Dolly Parton

[freedom75]

After watching tonight's documentary what a fabulous amazing women she is!

I will always love..her.

She has one song that breaks my heart (not sure if she wrote it herself) it's called My Jeanie's afraid of the dark.

Here it is, but expect to cry... She did write it incidentally

You're just a step on the bossman's ladder.

Wisest words spoken in my generation.

She's interesting, on the one hand she seems to make a real point of not saying or doing things that will alienate or offend people needlessly. She doesn't really take sides politically, or religiously, or anything like that. But she manages to always seem like she's true to her beliefs, you never get the impression she's taking a stand to be seen by others, or will change her view due to public pressure.

She seems to have a strong line between her public and personal sphere, she has a strong sense of both what she owes to fans, and what she ows to herself. And she sets a high bar in both cases.

I find the plastic surgery etc kind of weird but I appreciate that really it's none of my business and she doesn't give two hoots what I think.

The idea that she isn't talented is laughable. She's considered an amazing songwriter, and a great businesswoman and performer, and by all accounts she works really really hard.

She is the epitome of feminism. Maintaining her femininity while being strong. I think some people think we as women have to renege on our femininity in order to be feminists. The clue is in the name really...

She is the epitome of feminism. Maintaining her femininity while being strong

I'm a big fan of country alt/country and I've always had the impression there is a definite sisterhood amongst its female performers.

Probably!
I've never seen a man apologise for having a dick and the testosterone to go with it.
I avoid the feminism board usually, as to me, we all have to grow balls etc according to most posters here.
Why can't we show our tits proudly and use our femininity? Men use their masculinity!
I'm quite happy to use what God has given me. And he surely has given us more than he's given men to be fair. ;)

Thanks for this thread OP btw. Refreshing.

I think she’s great - and she's never hidden that she has had a lot of work done, which I think is honest. She works hard. She can play loads of instruments. She has done good work for literacy and hasn't forgotten her roots. She may not be perfect, but she's got a pretty good idea of what she stands for. I have a lot of time for her.

She’s very tongue in cheek about her own image - ‘it costs a lot of money to look this cheap’.

I love Dolly. She is surely one of the greatest living songwriters. So many great songs both for herself and others. ‘Joelene’ is one of my favourite songs.

She also famously turned down Elvis when he wanted to record ‘I will always love you’ because he wanted her to give up the rights. She is clever and strong despite her image.

Timberoo, how old are you?

I was in and out of the room while the documentary was on. IIRC she's written more than 3000 songs. The remark above about her never working 9-5 is laughable. She has clearly worked insanely hard all her life and she comes from a very poor farming family. 9-5 job would be a cushy number in comparison. She's great.

@RuggyPeg What has my age got to do with the price of chips?

I adore Dolly!

I love Dolly, and Trio is one of my favourite albums.

Her song "9-to-5" was written by a woman who never worked 9-5 in her life.She is mostly known for her big boobs and singing style.
She's also had a lot of facial plastic surgery which isn't exactly feminist

She comes from extremely poor beginnings. She might be super wealthy now but is the daughter of a sharecropper and nows hardship.

Touring is not easy work. I always get the impression that she is no slacker and is very professional.

Regarding the obvious' comic book' look......She knows it and jokes about it. The hair, the boobs and everything is her stage costume which she knowingly assumes. She's no-ones fool.

Maybe all of the above really just is her perfectly crafted mask.....but she wears it well.

knows hardship

Why can't we show our tits proudly and use our femininity

Dolly Parton gets away with this because itv is al part of her stage act/costume. If you "use your tits" in real life it would suggest that you are relying totally on physical attributes specific to sex, and not so much on your own talents, strengths and capabilities. also, for most of us- " using our tits" would also imply that we might have "to take" what goes with that......and most of us would fight and resist that kind of stereotyping and objectification.

I’ve always loved her she’s incredible. She does have many layers. She’s the sole writer of over 700 songs and supported millions of children to read.

I am perfectly capable of thinking she's great while also feeling uncomfortable about cosmetic surgery and hating the pressure on women not to look old, while also telling myself it's her business what she does to her face. People are complex.

I think some people think we as women have to renege on our femininity in order to be feminists

Don't think that is true...certainly not for me. My feminism is very much rooted in my physical body and the experience of being female. However 'femininity' can also be a performance - because much of the gendered expectation of femininity and masculinity is socially constructed. Best just to be yourself without any forced or pretentious show of gender, surely?

'Dolly Parton the performer' is a stage creation by and large. A show.

And don't forget a business.

One that keep a lot of people in work in an area of historically low employment.

I love a bit of Dolly

My favourite story is when Whitney Housten was singing ‘I will always love you’ and Dolly sang it at her concert

Whitneys lawyers were on Dolly like flies on shit...a letter for an immediate ban on Dolly singing it or she would be sued

As Dollys lawyers pointed out Dolly had written it, she owned all the rights and as she was LETTING whitney sing it, well then....Dolly could sing it whenever she wanted

I love Dolly, I love that she keeps her marriage and personal life personal, because that's what her husband wanted and she knows the difference between personal and professional.

I love her honesty about who she is now and where she came from.

Her songs are beautiful, she is an amazing business woman and a philanthropist.

We played 'when Jesus comes calling for me' at my mums funeral and it makes me tear up every time I hear it. Jeanie's afraid of the dark, blue valley mountain and coat of many colours are beautiful songs too.

Parton's feminine escapism is acknowledged in her words, "Womanhood was a difficult thing to get a grip on in those hills, unless you were a man."[105]