 2018 Portland Ice Skating Society
http://www.pdxiss.org *****************************************************************

Welcome to the first proper edition of the Portlandian for 2018.
We've been so busy dealing with movie stuff that we haven't had
time to put one out for months. So what we plan to do is roll up
all our movie coverage into a bunch of Special Editions that
we'll upload to the site over the next few weeks.


TONYA ON "DANCING WITH THE STARS"

Friday the 13th is traditionally considered a day of bad luck.
But that definitely wasn't the case for Tonya and her fans, with
the worst-kept secret of the previous week being officially
confirmed on that date - Tonya will be appearing on "Dancing With
The Stars" this season!

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Culture/video/adam-rippon-tonya-harding-superstar-athletes-face-off-54433990

She'll also be joined by two other skaters, Adam Rippon (whose
name has already been mentioned in rumors) and fellow triple-
axeler Mirai Nagasu (whose name wasn't).

It should go without saying that the fact that Tonya has been
invited on this prominent show is a major piece of evidence that
she is finally being rehabilitated into being a mainstream
celebrity. The fact that two top-level skaters are prepared to
appear with her as well without fear of being blackballed by the
skating establishment is also a great sign!

Tonya's dance partner will be Sasha Farber:

https://www.gannett-cdn.com/media/2018/04/12/USATODAY/USATODAY/636591490993230931-tonya-abc.craigsjodin.jpg

Oddly enough, although born in Russia, he actually emigrated to
Australia as a young kid and is now an Australian citizen, hence
the funny accent. So it seems that the Aussie role in the big
Tonya comeback continues:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sasha_Farber

As a kiwi, it's becoming awfully hard to dislike Australians when
so many of them seem to be Tonyaphiles.


Here's some more of the Good Morning America DWTS reveal. Tonya
is in this one:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-Lw_EcHDJU

The Create The Craze segment - Tonya only in the background:

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Culture/video/dancing-stars-season-26-cast-practice-moves-gma-54433995


The big guns were out to interview Tonya on the red carpet
afterwards:

I.E. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3aFXHgZHjA

E.T. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TrY6NU6MXD0

E! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yquuoqWwTA

OK! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DpYeGwg3MvY

https://www.accessonline.com/videos/tonya-harding-this-is-truly-an-honor-to-be-on-dancing-with-the-stars/


Rehash of how we got here:

http://people.com/tv/tonya-harding-return-spotlight-dwts/

https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/tv/2018/04/13/dancing-stars-2018-cast-tonya-harding-adam-rippon-kareem-abdul-jabbar/507905002/

"It's been a very, very long time since I had people respect me
in any way, so that's where the emotion comes in," she says. "If
I get a standing ovation or have a huge crowd that does like me,
I'll cry. Since I've become a mommy, I have more emotions."

"Everyone knows I wasn't very dainty (when I skated), but I want
to do the beautiful dances. Sasha has his work cut out for him,"
Harding says. Earlier in her career, she spent six months pair
skating, and learned to land a throw triple salchow.

"Oh my God, I haven't been in anything skimpy in a really long
time. I can't wait to lose 10 pounds," says Harding, who famously
made her own skating outfits growing up. "I am open to (wearing)
everything as long as the hoo-hoo is covered and my boobies don't
pop out."


http://hollywoodlife.com/2018/04/13/dwts-tonya-harding-season-26-emma-slater-interview/

While Slater says she is putting all of her time and energy into
her own partner, MLB legend, Johnny Damon, 44, “I’m really
excited to his and Tonya’s dance partnership,” she admits. “I
think they’re going to be phenomenal and I think people are going
to be shocked. Sasha’s going to be outstanding and so is Tonya.”

