Billie Jean King, the icon
In the world of professional tennis, Billie Jean King is a superstar. Known for her tenacity on and off the court, she’s a 39-time Grand Slam champion who’s been smashing glass ceilings and challenging the status quo for over half a century.
And no, not the kind of challenging her colleague John McEnroe is known for.
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Billie Jean King’s legacy is greater than tennis. Beyond her world No. 1 ranking and whopping 129 singles titles, she’s a trailblazer who refused to stay silent in the face of rampant discrimination. For nearly 50 years, she’s fought relentlessly for gender equality and LGBTQ+ rights in a sport that was—and still is—widely considered to be a “boys club.” It’s fitting in recognition of her groundbreaking contributions to tennis and social justice, that Billie Jean King will receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Monday, April 7th in the Sports Entertainment category, becoming the first woman to receive that honor.
Battle of the sexes
Let's talk numbers for a second: 39 Grand Slam titles. Six-time world #1 ranking. Twenty Wimbledon championships. But for Billie Jean King, these achievements are just the tip of the iceberg. When she began competing professionally in 1959, tennis was a very different sport, especially when it came to equal pay. And by the time King started winning tournaments, it dawned on her just how drastic that inequality was. When she won Rome’s Foro Italico tournament in 1970, the men’s winner, Ilie Nastase, took home $3,500. Billie Jean King, on the other hand? A measly $600. “Everyone thinks women should be thrilled when we get crumbs, and I want women to have the cake, the icing, and the cherry on top, too,” she later commented. In 1973, she threatened to boycott the US Open for unequal pay. That year, the US Open became the first Grand Slam tournament to institute equal prize money. (For Wimbledon, that moment wouldn’t come until 2007—over three decades later—when Venus Williams penned a now-famous op-ed column.)
The infamous "Battle of the Sexes:Flickr
Still, there was work to be done. In 1973, she faced off against Bobby Riggs in the iconic “Battle of the Sexes,” taking on the 55-year-old former tennis pro who had a penchant for making sexist and misogynistic remarks about female athletes. Staged at the Houston Astrodome, the “Battle of the Sexes” was watched by over 90 million viewers worldwide—all of whom witnessed an absolute beatdown. She defeated Riggs in straight sets. Later, she commented, “I thought it would set us back 50 years if I didn’t win that match...It would ruin the women’s tour and affect all women’s self-esteem.” King would later continue to break boundaries when she became one of the first professional athletes to come out as gay in 1981—a move that could potentially destroy her brand sponsorships and the public’s positive opinion of her. Yet, she lived her truth and continues to be a champion for equal rights to this day.
A force to be reckoned with
The Walk of Fame star ceremony is set for April 7th. Radio personality Ellen K will emcee, with Jamie Lee Curtis and Magic Johnson as guest speakers. When King received the news that she would be honored with a star, she wrote on Facebook, "As a native of Southern California, it is a dream come true.”
This star represents so much Wikimedia Commons
This star represents so much and goes beyond tennis or athletic achievement. It’s a true testament to King’s global impact: she founded the Women’s Tennis Association and Women’s Sports Foundation. She received the Presidential Medal of Freedom and has been inducted into many Halls of Fame to name. In 2018, she won the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Lifetime Achievement Award. She also received a Congressional Gold Medal in 2024. And now, her legacy will be further cemented—literally—forever on the Walk of Fame. Here’s to BJK, the athlete, activist, and icon.
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An actual beaver dam on the now-thriving Price River
Not just coworkers—family, friends, strangers, kids…
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But what if you need pain meds AND mascara?!
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Urgent dash to the bathroom! 🚪🏃♂️
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There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."