So now I know why they hate Jane Fonda so much. In the early 1970s, Fonda, along with Donald Sutherland, Nina Simone and comedy genius Paul Mooney toured U.S. military bases across the Pacific rim in a counter-USO tour called FTA, an acronym that meant Fuck (or Free) The Army. With stops in Hawaii, Okinawa, the Philippines and Tokyo, their variety show performed for thousands of active-duty GIs as the Vietnam war raged. With comedy and song penned by Dalton Trumbo, they attempted to bring rank-and-file soliders together with citizens of the countries the US was occupying and using to launch what had become a genocidal war in Southeast Asia. Promoting insubordianation and solidarity with the third world and domestic resistance movements, the FTA tour is what revolution looks like.
I was lucky enough to find a rare DVD transfer of the video here in New York City and I can't recommend it enough for public showings and anyone thinking about how to reach the soldiers. It's funny, the show is good -- but it's the interviews with soldiers and seamen that are most illuminating. The officers and lifers are theirs, but the army is up for grabs. Find this movie, distribute copies and show it everywhere possible.
That sounds cool. I'll def lokk for it. I'd love to see a young Paul Mooney rocking the stage.
Posted by: blittle | March 24, 2005 at 04:58 PM
Can you tell me where you were able to track down the DVD of the FTA shows? I am researching the role of entertainment in promoting war (as in the USO shows) and I would really like to include stuff about the FTA in my book as an excellent counterpoint.
Posted by: Jennifer Terry | June 22, 2005 at 06:43 PM
Can you tell me where you were able to track down the DVD of the FTA shows? I am researching the role of entertainment in promoting war (as in the USO shows) and I would really like to include stuff about the FTA in my book as an excellent counterpoint.
Posted by: Jennifer Terry | June 22, 2005 at 06:43 PM
the link appears to be broken. It was to a distributor that had copies. Unfortunately the place I found it was recently raided for having bootlegs... and that was in NYC in any case.
I'd keep Googling and trying to find it. Another option is checking specialty film shops, Netflix, etc.
Good luck. The movie is powerful stuff.
Posted by: the burningman | June 22, 2005 at 07:04 PM
We need MORE protestors out there! Get off ur buns America, stop these useless wars of profit.
Posted by: Ted | February 14, 2009 at 12:04 AM
Anyone looking for a good dvd for anti-war check out "sir no sir" it has exclusive interviews with jane fonda and other activists
Posted by: Jason | February 18, 2009 at 08:39 PM