After Slater teased Tonya’s dancing debut, we caught up with the
former figure skater herself, who’s been putting in the work in
the studio with Farber. “We were sweating a lot!” she tells us of
her first rehearsal with Farber. And, while they’ve only had one
studio session, Harding is already setting her own goals. “I’m
hoping it gets me in the best shape of my life,” she reveals.
“Trust me, when I saw myself in the mirrors [in the studio]… I’m
really going to be glad when this goes by and I can come out and
show it! I’m going to look good after this month!”


https://www.usmagazine.com/entertainment/news/tonya-harding-talks-dwts-finally-feels-respected/

“I get a lot more respect, which is really nice, ’cause it’s been
a long time,” she said about how her life has changed recently.
“I’m just very glad to be part of something that is just so
wonderful, and meet so many new people. I mean … I’m totally
overwhelmed!”


TEAM NAME, DANCES & REHEARSALS

Tonya's team name has been revealed - and you'll be pleased to
know it's nothing to do with knees: they'll be known as "Team
Axellent"! Tonya and Sasha's first dance will be a foxtrot to
"When You Believe" by Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RqqVx3DUks - Tonya at 7:30

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fyYMCcvvt2w - Tonya at 9:47

Tonya was interviewed by Access and ET while rehearsing - in this
one she shows the scar where her mother threw the knife at her.

https://www.accessonline.com/videos/dancing-with-the-stars-tonya-harding-shows-off-her-moves-in-rehearsal/

Tonya also admits she'll be pulling in some Hollywood star power
for support - Allison Janney will be attending the first contest:

http://www.etonline.com/tonya-harding-compares-being-on-dwts-to-competing-in-the-olympics-exclusive-101003

http://www.etonline.com/tonya-harding-tears-up-admitting-she-lost-herself-ahead-of-dancing-with-the-stars-exclusive-100865


VOTING

Naturally Tonyaphiles will be out in force with voting - here's
what you need to know:

http://www.goldderby.com/article/2018/dancing-with-the-stars-athletes-how-to-vote/

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/entertainment/tv/tv-guy/os-et-dancing-with-the-stars-tonya-harding-foxtrot-20180424-story.html

The Monday eliminations will be based on the judges’ scores
and live viewer votes cast during the live broadcast in the
EDT/CDT time zones. The voting will be done via ABC.com.

After Monday’s show, overnight voting will start via phone,
ABC.com and Facebook. Those votes will figure in the week
two eliminations.

Toll-free phone voting will be open nationwide from the end
of the live show until 5 a.m. EDT/2 a.m. PDT on Tuesday.

Online voting at ABC.com at http://dwtsvote.abc.go.com/ and
on Facebook at http://bit.ly/2o1VO7b will open at the end of
the live show and closes at 10 p.m. EDT/7 p.m. PDT on
Tuesday.

And you thought the 2000 Florida election was complicated...


AGAINST ALL ODDS

Will Tonya and Sasha claim the mirrorball? The experts weigh in
on how long they'll last:

http://www.goldderby.com/article/2018/tonya-harding-dancing-with-the-stars-athletes-news-735168402/

PROS:

Tonya Harding spent much of her early life taking ice skating
lessons. She eventually became the US champion in 1991 and 1994,
and she was the world silver medalist in 1991. In 1991 she also
made history as the first American woman to successfully land a
triple axel in competition, and only the second woman of any
nationality to do so after Japanese skater Midori Ito. She was
also a two-time Olympian, so her competitive credentials are
undeniable. That athleticism and choreographic experience will
likely serve her well on “DWTS.”

In the late 1990s Harding became a professional boxer. So since
she has already adapted to different sports, she might adjust
especially well to ballroom dancing.

Harding was also recently the subject of the biographical film
“I, Tonya,” which starred Margot Robbie in an Oscar nominated
performance as the figure skater. It was a sympathetic portrayal
of Harding, so audiences who may feel newfound respect for her
may root for her on the dance floor and vote for her to stay in
the competition.

CONS:

Her professional partner on the dance floor will be Sasha Farber.
This will be his fifth season competing on “Dancing with the
Stars,” but he has yet to make it to the finals. When he first
competed in season 17 with Nicole ‘Snooki’ Polizzi they finished
in eighth place. He returned for season 22 with Kim Fields, but
they came in seventh place. In season 23 with Terra Jole he
finished in fifth place. And when he last competed in season 24
with Simone Biles they came in fourth place. Farber keeps
improving his placements over time, but he still hasn’t made it
onto the podium.

