1 00:00:04,960 --> 00:00:07,600 Speaker 1: Hey, this is Annie and Samantha, and I'm what gonna 2 00:00:07,600 --> 00:00:09,360 Speaker 1: be stuff I'd ever told your protection of I heart 3 00:00:09,440 --> 00:00:27,080 Speaker 1: radio jo Line, Julie, Julie, Julie. So, Samantha, I'm going 4 00:00:27,120 --> 00:00:30,639 Speaker 1: for the easy question today every day. Are you a 5 00:00:30,800 --> 00:00:35,320 Speaker 1: Dolly Parton fan? Oh? Yeah, yeah, I mean I love 6 00:00:35,440 --> 00:00:40,320 Speaker 1: all things Dolly. Pardon I mean her songs, her style, 7 00:00:40,800 --> 00:00:45,080 Speaker 1: her parts. It's fantastically Have you been well that That's 8 00:00:45,120 --> 00:00:47,680 Speaker 1: what I told you. When I was younger, we didn't 9 00:00:47,680 --> 00:00:50,000 Speaker 1: really do many vacations. It would go every four years, 10 00:00:50,440 --> 00:00:52,320 Speaker 1: but the place that we would go to would be Dollywood. 11 00:00:52,600 --> 00:00:58,080 Speaker 1: Oh that's fright and pitgeonforg oh and I did actually 12 00:00:58,120 --> 00:01:02,160 Speaker 1: recently go as an adult. It was fun. It was fun, 13 00:01:02,240 --> 00:01:04,800 Speaker 1: but much as you've been with me to the theme parks, 14 00:01:04,880 --> 00:01:07,920 Speaker 1: I get very tired and very overwhelmed by the crowd. 15 00:01:08,200 --> 00:01:10,480 Speaker 1: But it was a nice time. I do like I 16 00:01:10,560 --> 00:01:12,400 Speaker 1: enjoyed it for the most part. I did do one 17 00:01:12,440 --> 00:01:15,520 Speaker 1: of the really scary rides at the very front where 18 00:01:15,560 --> 00:01:19,200 Speaker 1: you're hanging, your feet are dangling and you're so Do 19 00:01:19,240 --> 00:01:22,839 Speaker 1: you remember how I screamed and squilled um during our 20 00:01:23,280 --> 00:01:28,440 Speaker 1: was it the Guardians of the Galaxy? Yeah, it was 21 00:01:28,480 --> 00:01:32,760 Speaker 1: that same level. That kid in front of you was 22 00:01:32,959 --> 00:01:36,039 Speaker 1: very concerned on their dy kept looking back. Thought I 23 00:01:36,080 --> 00:01:39,080 Speaker 1: was crying. Yeah, well, and I love that that. That's 24 00:01:39,120 --> 00:01:42,559 Speaker 1: the picture out of it was him turned around looking 25 00:01:42,560 --> 00:01:46,200 Speaker 1: at you and you just screaming and me laughing because 26 00:01:46,200 --> 00:01:50,360 Speaker 1: I'm a terrible friend and you're a terrible friend. But 27 00:01:50,440 --> 00:01:55,880 Speaker 1: it was quite hilarious, true story, Yes, yes it was. UM. 28 00:01:55,960 --> 00:02:02,600 Speaker 1: So are you a fan? I don't have I shudder 29 00:02:02,640 --> 00:02:04,920 Speaker 1: to say, much familiarity with her music. I think I 30 00:02:04,920 --> 00:02:10,600 Speaker 1: know the big hits UM and I recently have become 31 00:02:10,639 --> 00:02:14,400 Speaker 1: really fond of her, justin kind of her style and 32 00:02:14,440 --> 00:02:18,600 Speaker 1: her attitude and and the causes she supports. And I 33 00:02:18,639 --> 00:02:23,720 Speaker 1: love the drunk history about her. And we we're talking 34 00:02:23,760 --> 00:02:29,200 Speaker 1: about her today because she's in the news for donating 35 00:02:29,440 --> 00:02:35,120 Speaker 1: some money to Maderna and helping fund fund that potential vaccine. Yeah, 36 00:02:35,160 --> 00:02:39,440 Speaker 1: she gave the seed money. Yeah. And the clips I've 37 00:02:39,480 --> 00:02:41,480 Speaker 1: seen of her, I love how she's so like, Oh, 38 00:02:41,560 --> 00:02:43,440 Speaker 1: I'm just happy to have been able to help, because 39 00:02:43,440 --> 00:02:46,600 Speaker 1: from what I understand, she didn't necessarily she was kind 40 00:02:46,600 --> 00:02:49,560 Speaker 1: of surprised to hear that she was involved. She learned 41 00:02:49,560 --> 00:02:53,080 Speaker 1: at the same time everyone else did, which was just 42 00:02:53,320 --> 00:02:56,280 Speaker 1: really really cute and sweet. Well, she was also a 43 00:02:56,320 --> 00:02:59,840 Speaker 1: producer for Buffy the Vampire Slayer of the TV series. 44 00:03:00,040 --> 00:03:03,080 Speaker 1: I did not know that. Is that not? Yes? So yeah, 45 00:03:03,160 --> 00:03:06,000 Speaker 1: so that people just recently learned that, uh, not too 46 00:03:06,000 --> 00:03:12,600 Speaker 1: long ago, that she actually was an uncredit producer to vampires. Oh, 47 00:03:12,720 --> 00:03:17,120 Speaker 1: I love her even more, right right, that's so so 48 00:03:17,240 --> 00:03:19,640 Speaker 1: agreat Oh wow, you've made my day, Samantha. This is 49 00:03:19,639 --> 00:03:23,600 Speaker 1: what I'm here for. Thank you, thank you. Um. Yeah, So, 50 00:03:23,680 --> 00:03:26,600 Speaker 1: in light of all of this, we thought we would 51 00:03:26,639 --> 00:03:32,960 Speaker 1: share a classic episode on Dolly Parton, so please enjoy 52 00:03:34,160 --> 00:03:37,200 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff Mom Never told you from how Stuff 53 00:03:37,200 --> 00:03:45,160 Speaker 1: Works dot Com. Hello, and welcome to the podcast. I'm 54 00:03:45,200 --> 00:03:49,120 Speaker 1: Caroline and I'm Kristen, and today's episode is dedicated to 55 00:03:49,200 --> 00:03:53,040 Speaker 1: a very special woman. This is one big happy birthday 56 00:03:53,040 --> 00:03:56,400 Speaker 1: cards sealed with a kiss to miss Dolly Parton. That's right, 57 00:03:56,480 --> 00:03:59,080 Speaker 1: sealed with a kiss and lots of glitz and glamor. 