DOLLY PARTON’S AMERICA

Whether you swing left or right, there is no denying that global politics is a steaming hot mess right now. Sometimes, it feels more divided than ever. We’re yearning for a unifying beacon to bring us all together – and Dolly Parton is just the woman for the job!

The good folks that brought us Radiolab released a ninepart podcast series last year, “Dolly Parton’s America”. The episodes delve into the world of Dolly in her own words and how she relates to the country as a whole. It’s thoughtful and deeply reverent with some surprising turns. Here’s a quick checklist of her grade-A awesome girl power: Dolly was writing about pregnancy loss, domestic violence and suicide in the 60s. She was also a vocal advocate for leaving abusive relationships, which she did herself. “Jolene” smashes all of the stale country music tropes by her appealing respectfully and as an equal to “the other woman”. She has inspired hordes of young LGBTQIA+ from the evangelical Deep South to embrace who they are and be happy in their skin. And she was in 9 to 5. I could go on and on.

Dolly is unapologetic about who she is. She never casts judgement. She’s a prolific songwriting genius and, above all else, she is kind. My new mantra for 2020 is “WWDD: What Would Dolly Do?” Let’s all be more Dolly.