Jane Fonda, 86-year-old actress, author, and model turned activist, has won two Academy Awards and has made appearances in movies such as Nine to Five, They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?, Coming Home, Klute, and On Golden Pond. Not only is she a spectacular actress, but her work to promote left-wing causes and politicians has undeniably influenced thousands across the globe. At the same time, a Fieldston teacher observed, “Fonda found a way to merge causes with commercialism and often was in the vanguard of entrepreneurial activity. The assumptions about beauty that underlay her modeling and acting careers were transformed into fitness, self empowerment and self-care that was embedded in her work out tapes for two generations of women. That recognition of her, as a person, and her product gave her a kind of credibility and access for future causes.”
Though she has been an icon for generations past, with Gen Z she has gone relatively unrecognized despite her efforts to promote feminism, inspire solutions to the climate crisis, and end eating disorder culture. In other words, fighting many issues that we, as teenagers, are exposed to daily.
In a 2023 podcast by Alex Cooper titled “Jane Fonda: The GOAT,” Fonda goes in-depth on her life, addressing her successes, struggles, and low points. As a woman of many talents, we must observe Jane Fonda as a model, actress, author, and essential activist.
Fonda, the daughter of Hollywood royalty actor Henry Fonda, was born and raised in New York, and was interested in the arts from a young age. Having a problematic home life, with her father being distant and her mother struggling with severe mental health issues, she often resorted to the natural world for peace of mind. When Fonda was only 12 years old, her mother tragically committed suicide while being treated in a psychiatric center. After dropping out of college the semester before her junior year, she returned home to New York and channeled all of her energy into an acting career. She landed roles in movies, TV shows, and Broadway plays. It was during these years that Fonda began to develop bulimia and anorexia, two incredibly harmful eating disorders.
In “Jane Fonda: The GOAT,” Fonda discusses this further, stating, “I never felt like the girl next door, but I know that I kind of looked like the girl next door.”
As she expands on the point, she touches on expectations for women, which she would protest in her later life. “I’ve worked most of my life to overcome the judgemental, the objectification and judgmentalism, and unconsciously making me feel that I’m not lovable, you know, if I’m not really thin. Things like that.”
As she grappled with her eating disorder, work life, and personal issues, she never considered herself someone who could ever become an activist.
Fonda was radicalized by her times. Fonda, and other actors like Donald Sutherland, formed an anti-war theatrical troupe that performed at American military bases in South Viet Nam. The documentary “FTA” captures that irreverent show. In July of 1972, Fonda traveled to Hanoi, in communist North Vietnam, and had an opportunity to speak to soldiers and civilians who were fighting against the Americans in the Vietnam War.
“I was not an activist at all until I met soldiers who’d been fighting in Vietnam who opened my eyes to what the Vietnam War really was. And I was just; I was, I was horrified. I couldn’t believe it.”
She reflected on her initial thoughts with embarrassment and shame.“I really grew up believing, boy, if our flag is flying, if our troops are fighting, we’re on the side of the angels. And so when I heard from soldiers what was really happening, I felt so betrayed, and everything in my life changed.”
During her visit, a picture of Fonda sitting in an anti-aircraft gun began circulating, and the public gave her the nickname “Hanoi Jane.” When asked if she was frightened of controversy, or what we would now call “cancel culture,” Fonda responded
“I didn’t even think about that. It was my heart that was opened up, and everything I believed was shattered, so I had to look for new realities. I wasn’t even thinking about this controversy. It could affect my career; all I knew was this is really wrong; there are a lot of people in my country who are standing up and trying to do something about it. I want to be with them.”
As she grew up and matured, so did her understanding of what it meant to be an activist. Setting her apart from others at the time, rather than just donating money to various charities and organizations, she lent a physical hand. However, as she involved herself in more hands-on work, she realized that her celebrity prowess set her apart from those around her.
In a protest to restore indigenous lands, these biases became evident when everyone around her was arrested and beaten; she was only detained.