58 00:03:59,400 --> 00:04:04,640 Speaker 1: But Dolly pardon her sixty eight birthday was on January nineteenth, 59 00:04:04,720 --> 00:04:08,480 Speaker 1: and we figured we should do an entire episode on her. 60 00:04:08,880 --> 00:04:12,840 Speaker 1: And even though we're devoting an entire podcast just to Dolly, 61 00:04:12,880 --> 00:04:17,240 Speaker 1: it was hard to fit Dolly's life and accomplishments into 62 00:04:18,040 --> 00:04:21,200 Speaker 1: only one recording. Caroline. Yeah. We started going through this 63 00:04:21,320 --> 00:04:24,479 Speaker 1: timeline of her life and all of her awards and 64 00:04:24,520 --> 00:04:26,880 Speaker 1: her accomplishments and things, and I'm reading through it and 65 00:04:26,920 --> 00:04:29,159 Speaker 1: I'm like, okay, okay, So she did this, and she 66 00:04:29,240 --> 00:04:31,400 Speaker 1: won this, and she wrote this, and then she started this, 67 00:04:32,000 --> 00:04:33,520 Speaker 1: and then I'm like, wait, no, I can't even keep 68 00:04:33,560 --> 00:04:35,559 Speaker 1: track of all of this stuff because she has done 69 00:04:35,760 --> 00:04:38,719 Speaker 1: so much in her sixty eight years. And we figured 70 00:04:38,800 --> 00:04:43,600 Speaker 1: that she definitely deserved her own podcast because it's her 71 00:04:43,600 --> 00:04:46,680 Speaker 1: birthday and she's Dolly, and Dolly really deserves the world, 72 00:04:46,960 --> 00:04:49,440 Speaker 1: if you ask me. But she was an incredible it 73 00:04:49,520 --> 00:04:54,360 Speaker 1: still is an incredible businesswoman. She's a legendary performer, still performing, 74 00:04:54,440 --> 00:04:59,520 Speaker 1: still touring, and she's often cited too as a feminist icon, 75 00:05:00,200 --> 00:05:04,880 Speaker 1: even though that's not necessarily a label that she puts 76 00:05:04,920 --> 00:05:09,440 Speaker 1: on herself. And she's one of those unique people where 77 00:05:09,680 --> 00:05:14,479 Speaker 1: no matter where on the political spectrum you are, she 78 00:05:14,680 --> 00:05:18,800 Speaker 1: everybody seems to love her. Yeah, so much so that 79 00:05:18,839 --> 00:05:22,719 Speaker 1: she is actually filling the Glastonbury Legend slot during this 80 00:05:22,880 --> 00:05:28,360 Speaker 1: huge festival's Sunday night performance in Yeah, Yeah, I mean, 81 00:05:28,440 --> 00:05:32,880 Speaker 1: because who wouldn't want to still see Dolly Parton. She's fabulous. 82 00:05:32,920 --> 00:05:35,360 Speaker 1: She can do anything, she can wear anything, she can 83 00:05:35,400 --> 00:05:38,279 Speaker 1: say anything, she can go anywhere, and people love her. 84 00:05:38,600 --> 00:05:43,080 Speaker 1: Yeah uh, and she's incredibly talented to it. We we 85 00:05:43,120 --> 00:05:46,520 Speaker 1: can't even hit all of the high points of her 86 00:05:46,760 --> 00:05:49,760 Speaker 1: career because there are simply too many to list, and 87 00:05:49,800 --> 00:05:53,080 Speaker 1: that would become the most boring podcast in the world. 88 00:05:53,400 --> 00:05:58,080 Speaker 1: But for instance, she has written over three thousand songs 89 00:05:58,480 --> 00:06:03,200 Speaker 1: and tw of those songs have been certified gold, platinum, 90 00:06:03,400 --> 00:06:08,520 Speaker 1: and multi platinum. And she has garnered seven Grammy Awards, 91 00:06:08,680 --> 00:06:12,360 Speaker 1: ten Country Music Association Awards, five Academy of Country Music Awards, 92 00:06:12,440 --> 00:06:16,679 Speaker 1: three American Music Awards, and is only one of five 93 00:06:16,880 --> 00:06:21,880 Speaker 1: female artists to win the Country Music Association's Entertainer of 94 00:06:22,160 --> 00:06:26,359 Speaker 1: the Year award. And that's not even all. That's not all, Kristen. 95 00:06:27,000 --> 00:06:29,880 Speaker 1: She's the first artist to earn a number one record 96 00:06:30,080 --> 00:06:34,080 Speaker 1: twice with I Will Always Love You Yeah, And just 97 00:06:34,400 --> 00:06:37,880 Speaker 1: on a side note of what a what a persistent 98 00:06:37,960 --> 00:06:41,760 Speaker 1: and diligent businesswoman she is in the songwriting field. The 99 00:06:41,880 --> 00:06:46,080 Speaker 1: U S Copyright Office database shows eight hundred and sixty 100 00:06:46,080 --> 00:06:50,200 Speaker 1: two entries for Dolly partners either author or claimant, and 101 00:06:50,240 --> 00:06:54,279 Speaker 1: that wouldn't even include all of her copyrighted songs because 102 00:06:54,279 --> 00:07:00,760 Speaker 1: the database started collecting after she was writing songs. So 103 00:07:01,120 --> 00:07:06,520 Speaker 1: she's always been very much focused on her goal of 104 00:07:06,720 --> 00:07:10,240 Speaker 1: being who she is today of this incredibly famous, talented, 105 00:07:10,360 --> 00:07:15,880 Speaker 1: successful performer, and has always been really diligent as well, 106 00:07:15,920 --> 00:07:18,600 Speaker 1: and on the business side of things, of making sure 107 00:07:18,640 --> 00:07:20,560 Speaker 1: that Dolly Parton gets her due for all of the 108 00:07:20,640 --> 00:07:24,880 Speaker 1: hard work she has put into not just her hair 109 00:07:24,920 --> 00:07:28,480 Speaker 1: and makeup and clothes right well, so on the business 110 00:07:28,520 --> 00:07:31,000 Speaker 1: side of things, you know, obviously, she has her Dollywood 111 00:07:31,000 --> 00:07:35,200 Speaker 1: amusement parks. She also has a production company called sand Dollar, which, 112 00:07:35,480 --> 00:07:38,680 Speaker 1: by the way, produced TV's Buffy the Vampires Layer. She 113 00:07:38,760 --> 00:07:41,480 Speaker 1: also has a record label, because why wouldn't she. Yeah, yeah, 114 00:07:41,560 --> 00:07:44,320 Speaker 1: it's called Dolly Records, because of course it would be 