The seventies were an eclectic decade. The Vietnam War ended, reforms boomed, entertainment was huge, and exercising became very popular. Jane Fonda had a part in all four of these topics of the 1970's. She was very politically active, and spoke out against the war in North Vietnam. She supported women's rights reforms, welfare reforms, and the Black Panthers. She was a famous actress who won two Best Actress Oscars. In the late 1970's and early 1980's she brought exercise into the spotlight and turned into a "cash crop".
Jane Fonda was born on December 21, 1937 in New York City to Henry Fonda and Frances Seymour Brokaw. She is the sister of actor Peter Fonda. Jane won a Best Actress award in 1971 for her role as a call girl in Klute. In 1972, she went to Hanoi, North Vietnam, to speak out against American involvement in the war. It was there that she earned the nickname, Hanoi Jane. In 1979, she won a second Best Actress award for her role in Coming Home. Also in 1979, she began working on exercising books and movies.
Jane Fonda typifies several aspects of the 1970's. The 1970's were a decade of discord. The most controversial war in American history ended, the President, facing sure impeachment, resigned, the economy was poor, and people fought hard against unfair treatment and for improvements. To get away from all this people turned to phenomenal movies, upbeat music, and flashy fashion. The 70's became known as the "me" decade because everyone tried to improve their own lives. Jane Fonda is a representative of this because she supported things such as rights for me, and getting me in shape through exercising.
Jane Fonda is just as well known for her
political activism as her acting. Like many Americans during the
Vietnam War, Fonda was very politically active. She boldly called
President Nixon a liar and challenged American soldiers as to
what they were doing in Vietnam, "As men, as human beings,
can you justify what you are doing?" She was a fantastic
actress who has two Academy Awards and five nominations to her
name. She fought hard to champion the causes of women, Native
Americans, the Black Panthers, farm-workers, and other reformers.
Jane Fonda is as multidimensional as the decade she represents:
the 1970's.
Works Cited
http://search.biography.com/print_record.pl?id=14829
http://www.thegoldenyears.org/jfonda2.html#bio
Cavett, Dick. Time of Transition: the 1970's. "A Constantly Contentions Crusader: Jane Fonda"