Althouse: I feel like averting my eyes, but maybe you choose to worship all that is Dolly.

May 12, 2023

I feel like averting my eyes, but maybe you choose to worship all that is Dolly.

Sample lyric: "Don't get me started on politics/Now how are we to live in a world like this?/Greedy politicians, present and past/They wouldn't know the truth if it bit 'em in the ass...."

37 comments:

rehajm said...: It's clever because everyone can just apply their preferred proper nouns, like Dolly Outrage Mad Libs...; 5/12/23, 9:24 AM
Wilbur said...: I love Dolly the person, a great songwriter and loved her duets with Porter.

Never been a fan of most of her singles. I guess that's unusual.; 5/12/23, 9:24 AM
WWIII Joe Biden, Husk-Puppet + America's Putin said...: Christopher Wray - greed and lies

Biden family - Green and lies and money whoring

The CIA-FBI who killed JFK - same assholes rule us now.; 5/12/23, 9:40 AM
n.n said...: Human rites, slavery, diversity, cannibalism, human trials, redistributive change, envy, greed, hate, ...

We didn't start the fire It was always burning Since the world's been turning; 5/12/23, 9:45 AM
Michael said...: So, is the greatest living American...Dolly Parton?; 5/12/23, 9:46 AM
RoseAnne said...: I neither feel the need to avert my eyes or worship all that is Dolly.

She is a successful business person who employs hundreds if not thousands and includes education assistance in their benefits, a successful song writer who has hits in various musical fields and has invested the compensation for them wisely and a generous philanthropist who has given thousands of books away to improve literacy among other things.

She took a shot with this song to make a point. Some will find it cringeworthy because it is Dolly while others may object to the message. Some will rally behind it. Some, on the fence, may seek simply to improve their own corner of the world as a result.

Shouldn't people who have had her success take the risk of trying to improve things as they see it? One topic of discussion these days is the climate crisis and we have all seen the pictures of all the private planes lined up in Davros where the question is being discussed. Lots of talk and moralizing but seldom from people who are personally putting something on the line.

I don't happen to think it was one of her better songs but I appreciate her taking the risk in this cancel culture.; 5/12/23, 9:53 AM
Farmer said...: I love Dolly Parton but she needs to get her dentures refitted.; 5/12/23, 9:58 AM
Yancey Ward said...: What do you have against Dolly Parton, Althouse?; 5/12/23, 10:12 AM
who-knew said...: Love Dolly, but not this song. Reminds me too much of the glib faux-protest songs of the 60s. Also reminds me of my old rule of thumb: the more 'important' a rock song attempts to be, the stupider it gets. I'm thinking about adding a corollary: the more bombastic the stage presentation, the less worthy the song.; 5/12/23, 10:18 AM
gahrie said...: I don't always love the music, but I absolutely love and approve of the woman. I believe she is a much better representative of womanhood and femininity than Caitlyn Jenner.; 5/12/23, 10:21 AM
Wince said...: Don't fret, hemorrhoids just feel like they're the size of the globe.; 5/12/23, 10:43 AM
Ann Althouse said...: "What do you have against Dolly Parton, Althouse?"

She got inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, where she (like some others) does not belong, and now she's got an album of "rock" songs. This is the first cut on the 30-song album. It rubs me the wrong way. It's so reliant on the presumption that everyone loves everything about her. And she's ranging into Cher territory. There's only one Cher. And only one Dolly. I'd prefer clarity in the Cher/Dolly distinction.; 5/12/23, 10:45 AM
gahrie said...: She got inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, where she (like some others) does not belong,

She said exactly the same thing when her nomination was announced. She tried to decline the nomination.

There are a lot of acts in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame who don't belong there. It's more of a Contemporary Music Hall of Fame in reality.

and now she's got an album of "rock" songs. This is the first cut on the 30-song album. It rubs me the wrong way.

Wouldn't Saint Bob of Folk Rock support artists branching out and trying new things?; 5/12/23, 10:55 AM
gahrie said...: And she's ranging into Cher territory. There's only one Cher. And only one Dolly. I'd prefer clarity in the Cher/Dolly distinction.

Cher/Babs/Madonna are much more competitors than Cher/Dolly. I can't see Cher inhabiting any of Dolly's roles, or Dolly any of Cher's. Cher and Babs are practically interchangeable, and Madonna is desperately trying to become either of them.; 5/12/23, 10:58 AM
Leeatmg said...: "She got inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, where she (like some others) does not belong, and now she's got an album of "rock" songs."

I think it's important to keep in mind that she initially declined the nomination, and the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame would not remove her from consideration. She made the album because she felt she owed it to someone (fans, the Hall Of Fame?) to actually make a rock album. I personally think the Hall has become something of a joke with who they have chosen to induct, and should either change the name to the Music Hall Of Fame or stick to rock acts. But it is what it is, and I think she handled it as best as she could.

All that said...the song is not awful, but also not her best work either. I'm looking forward to the duets she has done much more than the original singles.; 5/12/23, 10:58 AM
WWIII Joe Biden, Husk-Puppet + America's Putin said...: It's Christian rock.

Cher don't do no Christian rock, ma'am. No way no how.; 5/12/23, 10:59 AM
gahrie said...: So, is the greatest living American...Dolly Parton?

Nope, that is Elon.

But she is a fine woman for all of that, and a superb choice as a role model.; 5/12/23, 11:00 AM
Sally327 said...: I have this little game I play, I see some actor or listen to a musician or read a book, where the performer or the writer is someone who's been around a long time, someone like a Dolly Parton, and I ask myself, could this person ever be successful in today's environment if they hadn't already built this long career? If they'd been born 40-50 years later, if they were just coming of age now, would they still succeed?