115 00:07:44,320 --> 00:07:48,000 Speaker 1: called Dolly Records. On top of that, she is an 116 00:07:48,040 --> 00:07:51,920 Speaker 1: author her memoirs called My Life and Other Unfinished Business, 117 00:07:51,920 --> 00:07:54,440 Speaker 1: and she's also written a children's book, The Coat of 118 00:07:54,480 --> 00:07:57,880 Speaker 1: Many Colors, right after her song of the same name, 119 00:07:58,000 --> 00:08:00,600 Speaker 1: all about you know, being a porche growing up in 120 00:08:00,600 --> 00:08:03,920 Speaker 1: Tennessee and her mother stitching together this coat out of 121 00:08:04,120 --> 00:08:06,840 Speaker 1: rags and being made fun of at school. But now 122 00:08:06,840 --> 00:08:08,920 Speaker 1: who's laughing. That's right all the way to the bank 123 00:08:08,960 --> 00:08:12,520 Speaker 1: in her sequin outfit. God, she's amazing, he's amazing. Well, 124 00:08:12,560 --> 00:08:15,240 Speaker 1: so I have said this on the podcast before, but 125 00:08:15,320 --> 00:08:18,040 Speaker 1: you know, Dolly is an actress as well, and she 126 00:08:18,240 --> 00:08:20,680 Speaker 1: is in one of my favorite movies of all time. 127 00:08:20,920 --> 00:08:24,240 Speaker 1: She debuted in nineteen eighties, nine to five with Jane 128 00:08:24,280 --> 00:08:27,480 Speaker 1: Fonda and Lily Tomlin. Yeah, it's hard to recommend nine 129 00:08:27,480 --> 00:08:31,720 Speaker 1: to five enough because it's hilarious and it's not only 130 00:08:31,760 --> 00:08:34,559 Speaker 1: Dolly Parton, but it's also Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin 131 00:08:34,880 --> 00:08:39,120 Speaker 1: and they are an incredible trio with a fabulous eighties wardrobe, 132 00:08:39,400 --> 00:08:43,040 Speaker 1: and there's some bizarre plot points, but you've got to 133 00:08:43,120 --> 00:08:45,679 Speaker 1: love it for what it is, which is the snapshot 134 00:08:45,760 --> 00:08:48,480 Speaker 1: of when women are really trying to make their way 135 00:08:48,960 --> 00:08:52,560 Speaker 1: into the workplace and have to deal with all these 136 00:08:52,600 --> 00:08:55,400 Speaker 1: sexist male bosses and they're not having any of it. 137 00:08:55,559 --> 00:08:58,360 Speaker 1: That's right, And there's a shotgun involved in some bondage. 138 00:08:58,400 --> 00:09:01,880 Speaker 1: It's great. Um. She also had roles in Steel Magnolia's 139 00:09:01,920 --> 00:09:05,679 Speaker 1: Best Little Hoarhouse in Texas, rhyin Stone, and Straight Talk 140 00:09:06,000 --> 00:09:10,880 Speaker 1: in addition to TV shows, made for TV movies, HBO specials, 141 00:09:11,200 --> 00:09:13,240 Speaker 1: the whole thing. Yeah. I think one of her most 142 00:09:13,280 --> 00:09:16,719 Speaker 1: recent guests during roles was on Handah Montana because come 143 00:09:16,760 --> 00:09:19,240 Speaker 1: to find out, she's Miley Cyrus's godmother. Yeah, she has 144 00:09:19,280 --> 00:09:21,800 Speaker 1: stuck up for Miley through a lot of this rigamarole 145 00:09:21,880 --> 00:09:24,040 Speaker 1: in the media. Yeah, because I mean, Dollies had to 146 00:09:24,080 --> 00:09:26,679 Speaker 1: deal with her own rigamarole as well, but she's always 147 00:09:26,760 --> 00:09:31,720 Speaker 1: handled it very gracefully because when it comes to Dolly, 148 00:09:32,040 --> 00:09:36,840 Speaker 1: she she's just been so singularly focused on success and 149 00:09:36,840 --> 00:09:40,319 Speaker 1: wanting to achieve her goals and accepting herself completely for 150 00:09:40,440 --> 00:09:42,760 Speaker 1: who she is. And it's kind of like, well, I'm Dolly. 151 00:09:42,920 --> 00:09:44,640 Speaker 1: You can take me or leave me, but you're gonna 152 00:09:44,679 --> 00:09:48,560 Speaker 1: take me because I'm precious. But we've got to go 153 00:09:48,640 --> 00:09:55,000 Speaker 1: through her musical timeline as well, because it's incredible how 154 00:09:55,200 --> 00:09:59,960 Speaker 1: early her talent emerged because in in she was born 155 00:10:00,040 --> 00:10:04,000 Speaker 1: in Locust Ridge, Tennessee, and she wrote her first song 156 00:10:04,600 --> 00:10:07,760 Speaker 1: in nineteen fifty one, She's five years old, and she 157 00:10:07,760 --> 00:10:10,880 Speaker 1: wrote a song called Tiny Little Tasseltop and it was 158 00:10:10,920 --> 00:10:14,720 Speaker 1: about this homemade doll that was made out of corn husks, 159 00:10:15,120 --> 00:10:18,600 Speaker 1: and it was her friend. Yeah. To further flesh out 160 00:10:18,640 --> 00:10:22,040 Speaker 1: this image, Dolly was the fourth of twelve children, several 161 00:10:22,040 --> 00:10:24,240 Speaker 1: of whom would later go on to perform with her, 162 00:10:24,679 --> 00:10:27,000 Speaker 1: and she was exposed to music thanks to her mother, 163 00:10:27,080 --> 00:10:30,200 Speaker 1: who sang, and thanks to music in church, She's sang 164 00:10:30,240 --> 00:10:33,319 Speaker 1: a lot in church. And in nineteen fifty three, so 165 00:10:33,520 --> 00:10:36,640 Speaker 1: the timeline goes, she makes her first guitar out of 166 00:10:36,640 --> 00:10:39,960 Speaker 1: an old mandolin and two bass guitar strings. But bio 167 00:10:40,000 --> 00:10:42,280 Speaker 1: dot Com said that a relative gave her her first guitar, 168 00:10:42,360 --> 00:10:44,200 Speaker 1: So I'm not really sure what the real story is 169 00:10:44,200 --> 00:10:46,360 Speaker 1: on that. I'm gonna believe that she made her first 170 00:10:46,400 --> 00:10:50,720 Speaker 1: guitar because she's Dolly And uh. Side note, a lot 171 00:10:50,840 --> 00:10:53,360 Speaker 1: of this timeline is coming from the Library of Congress 