“There was a young woman who had her young child in her arms. And she says, well, you have a young daughter; where’s your daughter? My daughter was at home with a governess; it made me more and more uncomfortable. My celebrity and privilege separated me from those I wanted to work with.”
Rather than using her uncomfortable position as an excuse to step down from the work she wanted to do, unlike others at the time, she used her celebrity influence to educate others, as she understood that she had a platform that people would listen to.
As Fonda severed her ties to the acting world, she directed her energy towards political movements.
Her first strategic move was to release a workout program to promote her then husband, Tom Hayden, politically. Hayden was a founding member of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS). She needed a business model to increase her popularity as she transitioned into activism and helped raise money for her Hayden’s political campaign for the Senate. After her program gained massive worldwide success, she used this new platform she had built for both her and Hayden, and they debuted a documentary following the events of the Vietnam War titled Introduction To The Enemy.
Though not a massive success, it continued to give Fonda an entryway into the political world she strove to be a part of and it was a signature move in the early stages of her anti-nuclear activism. “No Nukes” defined both anti-nuclear weapons as well as opposition to nuclear power plants. Some of this was captured in her film, “The China Syndrome,” which depicted a power plant nuclear accident. The film was prescient. Days after its release a nuclear accident took place at the Three Mile Island plant in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Fonda seemed to be America’s Cassandra predicting doom.
While she continued anti-war campaigns, she also became massively interested in the climate crisis and has been advocating for green policies for decades. Today, she openly criticizes people and legislation that actively denies the changing of our planet while also encouraging everyone to vote for people and policies that aid in the climate crisis.
“I mean, it’s good to do individual things because it makes you feel good and makes you feel like you’re not a hypocrite, but we have to change systems. We have to change who we elect to the government. We have people in the government that are Democrats and Republicans, who take money from the fossil fuel industry and vote against bills that can save your lives in the future. So we have to get rid of those people most, and they’re not all guys, but they’re mostly guys, and they’re mostly white. So we have to pay attention to who we vote for. We have to vote but become familiar with our climate crisis. And join with the others.”
In 2019, Jane Fonda protested on the steps of the US Capitol Building in something called “Fire Drill Fridays” and became recognized as a woman who wanted to step up and tackle the climate crisis head-on.
Post-COVID, in 2022, she began the Jane Fonda Climate PAC, which targeted acknowledging and taking down companies with heavy ties in the fossil fuel industry. In her latest book, What Can I Do? My Path From Climate Despair To Action, she also protests the changing environment and discusses her motivations for becoming a climate activist in-depth.
One of the biggest constants throughout her life has been her heavy belief in feminist causes. Reflecting on her journey, she began to realize that throughout her three marriages, she had been doing everything to please her partner, even if that meant putting her own well-being in the way.
Coming to terms with her personal definition of independence, she began to advocate for other women globally. In 2005, she co-founded the Women’s Media Center (MDC), a non-profit organization that strives to raise visibility for the many women and girls in media. By telling their stories, they hope to bring together women throughout the world and give them a platform to share their voices.
“I think we can’t do it by ourselves as individuals. I think getting together with other young people or, you know, whoever is listening, whatever age you are, and it may not be with other females, to talk about it. And when you recognize this shared challenge that you’re all facing, it helps to say well fuck this.”
As she approaches her 90s, she remains a phenomenal role model and plans to stay active in the political world well into her later life.
Her journey is unique, and she now lives in California, where she is fully independent and thriving. “When I moved in, like a lot of California houses, there was a man’s bathroom and a women’s bathroom. I said no, no, no, no, no. There will never be a man living in this house ever, so they took both bathrooms for me.”
An author, model, actress, fitness guru, and activist, Jane Fonda is one of the most iconic women of our generation and should serve as a role model for everyone. Though her name is occasionally swept under the rug in the current activism world due to her past of modeling and acting, her character is one we, our generation especially, should certainly focus on in upcoming years.