Dolly? No way would she be allowed to succeed now. She's not got the best singing voice, she's not someone who succeeds on some mega musical ability that can't be denied, she's more of a package, it's a combination of things that makes her successful, starting with the "look", the big boobs, the big hair, the dramatic make-up, and today she'd be accused of cultural appropriation, trying to steal the drag perormer action.

Although I listen to "Jolene" and I think, well maybe talent does out and Dolly could make it today. Lately I've been listen to Jack White's version a lot (The White Stripes), I think it is very cool. And very rock and roll.

P.S. Dolly tried to decline the Rock and Roll HOF invitation for the reason that Althouse mentions, that she herself didn't think she belonged in it but she got push back on that and then she decided who am I to be so ungracious to decline this honor. Dolly has class. You can't buy class. You can buy wigs and makeup and sparkly dresses but you can't buy class.; 5/12/23, 11:05 AM
Iman said...: Been a fan since “Jolene”…; 5/12/23, 11:17 AM
Big Mike said...: "Don't get me started on politics/Now how are we to live in a world like this?/Greedy politicians, present and past/They wouldn't know the truth if it bit 'em in the ass...."

Right on! Power to the [normal] people!; 5/12/23, 11:59 AM
Big Mike said...: @Althouse, so now you’ve decided to hate a woman well known for how downright nice she is. Hey! You be you.; 5/12/23, 12:13 PM
Interested Bystander said...: Well…I liked it. I hope Dolly got permission to use the COPS theme song, Bad Boys.; 5/12/23, 12:16 PM
Mike (MJB Wolf) said...: doesn’t belong?

She is well known for having crossover hits like Kenny Rogers and so many other acts. We should have our illustrious VP draw a Venn diagram with Country Pop Soul and Rock artists overlapping. That spot where it all converges would be the R&RHoF.; 5/12/23, 12:51 PM
Inga said...: When my youngest daughter was a child, Dolly Parton had a weekly TV show that opened up with the song Jolene. My little girl named her imaginary friend Jolene and it sort of freaked her older sisters out. Dolly has talent, so do other women (and men) in the Country Western music category. Maybe Dolly could retire happy with her accomplishments, or maybe she is driven to continue doing what she loved doing for many years, like others who continue to paint, write, being creative to the last. I give her credit for trying to decline the Spot in the Rock and Roll HOF.; 5/12/23, 12:51 PM
PB said...: I loved her work with Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt - Trio.; 5/12/23, 12:54 PM
PM said...: Didn't know Cher had a territory. Knew Aretha had one. Same with Bonnie, Loretta, Etta, Dusty, Carole, Madonna. Of course, Cher's had what none of them had: a long-running TV show and an Oscar, but her style - a territory?; 5/12/23, 1:12 PM
Leslie Graves said...: What’s interesting to me about this is that apparently it is not about climate change. I can easily imagine people looking at the video thinking that that is exactly what it is about.; 5/12/23, 1:15 PM
wendybar said...: "She got inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, where she (like some others) does not belong"

HEAR!! HEAR!!

That's the reason I say it isn't the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, it is the music Hall of Fame. So many good people aren't in it yet, that deserve to be, because they give spots to people who can be in OTHER music Halls of Fame.....; 5/12/23, 2:30 PM
lonejustice said...: Dolly Parton also makes videos of herself reading children's books.

I like this one, even though I'm not a kid anymore:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fo0tTGFMy4; 5/12/23, 2:59 PM
Charlie said...: Dolly Parton is really great but this track is stupid.

Also, why do all the top pop acts have like 35 dancers on stage at the shows? It's distracting and annoying.

Somehow The Beatles succeeded with zero dancers on stage.; 5/12/23, 4:06 PM
Known Unknown said...: I kept waiting for the Ceylon Raiders to show up.; 5/12/23, 5:34 PM
lonejustice said...: Here is the song that Sally327 referenced. I recall that Dolly Parton once said it was the best cover that any band had ever done of one of her songs. If so, she has boundaries far beyond just country and western, and she deserves a place in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXlULkwhgrc; 5/12/23, 5:36 PM
The Godfather said...: Dolly is great. Are all her songs great? No. This one is OK. In fact pretty darned good.

Now the big problem is: Some people seem to think that every song represents some social/political POSITION, and you (and I think I mean YOU Althouse) want to judge each song on that basis. I grew up on folk songs. There were songs about pirates. That didn't mean I had to support piracy to like those songs. In many/most of those songs some good/decent/loved person died, was executed, lost at sea, or whatever. That I liked those songs meant NOTHING about how I felt about treason or sea travel. THEY'RE SONGS!; 5/12/23, 5:53 PM
The Godfather said...: Dolly is great. Are all her songs great? No. This one is OK. In fact pretty darned good.

Now the big problem is: Some people seem to think that every song represents some social/political POSITION, and you (and I think I mean YOU Althouse) want to judge each song on that basis. I grew up on folk songs. There were songs about pirates. That didn't mean I had to support piracy to like those songs. In many/most of those songs some good/decent/loved person died, was executed, lost at sea, or whatever. That I liked those songs meant NOTHING about how I felt about treason or sea travel. THEY'RE SONGS!; 5/12/23, 5:53 PM
Alice Aforethought said...: Ha! This showed up in my “recommended for today” Spotify feed this morning and I was like Whuut is This?? It was obviously Dolly from the voice, but I aint heard nutting like this from her before. Sounds like she is trying to live up to her Rock N Roll Hall of Fame.; 5/12/23, 6:32 PM
rastajenk said...: We didn't start the fire.; 5/12/23, 6:59 PM
Bunkypotatohead said...: It's as if Dylan were to go electric.; 5/12/23, 8:16 PM