172 00:10:53,440 --> 00:10:58,000 Speaker 1: because she is a living legend from the in the 173 00:10:58,080 --> 00:11:01,280 Speaker 1: Library of Congress. So she's she's actually a bona fide 174 00:11:01,640 --> 00:11:05,400 Speaker 1: national icon. Uh. And in nineteen fifties six, by this point, 175 00:11:05,480 --> 00:11:09,720 Speaker 1: she's become a regular singer on Knoxville's Cass Walker Show. 176 00:11:09,800 --> 00:11:13,280 Speaker 1: So she's ten years old and she's already having these 177 00:11:13,320 --> 00:11:17,000 Speaker 1: public gigs. Yeah, And in nineteen fifties seven, she makes 178 00:11:17,000 --> 00:11:20,920 Speaker 1: her first recording, Puppy Love on Gold Band Records uh In. 179 00:11:20,920 --> 00:11:23,720 Speaker 1: In nineteen fifty nine, she gives her first performance at 180 00:11:23,720 --> 00:11:26,679 Speaker 1: the Grand ol Operate No Big Deal Um and further 181 00:11:26,760 --> 00:11:30,000 Speaker 1: No Big Deal. She's introduced by Johnny Cash and performs 182 00:11:30,040 --> 00:11:33,600 Speaker 1: his song you Gotta Be My Baby, earning three encores 183 00:11:33,679 --> 00:11:36,960 Speaker 1: at her performance. But she knows at this point that 184 00:11:37,480 --> 00:11:40,960 Speaker 1: she has to make the move to Nashville. She's got 185 00:11:40,960 --> 00:11:44,320 Speaker 1: to get out of Severeville where she's growing up, into 186 00:11:44,920 --> 00:11:47,880 Speaker 1: the big city if she's actually going to make it, because, 187 00:11:47,920 --> 00:11:50,319 Speaker 1: as she was telling Terry Gross in a Fresh Air 188 00:11:50,400 --> 00:11:53,320 Speaker 1: interview in the early two thousand's, she didn't want to 189 00:11:53,360 --> 00:11:56,520 Speaker 1: have the life that her mom had. She you know, 190 00:11:56,600 --> 00:12:00,360 Speaker 1: she has what seven younger siblings, eight younger siblings, and 191 00:12:00,400 --> 00:12:04,160 Speaker 1: she essentially is already mother to these kids growing up. 192 00:12:04,200 --> 00:12:05,960 Speaker 1: And she was like, I was already, you know, I'd 193 00:12:05,960 --> 00:12:08,400 Speaker 1: already been a mother. I really wanted to be a woman, 194 00:12:08,520 --> 00:12:10,679 Speaker 1: and a successful woman at that. So she moves to 195 00:12:10,760 --> 00:12:14,240 Speaker 1: Nashville and the first day that she's there, she goes 196 00:12:14,320 --> 00:12:17,640 Speaker 1: to a laundry mat called the Wishy Washy, and that's 197 00:12:17,640 --> 00:12:21,440 Speaker 1: where she meets her soon to be husband, Carl Dean. 198 00:12:22,080 --> 00:12:25,839 Speaker 1: So after marrying, dreambout Carl Dean, who is very tall 199 00:12:25,920 --> 00:12:30,400 Speaker 1: and handsome. Um, she goes on to chart. She on 200 00:12:30,520 --> 00:12:33,400 Speaker 1: January twenty one, nineteen sixty seven, she first appeared on 201 00:12:33,440 --> 00:12:36,600 Speaker 1: the Billboard Country Charts with two singles recorded for Monument, 202 00:12:37,120 --> 00:12:40,520 Speaker 1: Dumb Blonde at number twenty four and Something Fishy at 203 00:12:40,559 --> 00:12:43,840 Speaker 1: number seventeen. And you gotta love dum Blonde coming out 204 00:12:43,840 --> 00:12:46,560 Speaker 1: at this in this era, because it just really attacked 205 00:12:46,600 --> 00:12:50,800 Speaker 1: stereotypes about women. Yeah, one of the lines of lyrics goes, 206 00:12:50,840 --> 00:12:53,480 Speaker 1: just because I'm blonde, don't think I'm dumb, because this 207 00:12:53,720 --> 00:12:56,880 Speaker 1: dumb blonde ain't nobody's fool. And that's one of the 208 00:12:56,920 --> 00:12:59,719 Speaker 1: reasons why Dolly is so well loved, whether you're a 209 00:12:59,720 --> 00:13:03,800 Speaker 1: country fan or not, it's because she has always been 210 00:13:04,000 --> 00:13:08,199 Speaker 1: very pro women and and very much stands up for herself. 211 00:13:08,600 --> 00:13:11,040 Speaker 1: But nineteen sixty seven, the year dun Blanc comes out, 212 00:13:11,160 --> 00:13:14,640 Speaker 1: is huge for Dolly because she releases her first full 213 00:13:14,720 --> 00:13:18,600 Speaker 1: length album, Hello I'm Dolly, and then on September five 214 00:13:18,600 --> 00:13:21,760 Speaker 1: of that year, she first appears on The Porter Wagner Show. 215 00:13:22,040 --> 00:13:23,800 Speaker 1: And I have a feeling that a lot of people 216 00:13:24,000 --> 00:13:27,120 Speaker 1: have probably listening have probably not heard of Porter Wagner. 217 00:13:27,280 --> 00:13:29,760 Speaker 1: But this was a huge break because the show at 218 00:13:29,760 --> 00:13:32,720 Speaker 1: the time had three and a half million viewers a 219 00:13:32,760 --> 00:13:36,760 Speaker 1: week and Porter Wagner was this country star, this older 220 00:13:36,840 --> 00:13:40,440 Speaker 1: kind of gentleman who would wear these razzle dazzle rhyin 221 00:13:40,559 --> 00:13:45,720 Speaker 1: stone and tassely jackets and called Dolly his little lady, 222 00:13:45,880 --> 00:13:48,240 Speaker 1: and he he had this female sidekick for a while 223 00:13:48,360 --> 00:13:52,000 Speaker 1: named Norma Jean, but then Norma Jean left and Dolly 224 00:13:52,200 --> 00:13:56,600 Speaker 1: came on the show and she was a huge hit. Yeah. 225 00:13:56,679 --> 00:13:59,640 Speaker 1: She initially told Porter Wagner that she'd only stay five 226 00:13:59,720 --> 00:14:01,600 Speaker 1: years because you know, she she was on a mission. 