There’s probably a group of people who still have not forgiven
Tonya Harding for the attack on her figure skating rival Nancy
Kerrigan in 1994. Not only did that incident result in Harding
being stripped of her 1994 US championship, but she was also
banned from the US Figure Skating Association for life. On top of
that, Kerrigan competed on the 24th season of “Dancing with the
Stars” just a year ago, so if the infamous event wasn’t already
on the minds of “DWTS” fans it certainly will be under these
circumstances.


https://www.goldderby.com/article/2018/tonya-harding-dancing-with-the-stars-athletes-predictions-news-406835179/

With less than a week to go before "Dancing with the Stars"
begins its special 26th season featuring only athletes on April
30, Tonya Harding moves up in our predictions for who will win
the Mirror Ball Trophy. She now ranks third with 5/2 odds with
the top two spots continuing to be held by Adam Rippon and Mirai
Nagasu.


https://popwrapped.com/popwrapped-dancing-with-the-stars-season-26-celebrity-ranking

6. Tonya Harding and Sasha Farber

Tonya Harding is a famous retired American figure skater and
later entered the world of boxing. Although she is in her late
forties, we feel that she will be in the middle of the pack. Her
training and background in figure skating is just too strong,
that it probably has not left her. We are interested to see how
this one plays out!

https://www.covers.com/editorial/Article/adc76e28-45a0-11e8-a979-0a9aa1523ac0/Dancing-With-The-Stars-Season-26-betting-odds-Who-will-win-the-all-athlete-dance-off-DWTS-rumors-betting-odds-best-sports-betting-picks

Way down the odds for the all-athlete dance contest is perhaps
the most controversial figure to feature on DWTS: former figure
skater Tonya Harding. Capitalizing on the popularity of her
recent bio pic, I Tonya, Harding is a +4,000 long shot to win the
Mirror Ball Trophy and it will be interesting to watch the hosts
and judges “dance around” her infamous past.


https://www.getmoresports.com/dancing-stars-preview-whos-likely-win/

Tonya Harding: This can go either way. Tonya has been back in the
spotlight thanks to the movie about her life, I, Tonya. The movie
has done really well, which might gain Tonya a cult following,
and it might benefit her in the competition. But it’s been many
years since Tonya’s competed in anything and her nerves might get
the best of her because of her past. If she can put that behind
her and enjoy her resurgence she might go far with partner Sasha
Farber.


https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/early-lead/wp/2018/04/13/power-ranking-dancing-with-the-stars-all-athlete-cast/

3. Tonya Harding, retired Olympic figure skater

Harding’s last return to the athletic spotlight — celebrity
boxing in 2004 — was, in a word, pathetic. Fans booed as she
entered the ring. She got her face pummeled. They cheered as she
left the ring. Then came a string of documentaries and network
interviews before the PyeongChang Games that revived her star
power. The movie “I, Tonya” won critical acclaim and an Oscar for
Allison Janney (whose previous best role was C.J. Cregg in “The
West Wing”). In interviews, she was both charming and bubbly, and
whiny and vengeful, lest we all forget that she “may” have helped
orchestrate an attack on her rival, Nancy Kerrigan.

Harding, 47, is the obvious villain in season 27 of DWTS (despite
the protestations of my colleague, Sarah Dunton, and others of
her ilk who itch for a Harding comeback). But villains have a way
of sticking around longer than anybody wants, so Harding comes in
at No. 3.


http://www.goldderby.com/article/2018/dancing-with-the-stars-athletes-cast-breakdown/

You know “Dancing” will also try to bring in the big guns for
Harding: “I, Tonya” stars Margot Robbie and Allison Janney could
attend to cheer her on or at the very least film a talking head
about her.


