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Dolly Parton's passing really is a turning point in America IMO.
| michael doodikoff | 08/27/26 |
| .,..,,.,.,.,.,.,..,.,.,..,.., | 08/27/26 |
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Date: August 27th, 2026 12:03 PM Author: michael doodikoff She is probably the last universally beloved American. I saw a poll where people supporting her was like 70% (who are these 30% assholes?), and #2 was like Barack Obama at 49%. It wasn't even close. Even racist places like blackpeopleofreddit were sad about her death. Even the most tankie commie subreddits were sad about it, because she was "all about the working class" (which is true)
There will probably never be anyone to be that beloved and awesome.
As an aside I saw her play a couple songs at a concert once at the Grand Old Opry, where she talked about the songs and generally joked around. The most charismatic and likeable person I have ever seen, the entire crowd was spellbound, and she did it with ease. Only person I ever saw live that came close was Lionel Richie. |
Date: August 27th, 2026 12:19 PM Author: .,..,,.,.,.,.,.,..,.,.,..,.., I think it's a little more complicated than that. She's one of the last shining stars to die from the period where we still had an American monoculture, and coming up from country and western meant her crossing over touched a greater portion of our population overall. She didn't recede from the spotlight as she aged, and she similarly never saw any sort of later scandal or cancellation that would have been grounds for a cultural reassessment. Shit, I am certain there are people in this country who have heard 0-2 of her songs in their lives who still love her from things like her philanthropy or theme parks. And none of it was fart sniffy either. You didn't need to be cool to like anything she was selling, but she was cool enough that those people appreciated her too (despite the fact she had no problem selling). She threaded a needle that doesn't even exist any longer. I don't know how someone with Dolly's upbringing cracks the music industry in 2026, where industry plants and nepo kids are the only ones who get a marketing push. I like to think that magnetic power in her personality and voice would still win the day, but I'm still hanging on as a myopic idealist when it comes to music.
(also agree that Lionel Richie is massively underrated as a performer btw) |