227 00:14:01,600 --> 00:14:03,040 Speaker 1: This was a lady on a mission and she wanted 228 00:14:03,080 --> 00:14:05,520 Speaker 1: to start her own solo career, but she ended up 229 00:14:05,520 --> 00:14:10,439 Speaker 1: saying two years past that. And during this time she 230 00:14:10,440 --> 00:14:12,400 Speaker 1: she managed to land a contract with r c A 231 00:14:12,440 --> 00:14:16,120 Speaker 1: Records thanks to her partnership with Wagner, and scored her 232 00:14:16,120 --> 00:14:18,600 Speaker 1: first number one country hit in nineteen seventy one with 233 00:14:18,679 --> 00:14:21,880 Speaker 1: Joshua and from there the years nineteen seventy four to 234 00:14:21,960 --> 00:14:25,600 Speaker 1: nineteen seventy are huge as her star really begins to 235 00:14:25,760 --> 00:14:28,280 Speaker 1: rise with the help of being on the Porter Wagner Show. 236 00:14:28,320 --> 00:14:32,640 Speaker 1: But she really pretty quickly from that point starts to 237 00:14:32,680 --> 00:14:37,240 Speaker 1: become a star in her own right, because in nineteen 238 00:14:37,320 --> 00:14:42,080 Speaker 1: seventy four, we have Joe Lene, Yes, Joe Line Caroline. 239 00:14:42,120 --> 00:14:45,800 Speaker 1: Since I started researching for this episode, Joe Lene has 240 00:14:45,840 --> 00:14:50,600 Speaker 1: been in my head because it's such a catchy, such 241 00:14:50,640 --> 00:14:53,400 Speaker 1: a catchy old tune, you know. But it reached number 242 00:14:53,440 --> 00:14:56,160 Speaker 1: one on the country charts and number sixty on the 243 00:14:56,200 --> 00:14:59,400 Speaker 1: pop charts, which the fact that she's already crossing over 244 00:14:59,480 --> 00:15:03,320 Speaker 1: onto the charts is pretty huge. And from there, her 245 00:15:03,400 --> 00:15:07,560 Speaker 1: next four singles also reach number one on the country's charts, 246 00:15:07,560 --> 00:15:11,600 Speaker 1: which include I Will Always Love You, which she wrote 247 00:15:11,800 --> 00:15:16,400 Speaker 1: for Porter Wagner as her song to say, listen dude. 248 00:15:17,200 --> 00:15:18,920 Speaker 1: I said I was going to stay for this long 249 00:15:19,080 --> 00:15:22,120 Speaker 1: five years. I've already stayed two more years. I'll always 250 00:15:22,160 --> 00:15:24,400 Speaker 1: love you. I gotta go. Thing's gonna be better for 251 00:15:24,480 --> 00:15:25,960 Speaker 1: us in the end. It's actually not really a love 252 00:15:26,000 --> 00:15:27,640 Speaker 1: song as you might think it would be if you've 253 00:15:27,640 --> 00:15:30,200 Speaker 1: heard the Whitney Houston version from the Bodyguard. But it 254 00:15:30,280 --> 00:15:35,280 Speaker 1: was really Dolly Parton kind of saying, you know, you 255 00:15:35,280 --> 00:15:37,520 Speaker 1: gotta go, come on, I gotta go, you gotta go. 256 00:15:37,760 --> 00:15:41,560 Speaker 1: That it's not about Kevin Costner. It's not about Kevin Costner. Well, 257 00:15:42,280 --> 00:15:44,240 Speaker 1: but you know what it can be about Kevin Costner 258 00:15:44,240 --> 00:15:46,520 Speaker 1: if you want it to be. I want every song 259 00:15:46,560 --> 00:15:49,800 Speaker 1: to be about Kevin Costner. And so within this this 260 00:15:50,000 --> 00:15:53,200 Speaker 1: very short time, I mean seventy eight, that's not actually 261 00:15:53,240 --> 00:15:55,600 Speaker 1: that long, but she won the CMA Female Vocalist of 262 00:15:55,640 --> 00:15:58,840 Speaker 1: the Year Award. She gets her own syndicated TV show. 263 00:15:58,960 --> 00:16:02,440 Speaker 1: She ends her long professional association with Porter Wagner. She 264 00:16:02,520 --> 00:16:07,080 Speaker 1: releases New Harvest First Gathering, her first self produced album, 265 00:16:07,360 --> 00:16:09,400 Speaker 1: and the single from that album, Here You Come Again, 266 00:16:09,480 --> 00:16:12,000 Speaker 1: hit number three on the pop charts. Yeah, and that 267 00:16:12,040 --> 00:16:15,400 Speaker 1: album ended up going platinum, making Dolly Parton the first 268 00:16:15,440 --> 00:16:19,160 Speaker 1: female artist to have an album sell one million copies. 269 00:16:19,320 --> 00:16:22,040 Speaker 1: And Here You Come Again earned part in her very 270 00:16:22,120 --> 00:16:26,480 Speaker 1: first Grammy for Best Country Vocal Performance by a Female 271 00:16:27,600 --> 00:16:31,480 Speaker 1: and the accolades don't stop there. Hits nine to five 272 00:16:31,560 --> 00:16:34,840 Speaker 1: is released, Dolly earns a Golden Globe nomination for Best 273 00:16:34,840 --> 00:16:38,360 Speaker 1: Supporting Actress, Best New Film Star, and Best Original Song, 274 00:16:38,800 --> 00:16:41,160 Speaker 1: as well as the People's Choice Award for Favorite Movie 275 00:16:41,160 --> 00:16:44,000 Speaker 1: Song and an Oscar nomination for the title song. It 276 00:16:44,200 --> 00:16:47,960 Speaker 1: is that catchy, people, It is so catchy. And from 277 00:16:47,960 --> 00:16:52,120 Speaker 1: there she stars in Two Is Best Little Horhouse in Texas, 278 00:16:52,720 --> 00:16:55,240 Speaker 1: and her remake of I Will Always Love You for 279 00:16:55,320 --> 00:16:59,440 Speaker 1: the soundtrack earns a Grammy nomination. Six, she's inducted into 280 00:16:59,440 --> 00:17:02,680 Speaker 1: the Nashville Old Songwriters Hall of Fame nineteen eighties six 281 00:17:02,720 --> 00:17:08,160 Speaker 1: Dollywood opens, and in more recent years, because of all 282 00:17:08,280 --> 00:17:10,879 Speaker 1: of these accolades that we have been blowing through, we 283 00:17:10,920 --> 00:17:14,200 Speaker 1: haven't even told you every single one of them, she 284 00:17:14,760 --> 00:17:20,320 Speaker 1: is essentially now just starting to earn the lifetime awards, like, yeah, 285 00:17:20,359 --> 00:17:22,760 Speaker 1: we just think you're awesome, Dolly. And so in two 286 00:17:22,760 --> 00:17:25,720 Speaker 1: thousand four, that's when she received a Living Legend Metal 287 00:17:25,800 --> 00:17:27,879 Speaker 1: from the Library of Congress. And in two thousand and 288 00:17:27,920 --> 00:17:31,119 Speaker 1: six she was one of the celebrities recognized that the 289 00:17:31,200 --> 00:17:34,560 Speaker 1: Kennedy Center Honors. And I like how recently she received 290 00:17:34,640 --> 00:17:38,480 Speaker 1: a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Grammy Awards, because I 291 00:17:38,520 --> 00:17:40,840 Speaker 1: think what she already gotten like seven of them, and 292 00:17:40,880 --> 00:17:45,080 Speaker 1: they're like Grammys were like, listen, Dolly, just here's an award. 