‘This is our documentary moment’: Jane Fonda gives a rallying cry during her SAG speech
Jane Fonda was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Screen Actors Guild Awards tonight. She used her speech as Fonda is want to do and gave the audience a rallying cry for the uncertain times we’re living in.
Fonda, who is known for her acting roles as well as her activism, is someone who has often inspired actors to join her in protest and speaks up whenever she can. Her speech for the SAG Awards was yet another rallying cry. This time, asking audiences an important question. During her speech, Fonda brought up important moments of protest in our history.
She asked if people had wondered if they’d cross the bridge in Selma, if they’d be there when the first brick was thrown at Stonewall. Fonda said while we used to wonder if we would have stood up and fought when we needed to, Fonda said that we don’t have to “wonder” anymore. That our time to fight back is now.
Fonda shared that our “documentary” moment is this turning point in our history and we have to stand up and fight for what is right. She used her work as an actor to talk about empathy and the care we all should have for one another. “What we, actors, create is empathy. Our job is to understand another human being so profoundly that we can touch their souls,” Fonda said. “And make no mistake, empathy is not weak or woke. By the way, woke just means you give a damn about other people.”
It was a brilliant speech. Both because it felt very much like what we’ve come to know from Fonda as a person but because she used her time to rally for us all to stand up for what we believe in. “We must not isolate. We must stay in community. We must help the vulnerable. We must find ways to project an inspiring vision of the future.”
I’m so happy that Fonda got the recognition she deserves. And…of course she encouraged us all to stand up and fight back. It is Jane Fonda! We’ve all seen her mugshot.
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