Meanwhile Kareem becomes the first to make the inevitable joke
about you-know-what:

https://www.accessonline.com/articles/kareem-abdul-jabbar-tonya-harding-dwts-threat-she-doesnt-need-break-my-legs/

"Well, I'm not competing against Tonya in a way where she
needs to break my legs so you know," Kareem said as he
laughed. "Tonya tries to get along with everybody. I found
most of the people that I met in connection with this have
been great. They're friendly and we're gonna go out there
and have some fun with it."


NOT WITHOUT CONTROVERSY

Not everybody's pleased about Tonya's DWTS comeback: Twitter
explodes and the Tonyaphobes on FSU come out from under their
rocks:

http://people.com/tv/tonya-harding-dwts-twitter-reacts/

https://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/threads/updated-omfg-adam-rippon-tonya-harding-and-mirai-nagasu-are-on-the-dwts-all-athlete-cast.103793/

But Sasha has leapt to her defense:

http://www.entertainmentdaily.com/filmandtv/dwts-pro-defends-controversial-casting-of-tonya-harding/

"I have only spent a couple of days with her but I have learnt so
much about her and I’m looking forward to learning more," Farber
wrote.

"One thought I want to throw out there is that humans have the
ability to change, people have the ability to find faith and
shouldn’t have to live in the unbelievably devastating shadow of
a bad past, wrong decision or bad influences for the rest of
their life. They should be allowed to move on and live a full
life like those around them. People live and learn, people
forgive and forget and most of all we change, and not only change
ourselves, but also the people around us."

He went on to thank those who've sent positive comments, noting
how appreciative he is of all the love and support.

"I promise we will work harder than ever this season," Farber
added. "I really respect Tonya for doing the show and I’m proud
to be her partner. We’re ready to dance!"


A commenter on GoldDerby, when they first raised the possibility
back in March, was also supportive:

http://www.goldderby.com/article/2018/dancing-with-the-stars-tonya-harding-nancy-kerrigan-dwts-poll-news-179352468/

Gwen says:
March 15, 2018 at 7:57 pm
This is Democracy at its finest!

If DWTS is honored enough by Tonya Harding agreeing to dance
on the show, then you should compensate her ten-fold the
amount that you compensated Nancy Kerrigan. This woman’s
story is heart-wrenching and real life. After years of
hearing my mother talk about Nancy, I finally realize that
she fell into the millions of Americans who were brainwashed
to believe that Nancy was the “fair-haired child”.
My heart and those of my children go out to Tonya Harding.
Godspeed, Tonya.You are a true survivor.


And believe it or not, Tonya was not the most controversial
athlete considered for DWTS: former NFL quarterback Johnny
Manziel was rumored to have been considered but was rejected for
being "too controversial", due to his partying, substance abuse
and being pulled over by police while arguing with his
girlfriend. The fact that Tonya was accepted is a good sign that
public attitudes are changing.

http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2018/04/11/johnny-manziel-reportedly-dropped-from-dancing-with-stars-for-being-too-controversial.html


TONYA COSTUME AUCTION

One of Tonya's skating costumes has been put up for auction. This
is the one that Tonya wore in her Short Program & Exhibition at
the Albertville Winter Olympics in 1992, and in her Long Program
at Worlds that year. It comes with a Letter of Authenticity from
Tonya and a COA from James Spence Authentications (U32179) for
the signature on Tonya's letter:

http://olympics.nbcsports.com/2018/04/09/tonya-harding-auction-olympic-dress-costume-figure-skating/

https://goldinauctions.com/LotDetail.aspx?inventoryid=40386

But does the JSA COA have its own Certificate of Authenticity?
That's my worry...

https://live.autographmagazine.com/profiles/blogs/beware-fake-jsa-coa-s-are-in-the-market-place-here-is-the-proof