293 00:17:46,000 --> 00:17:48,119 Speaker 1: Can you stop being so awesome? Other people have to 294 00:17:48,160 --> 00:17:52,399 Speaker 1: get awards. Um. But she's not only popular though in 295 00:17:52,440 --> 00:17:55,119 Speaker 1: the United States. I'm sure we have some international listeners 296 00:17:55,160 --> 00:18:00,560 Speaker 1: who were well aware of Dolly Parton, but academically the study. 297 00:18:00,640 --> 00:18:02,920 Speaker 1: I was surprised. The one study that we could find 298 00:18:03,040 --> 00:18:08,040 Speaker 1: on Dolly Parton was about how popular she is in Zimbabwe. Yeah, 299 00:18:08,080 --> 00:18:11,960 Speaker 1: this was this was surprising to me. But Jonathan Zilberg 300 00:18:12,040 --> 00:18:16,040 Speaker 1: basically did like this anthropological look at the popularity that 301 00:18:16,080 --> 00:18:20,800 Speaker 1: not only Dolly has, but country music has in Zimbabwe. 302 00:18:20,920 --> 00:18:22,280 Speaker 1: And a lot of it just has to do with, 303 00:18:22,440 --> 00:18:24,760 Speaker 1: you know, the entertainment that's piped through the TV and 304 00:18:24,800 --> 00:18:28,280 Speaker 1: the radio and the fact that people identify with it. 305 00:18:28,400 --> 00:18:31,159 Speaker 1: But you know, he looked at okay, well, why why Dolly? 306 00:18:31,240 --> 00:18:35,679 Speaker 1: Why this like blonde, you know, big boobed, white American woman, 307 00:18:35,760 --> 00:18:38,679 Speaker 1: Like what is it about her? And he cites you know, 308 00:18:38,760 --> 00:18:40,959 Speaker 1: a lot of her lyrics and her story itself, her 309 00:18:41,040 --> 00:18:43,040 Speaker 1: rags to richest story, the fact that she did come 310 00:18:43,040 --> 00:18:47,119 Speaker 1: from twelve children in the hills of Appalachia. You know, 311 00:18:47,160 --> 00:18:49,600 Speaker 1: they didn't have much and now she's this famous singer 312 00:18:50,359 --> 00:18:54,920 Speaker 1: who sings about everyday experiences. She also incorporates uplifting Christian 313 00:18:55,000 --> 00:18:59,080 Speaker 1: themes and sings those very easy to identify with tragic 314 00:18:59,160 --> 00:19:03,680 Speaker 1: love songs. Yeah, he said that even Zimbabweans identify with 315 00:19:03,760 --> 00:19:08,080 Speaker 1: the healing function, as he calls it, of Dolly Parton's music. 316 00:19:08,400 --> 00:19:10,960 Speaker 1: So now that we have clearly established that Dolly Parton 317 00:19:11,560 --> 00:19:16,320 Speaker 1: is an incredible, accomplished woman who is genuinely loved around 318 00:19:16,400 --> 00:19:18,919 Speaker 1: the world, we're going to take a quick break and 319 00:19:18,960 --> 00:19:23,960 Speaker 1: then talk about how she has parlayed her fame and 320 00:19:24,240 --> 00:19:28,400 Speaker 1: wealth to help other people as well, and now back 321 00:19:28,400 --> 00:19:33,040 Speaker 1: to the podcast. Honestly, I like growing up, Dolly Parton 322 00:19:33,160 --> 00:19:36,560 Speaker 1: was not played in my household. You know, It's not 323 00:19:36,880 --> 00:19:39,600 Speaker 1: I wasn't like a hardcore Dolly fan or anything. It's 324 00:19:39,640 --> 00:19:43,919 Speaker 1: only been in my adulthood that I've really discovered her. 325 00:19:44,520 --> 00:19:47,479 Speaker 1: And while I don't really listen to her albums on 326 00:19:47,560 --> 00:19:50,120 Speaker 1: repeat or anything like that, I love her hits and 327 00:19:50,160 --> 00:19:53,560 Speaker 1: I just, I don't know, I appreciate her place in 328 00:19:53,840 --> 00:19:58,800 Speaker 1: music history and in pop culture in general, because she's 329 00:19:59,280 --> 00:20:03,880 Speaker 1: she's just been so honest and honestly unapologetic about who 330 00:20:03,920 --> 00:20:09,000 Speaker 1: she is and what she's done with her notoriety and 331 00:20:09,160 --> 00:20:11,920 Speaker 1: all of the money that she's earned, such as giving 332 00:20:11,960 --> 00:20:15,800 Speaker 1: back as the book Lady Yeah. Back in nineteen she 333 00:20:15,880 --> 00:20:19,040 Speaker 1: started the Dollywood Foundation to inspire children in her home 334 00:20:19,080 --> 00:20:22,960 Speaker 1: community of Severeville, Tennessee, and it funds the Dolly Parton 335 00:20:23,040 --> 00:20:26,600 Speaker 1: Imagination library across America and now in Canada and the 336 00:20:26,720 --> 00:20:30,320 Speaker 1: UK by giving every preschool child a book each month 337 00:20:30,359 --> 00:20:32,480 Speaker 1: from the time here she is born until the child 338 00:20:32,600 --> 00:20:37,119 Speaker 1: reaches kindergarten, and as of August, the program had spread 339 00:20:37,119 --> 00:20:40,760 Speaker 1: to four communities across the US, England and Canada and 340 00:20:40,800 --> 00:20:44,320 Speaker 1: given away almost fifty million free books. And Dolly holds 341 00:20:44,320 --> 