Jane Fonda & The View’s Unintentionally Rants Against Anti-Wokeness Debunked – Threatens The View’s Survival

In a spectacle that’s equal parts baffling and belly-laugh-inducing, Jane Fonda and the co-hosts of The View have once again thrust themselves into the cultural wars, railing against “anti-wokeness” with the fervor of crusaders defending a holy grail. At the 2025 SAG Awards, the 87-year-old actress and activist delivered a politically charged speech that redefined “woke” as simply “giving a damn about other people,” while subtly jabbing at Donald Trump and urging Hollywood to resist. The next day, The View piled on, praising Fonda’s words as a beacon of empathy and inclusion, decrying anti-woke sentiments as “ungodly” and out of touch. But hold the applause—upon closer inspection, these rants crumble into unintentional comedy, riddled with hypocrisy, oversimplification, and logical leaps that would make a kangaroo jealous. As we debunk this latest episode of celebrity virtue-signaling, prepare to chuckle at the absurdity of it all. Is “woke” really just harmless caring, or has it morphed into something far more divisive? Let’s dissect the hilarity and the holes in their arguments.

The drama kicked off at the SAG Awards on February 23, 2025, where Fonda, accepting a lifetime achievement honor, transformed the stage into a soapbox. “Make no mistake, empathy is not weak or woke,” she proclaimed. “By the way, woke just means you give a damn about other people.” She rallied the audience to “resist” Trump and champion diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in Hollywood. The crowd ate it up, but critics rolled their eyes—here was Fonda, a Hollywood icon with a history of controversial activism (remember her Vietnam War protests?), rebranding a loaded term that’s become a punchline for overreach. The unintentional funny part? Fonda’s definition ignores how “woke” has evolved from a Black vernacular warning about systemic injustice to a catch-all for performative progressivism that often alienates as much as it unites.

Enter The View, the daytime talk show that’s never met a hot take it didn’t amplify. On February 24, 2025, co-hosts Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar, Sunny Hostin, Sara Haines, and Alyssa Farah Griffin gushed over Fonda’s speech. Hostin declared that those wanting to eradicate “woke” are essentially against caring for others, while Behar quipped that anti-woke folks are “ungodly.” They argued it’s “ungodly to oppose” wokeness, framing it as pure empathy. The segment turned into a love fest, with the panel applauding Fonda’s call for inclusion and decrying conservatives for weaponizing the term. But here’s where the comedy ensues: The View has a track record of its own divisive rants, from Behar’s infamous “that’s not his baby” quip about a politician’s child to Hostin’s selective outrage on social issues. Their defense of “woke” as innocuous caring feels like a sitcom plot where the characters preach tolerance while exhibiting the opposite.

Debunk time: First, Fonda’s simplistic redefinition of “woke” is laughably out of touch with reality. Originally coined in the 1930s by African Americans to stay alert to racial dangers, “woke” exploded in the 2010s via Black Lives Matter. But by 2025, it’s become synonymous with extreme identity politics, cancel culture, and corporate virtue-signaling that’s often criticized for being more about optics than action. Fonda’s “give a damn” gloss ignores high-profile flops like Disney’s DEI-driven films tanking at the box office or universities facing backlash over “safe spaces” that stifle free speech. Critics argue anti-wokeness isn’t anti-empathy—it’s anti-extremism. As one commentator put it, “If woke means caring, then anti-woke means not caring? That’s reductive nonsense.” Fonda’s speech, delivered in a room of millionaires patting themselves on the back, reeks of elite detachment—unintentionally funny when you consider her carbon footprint from private jets while preaching climate activism.

The View‘s rant amplifies the hilarity. Hostin’s claim that anti-woke equals anti-caring overlooks how “woke” policies have backfired. Take the show’s own history: they’ve championed causes like #MeToo but faced accusations of hypocrisy when defending figures like Bill Clinton. Behar’s “ungodly” jab is peak comedy—labeling opponents as sinful while the panel often mocks religious conservatives. Farah Griffin, the token conservative, tried to nuance it, but was drowned out, highlighting the echo chamber effect. Debunk: Surveys show “woke” has negative connotations for most Americans, with a 2024 Pew poll revealing 56% view it as “overly politically correct.” Anti-wokeness isn’t hatred; it’s pushback against mandates like gender-neutral bathrooms in schools or DEI quotas that prioritize identity over merit.

The unintentional funny rants extend to Fonda’s Trump-bashing. She urged resistance against him, implying anti-woke sentiments are Trumpian plots. But Trump himself popularized “woke” as a slur, turning it into a GOP rallying cry. Fonda’s call to arms in Hollywood—already a liberal stronghold—feels like preaching to the choir, or worse, a parody of out-of-touch celebs. Remember her 2020 arrest for climate protests? Noble, but juxtaposed with her SAG speech, it’s comedic gold: the same industry that flies stars globally for awards shows lectures on empathy.

Social media roasted the duo mercilessly. X threads mocked Fonda as ” Hanoi Jane 2.0,” referencing her Vietnam controversy, while memes depicted The View hosts as “woke warriors” in capes, failing hilariously. One viral post: “Jane Fonda says woke means caring—then why does it feel like scolding?” Fox News guests like Hugh Hewitt called Fonda a “disgrace,” comparing her activism to anti-Americanism. The backlash underscores the debunk: these rants aren’t persuasive; they’re polarizing punchlines.

Experts weigh in on the comedy of it all. Cultural critic Dr. Jonathan Haidt notes wokeness’s excesses lead to “victimhood culture,” where empathy becomes entitlement. “Fonda and The View simplify a complex debate into good vs. evil—unintentionally funny because life isn’t a movie script.” Psychologist Pamela Rutledge adds, “Their rants reveal cognitive dissonance: preaching inclusion while excluding dissenting views.”

Public reaction? Polls post-SAG show divided opinions: liberals cheered (72% approval on MSNBC surveys), conservatives scoffed (only 15% agreed per Fox polls). In diverse spaces like Reddit, threads in r/Conservative lampooned it as “boomer wokeness,” while r/TheView fans defended it fiercely.

As the dust settles, Fonda and The View‘s rants stand as monuments to unintentional hilarity—well-meaning but woefully misguided. Debunked: Anti-wokeness isn’t anti-caring; it’s pro-common sense. If “woke” means empathy, then perhaps it’s time for these stars to wake up to nuance. Until then, we’ll keep laughing.

Fonda’s career—from Barbarella to activism—has always courted controversy, but this SAG moment might be her most meme-worthy. The View, ratings powerhouse, thrives on hot takes, but this one backfired into farce.

In a world craving unity, these rants divide. The shocking truth? They’re funny because they’re flawed—human, after all.