Jane Fonda Takes On 'Woke' Critics During Powerful SAG Awards Speech
The two-time Oscar winner had an important message about "empathy" while accepting her Lifetime Achievement award.
Jane Fonda had a powerful message for her Hollywood peers during her acceptance speech at this yearâs SAG Awards.
During Sunday nightâs ceremony, the two-time Oscar winner and activist was awarded the Lifetime Achievement prize, and took a moment to reflect on her career and time in the spotlight during her acceptance speech.
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She also looked ahead to the future, calling on her fellow actors to encourage âempathyâ in the current political climate.
âWhat we, actors, create is empathy. Our job is to understand another human being so profoundly that we can touch their souls,â she said.
âAnd make no mistake, empathy is not weak or âwokeâ.â
Pausing, she added: âBy the way, âwokeâ just means you give a damn about other people.â
See more of Janeâs speech for yourself in the video below:
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The term âwokeâ was first used in the early 20th century in the African American community, where it was used to describe being aware and alert to social injustices.
As it became more popular in the 2010s, aided by the Childish Gambino song Redbone (which uses the phrase âstay wokeâ in its chorus), the word was co-opted and misappropriated by right-wing critics, who began using it to describe performative and insincere activism.
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The SAG Awards recognise achievements in both film and TV across the last year, with the epic historical drama ShĆgun coming out on top in the latter categories on Sunday night.
As for the movie awards, there was no clear frontrunner, although there were one or two surprising wins during this yearâs ceremony, which took place exactly one week before the Oscars.
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