00:20:46,119 Speaker 1: this so close to her heart. She said that this 342 00:20:46,240 --> 00:20:47,919 Speaker 1: was the thing that her father was most proud of 343 00:20:47,920 --> 00:20:50,199 Speaker 1: her for, not her singing career, not all of her 344 00:20:50,240 --> 00:20:52,359 Speaker 1: country music awards, but the fact that she was helping 345 00:20:52,480 --> 00:20:55,640 Speaker 1: children to read, because she said, you know, if you 346 00:20:56,280 --> 00:20:59,399 Speaker 1: as a child, particularly like a poor child, you know, 347 00:20:59,440 --> 00:21:01,400 Speaker 1: you don't have anything to call your own. But if 348 00:21:01,400 --> 00:21:02,920 Speaker 1: you get this book in the mail and it has 349 00:21:02,960 --> 00:21:04,520 Speaker 1: your name on it, and you learn to read it, 350 00:21:04,560 --> 00:21:06,720 Speaker 1: and you pour over it every month, and then you 351 00:21:06,720 --> 00:21:08,960 Speaker 1: get a new one, there's a sense of ownership and 352 00:21:09,040 --> 00:21:11,520 Speaker 1: pride in the act of learning to read. You're gonna 353 00:21:11,600 --> 00:21:14,200 Speaker 1: tell your mama or your daddy to teach you how 354 00:21:14,240 --> 00:21:17,040 Speaker 1: to read. And so that's something that she's very proud of. Well, 355 00:21:17,080 --> 00:21:19,720 Speaker 1: and what more empowering tool can you give a child 356 00:21:19,720 --> 00:21:23,160 Speaker 1: than the ability to read? You know, um but let's 357 00:21:23,160 --> 00:21:26,679 Speaker 1: talk for a minute about her personal life, because I 358 00:21:26,680 --> 00:21:30,399 Speaker 1: mean her her professional life is so huge, and at 359 00:21:30,480 --> 00:21:34,399 Speaker 1: least from what I've known of Dolly before looking into 360 00:21:34,560 --> 00:21:37,240 Speaker 1: her life for the podcast, I wasn't very aware of 361 00:21:37,280 --> 00:21:39,720 Speaker 1: her personal life because I feel like she's always been 362 00:21:39,760 --> 00:21:43,520 Speaker 1: pretty good at keeping the professional life at the forefront. 363 00:21:43,840 --> 00:21:48,119 Speaker 1: But certainly her longtime marriage to Carl Dene They've been 364 00:21:48,160 --> 00:21:50,399 Speaker 1: married for nearly fifty years. I think they're actually about 365 00:21:50,400 --> 00:21:55,800 Speaker 1: to renew their vows. But it's certainly has attracted gossip 366 00:21:55,840 --> 00:22:00,400 Speaker 1: in rumors as well because she's worked so closely with 367 00:22:00,720 --> 00:22:05,880 Speaker 1: prominent men, whether they're musicians or actors like Burt Reynolds, um, 368 00:22:06,040 --> 00:22:09,679 Speaker 1: and people always assume, well, Dolly must be flirting with 369 00:22:09,720 --> 00:22:11,119 Speaker 1: these men, and she must be having a phase, I 370 00:22:11,160 --> 00:22:13,679 Speaker 1: must have an open marriage. Yeah, there's a lot of 371 00:22:13,680 --> 00:22:17,000 Speaker 1: speculation people are dying to know. And her quote is this, 372 00:22:17,080 --> 00:22:19,399 Speaker 1: which is great. She says, I love to flirt, and 373 00:22:19,440 --> 00:22:21,399 Speaker 1: I've never met a man. I didn't like men or 374 00:22:21,440 --> 00:22:24,240 Speaker 1: my weakness short, fat, bald, or skinny. I've had crushes 375 00:22:24,240 --> 00:22:27,560 Speaker 1: on some very unusual men, but Carl knows I'll always 376 00:22:27,560 --> 00:22:29,920 Speaker 1: come home and I'm not having sex with these people. 377 00:22:29,920 --> 00:22:32,159 Speaker 1: I'm just flirting and having fun. I love that that, 378 00:22:32,240 --> 00:22:37,160 Speaker 1: she says. She said, crushes on unusual men. That's so perfect. Well, yeah, 379 00:22:37,200 --> 00:22:39,560 Speaker 1: because there was even a rumor swirling that they were 380 00:22:39,640 --> 00:22:43,560 Speaker 1: in an open marriage, because I think she she's made 381 00:22:43,600 --> 00:22:47,760 Speaker 1: comments about like poking fun at long term monogamy because 382 00:22:47,800 --> 00:22:50,680 Speaker 1: I mean, come on, I've been married for like fifty years. Uh, 383 00:22:50,840 --> 00:22:54,119 Speaker 1: And people were scandalized by that. But she always seems 384 00:22:54,280 --> 00:23:00,000 Speaker 1: so unfazed by whatever kind of gossip people want to spread. Um. 385 00:23:00,040 --> 00:23:02,720 Speaker 1: But one thing too she's talked about publicly is the 386 00:23:02,760 --> 00:23:06,639 Speaker 1: fact that she and Carl don't have any kids. And 387 00:23:06,880 --> 00:23:09,919 Speaker 1: she actually went through a tough time about that. She 388 00:23:10,040 --> 00:23:12,439 Speaker 1: told the Globe at one point that she in the 389 00:23:12,520 --> 00:23:16,479 Speaker 1: nineteen eighties went through about a depression from from not 390 00:23:16,560 --> 00:23:18,440 Speaker 1: having kids. She said, I went through a dark time. 391 00:23:18,680 --> 00:23:20,879 Speaker 1: It lasted several months because I think I would have 392 00:23:20,920 --> 00:23:24,479 Speaker 1: made a nice mama. Yeah. And so, you know, she 393 00:23:24,480 --> 00:23:26,639 Speaker 1: she had thought she might have kids, but her you know, 394 00:23:26,640 --> 00:23:29,360 Speaker 1: they was on hold because of her career and all 395 00:23:29,400 --> 00:23:32,439 Speaker 1: of that stuff. And so then she she says, and 396 00:23:32,680 --> 00:23:34,520 Speaker 1: I want you to, like, I can't do a Dolly voice, 397 00:23:34,560 --> 00:23:36,359 Speaker 1: but I want you to imagine this in Dolly's voice. 