PORTLAND HOLDS FIRST TONYA HARDING FILM FESTIVAL

If you were starting to get withdrawal symptoms now that "I,
Tonya" is disappearing from U.S. cinemas, there was some good
news for those in the Portland area in early March - an outfit
called A Touch Too Much Productions organized a Tonya Harding
Film Festival that was held at the Alberta Rose Theatre on
Thursday 8, and to a packed audience:

http://www.atouchtoomuchproductions.com/

Check out their Facebook page for more info:

https://www.facebook.com/atouchtoomuchproductions/

https://scontent.fakl1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/21687769_1628485240581849_3407236898380323_n.jpg?oh=edb7d493fee30730608d497211037bf1&oe=5ADC6C29

To call it a "festival" was maybe a bit of an exaggeration, given
that there were only two films shown, but they were both films
that any Tonyaphile worthy of the title would crawl over a pile
of broken skate blades to see: first up was Sandra Luckow's
documentary "Sharp Edges", which was made as part of her Yale
Film Studies course back in 1986. Footage from this appears in
the closing credits of "I, Tonya" and has regularly turned up in
Tonya documentaries over the years - it's the source for the clip
of LaVona Harding with the parrot on her shoulder that inspired
Allison Janney's Golden Globe and Oscar winning performance, for
instance - but it's rarely been seen in its entirety.

This was followed by a Q&A with the director which you can view
at her FaceBook page. Unfortunately the sound isn't that great,
and no, we don't know what the story is with the strange special
effects:

https://www.facebook.com/tonyamovie/

https://www.facebook.com/tonyamovie/photos/a.186593412070068.1073741830.122105541852189/186593452070064/?type=3&theater

But, as they say in those steak-knife infomercials, that's not
all. If this wasn't enough, you get, completely free of charge -
a second helping of Tonya: a special screening of "Breakaway",
the ultra-obscure low-budget action movie in which Tonya played a
bit part shortly after she was banned from figure skating. This
barely got a theatrical release at the time and has never been
issued on DVD in English, so this was a very rare chance to see
it on the big screen.

Tonya plays a restaurant owner who finds herself caught between
mobsters and a woman on the run with $300K of a gangster's loot
in this low-budget thriller that as far as we can tell has never
been reissued on DVD (at least not in English). Highlights
include a scene in which Tonya beats up a hoodlum and kicks him
down a flight of stairs. Joe Estevez puts in a good performance
as a hitman, and there's also a car chase, a shootout, some
explosions and a decent-looking woman (Teri Thompson) baring some
skin, so if that plus Tonya isn't enough for a good night out,
well, we don't know what is.

We are proud to say that we were able to assist the Festival
organizers in obtaining a superior quality copy of "Breakaway".
By the way, it turns out that this was not the only chance for
Portlanders to see "Breakaway" - it also screened at the
Hollywood Theatre in early February as part of their B-movie
Bingo series:

http://bmoviebingo.com/2018/02/07/b-movie-bingo-breakaway/


The Festival also was extensively covered in local media, with
articles in Willamette Week, the Oregonian, and three local TV
stations:

http://www.wweek.com/arts/movies/2018/02/21/tonya-harding-is-getting-her-own-film-festival/

http://www.wweek.com/arts/movies/2018/03/07/a-lost-documentary-of-tonya-harding-made-before-the-nancy-kerrigan-scandal-is-getting-its-first-public-screening/

http://www.oregonlive.com/tv/2018/02/first_there_was_i_tonya_now_th.html

http://katu.com/news/local/tonya-harding-steals-the-spotlight-at-upcoming-portland-film-festival

http://katu.com/news/local/tonya-harding-fans-thrilled-to-attend-film-festival-featuring-skating-icon

http://www.koin.com/entertainment/fans-celebrate-tonya-harding-with-local-film-festival/1023069956

KGW's "Tonight With Cassidy" show also covered the Festival,
interviewing both organizer John-Ryan Griggs and "Sharp Edges"
director Sandra Luckow. The latter reveals why it's taken so long
to get that film out to the public:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4R834qW4KU

In the wake of the Tonya Harding Film Festival, "Portland at the
Movies" also reviewed "Breakaway" & "Sharp Edges":

https://www.facebook.com/PortlandattheMovies/?hc_ref=ARQg6pELAD_yd9F6-ak7H2_cqgXG3BLLo-tj7c-319HFOfeXzEps2p4-Om5QHYGz86w

How's that for incredible value? And remember, unlike steak
knives, Tonya never needs sharpening!


TONYA INTERVIEWED ON PORTLAND TV

Tonya was interviewed on two local TV channels recently.

Tonya did her first local TV interview on March 14 with Steve
Dunn, which streamed live on KATU Portland Oregon at 6:00 PM.
Tonya talked about her reactions to watching the movie, her life
today raising her son, and also does some skating too. There's a
short version that runs for around 4 minutes at the top, and a
longer 14-minute version at the bottom. And don't be fooled by
the picture - it really is Tonya-Tonya being interviewed not
Margot-Tonya:

http://katu.com/news/local/steve-dunns-exclusive-one-on-one-interview-with-tonya-harding

http://katu.com/news/local/figure-skater-tonya-harding-talks-about-her-life-thoughts-on-i-tonya

Tonya's manager has also told us they received a wonderful text
from Steve, who said Tonya was awesome and the interview went
great. We've also got more pictures of Tonya from the interview:

http://katu.com/news/local/gallery/steve-dunns-exclusive-one-on-one-interview-with-tonya-harding

And that's not all: Tonya also did an interview on another local
channel, KGW, with Joe Donlon which screened a few days later.
And unlike Steve, Joe can skate, which helped him enormously when
it came to interacting with Tonya. Word is that Joe was also very
impressed with Tonya and said it went wonderfully:

http://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/watch-joe-donlon-hits-the-ice-with-tonya-harding/530006372

Tonya also dropped more hints about her big announcement that she
will make in the near future, saying it is something skating
related. So we don't need to worry - she's not going to be making
"Breakaway II" - or taking up curling.


I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE THINKING...

As San Francisco's most famous fictional resident, "Dirty Harry"
Callahan once said, "You've gotta ask yourself one question - 'do
I feel lucky?' Well, do yah, punk?"

Well, some moviegoers in the city of peace & love and the Zodiac
Killer were definitely feeling lucky a few weeks ago, because
back in March they were treated to something extra special: a
screening of "I, Tonya" - with the real Tonya in attendance!

https://drafthouse.com/show/i-tonya-with-tonya-harding

Yes, Tonya herself appeared at the New Mission Alamo Drafthouse
on the afternoon of Sunday 18th March for a special screening of
the movie, after which she participated in a moderated Q & A
session with the audience:

https://www.bleedingcool.com/2018/03/19/tonya-harding-99-tonya-truth/

Unfortunately, it sold out just about instantly, so if you didn't
grab a ticket quickly, you were - as Harry would put it - "shit
outta luck".

Tonya discussed the background to her decision to agree to do the
film, and described watching it for the first time, and her
favorite scene, along with how it felt to be a mother and landing
the triple axel. Also accompanying Tonya was her long-time coach,
Dody Teachman, with whom Tonya is working on her skating.

As Dirty Harry himself would say about all this, "Go ahead - make
your day". Because Harry knows that if the Triple Axel was a
handgun, it'd be a .44 Magnum. And that makes Tonya the Dirty
Harry of figure skating.

*****************************************************************
VISIT THESE GREAT TONYA WEB SITES:

PortIce - http://www.pdxiss.org
David House - http://www.tonyaharding.org
Charlie Main - http://www.charliesweb.com/tonya/tonya.html
Puppetboy - http://www.usapaul.net/tonya/
Valerie Smith - http://www.olywa.net/radu/valerie/LilHam.html
Swan Lake - http://members.tripod.com/~TonyaHarding/index.html
Blades of Gold - http://members.tripod.com/tmhfan/index.html
THNK1994 Museum - https://www.facebook.com/THNK1994/ *****************************************************************

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