398 00:23:36,359 --> 00:23:38,680 Speaker 1: She says, then one day I just said to myself, right, 399 00:23:38,760 --> 00:23:41,200 Speaker 1: get off your fat butt, or if you really are suicidal, 400 00:23:41,240 --> 00:23:43,359 Speaker 1: then go and shoot your brains out. I thought, you know, 401 00:23:43,760 --> 00:23:45,720 Speaker 1: maybe God didn't want me to have kids so that 402 00:23:45,800 --> 00:23:48,840 Speaker 1: everybody else's kids could be mine. Well that's the thing too. 403 00:23:48,920 --> 00:23:51,840 Speaker 1: She talks about how she has so many nieces and 404 00:23:51,880 --> 00:23:57,320 Speaker 1: nephews because she has eleven siblings, so there are she 405 00:23:57,680 --> 00:23:59,080 Speaker 1: I think they call her what do they call her? 406 00:23:59,080 --> 00:24:01,520 Speaker 1: Great aunt? Granny is her name? They just call my 407 00:24:01,560 --> 00:24:04,160 Speaker 1: great aunt Grainny. I can't do a Dolly Parton either, clearly. 408 00:24:04,480 --> 00:24:07,240 Speaker 1: But one of the most fascinating things to me about 409 00:24:07,320 --> 00:24:12,440 Speaker 1: Dolly Parton today and with her relationship to women our age, 410 00:24:12,520 --> 00:24:16,400 Speaker 1: especially Caroline, is how how many times I've seen her 411 00:24:16,440 --> 00:24:21,960 Speaker 1: being cited as this feminist icon, even though she's never 412 00:24:22,040 --> 00:24:25,040 Speaker 1: out and out said I'm a feminist. She's she's very 413 00:24:25,119 --> 00:24:30,280 Speaker 1: much loud and proud about her Christianity and her kind 414 00:24:30,280 --> 00:24:33,920 Speaker 1: of traditional family values, but at the same time, she 415 00:24:35,000 --> 00:24:37,640 Speaker 1: very much supports gay rights and gay marriage, and she's 416 00:24:37,680 --> 00:24:41,919 Speaker 1: been on the record about that. But in terms of feminism, 417 00:24:41,960 --> 00:24:46,720 Speaker 1: she pokes fun, but she's never said, well, I'm a feminist, yeah, 418 00:24:47,280 --> 00:24:49,600 Speaker 1: but I think her life is such an excellent example 419 00:24:49,720 --> 00:24:51,560 Speaker 1: all in and of itself. I mean the way that 420 00:24:51,600 --> 00:24:54,879 Speaker 1: she has forged ahead with with a smile on her 421 00:24:54,920 --> 00:24:57,679 Speaker 1: face the whole time, you know, I mean, she has 422 00:24:57,800 --> 00:25:00,400 Speaker 1: kind of laughed off all of this stuff she has 423 00:25:00,440 --> 00:25:03,720 Speaker 1: pushed through the big machine to become as successful as 424 00:25:03,760 --> 00:25:06,440 Speaker 1: she is. Yeah. And one of one quote she did 425 00:25:06,440 --> 00:25:09,760 Speaker 1: give in response to her thoughts on feminism was she said, 426 00:25:09,800 --> 00:25:11,800 Speaker 1: I was the first woman woman to burn my bra. 427 00:25:12,160 --> 00:25:14,360 Speaker 1: It took the fire department four days to put it out. 428 00:25:17,119 --> 00:25:18,800 Speaker 1: And one thing that people really like about her, it's 429 00:25:18,800 --> 00:25:21,880 Speaker 1: just her very non judgmental attitude. I mean, you look 430 00:25:21,920 --> 00:25:23,800 Speaker 1: at the hair, you look at the boobs, and you 431 00:25:23,880 --> 00:25:26,280 Speaker 1: might start to assume things like, maybe she's not that smart, 432 00:25:26,320 --> 00:25:28,960 Speaker 1: she couldn't possibly be a feminist. But what she's doing 433 00:25:29,040 --> 00:25:33,160 Speaker 1: is basically championing your right to look anyway you want. 434 00:25:33,280 --> 00:25:36,359 Speaker 1: And I mean she's definitely not shy about talking about 435 00:25:36,400 --> 00:25:40,080 Speaker 1: her appearance, the wigs, the boobs, all that stuff. In fact, 436 00:25:40,200 --> 00:25:42,080 Speaker 1: she says things like it takes a lot of money 437 00:25:42,119 --> 00:25:45,399 Speaker 1: to look that cheap um, But she just uses the 438 00:25:45,440 --> 00:25:49,040 Speaker 1: self deprecation and humor and and doesn't let it bother her. 439 00:25:49,080 --> 00:25:53,879 Speaker 1: You know, she kind of took back the female form. 440 00:25:53,960 --> 00:25:56,679 Speaker 1: You could say, oh yeah, I mean the fact that 441 00:25:56,720 --> 00:25:59,760 Speaker 1: she has she is so big, whether we're talking about 442 00:25:59,760 --> 00:26:02,880 Speaker 1: her hair or her breast or just how loud her 443 00:26:03,680 --> 00:26:08,000 Speaker 1: wardrobe tends to be. And it's it's intentional on her part. 444 00:26:08,040 --> 00:26:11,280 Speaker 1: I mean, she's even talked about how her look today 445 00:26:11,960 --> 00:26:14,119 Speaker 1: was inspired when she was a little girl by a 446 00:26:14,200 --> 00:26:17,760 Speaker 1: prostitute in her town who she saw, And she talked 447 00:26:17,760 --> 00:26:19,760 Speaker 1: about how she saw this woman walking down the road 448 00:26:20,040 --> 00:26:21,960 Speaker 1: and she was so glamorous because she had big hair 449 00:26:22,040 --> 00:26:25,080 Speaker 1: and red nails, and she wanted to look exactly like her. 450 00:26:25,359 --> 00:26:29,440 Speaker 1: And her mother noticed Dolly paying attention to this prostitute 451 00:26:29,840 --> 00:26:31,920 Speaker 1: and it was just scandalized and said, Dolly, don't look 452 00:26:31,960 --> 00:26:37,800 Speaker 1: at that woman. No, And here, you know, she's like, well, sorry, mom, 453 00:26:37,840 --> 00:26:41,240 Speaker 1: not sorry. Yeah. And I mean if you look at 454 00:26:41,280 --> 00:26:44,840 Speaker 1: the song she's written, like dumb Blonde, which we cited earlier, 455 00:26:44,880 --> 00:26:47,040 Speaker 1: you know, I don't think I'm dumb because this dumb 456 00:26:47,040 --> 00:26:50,600 Speaker 1: blonde ain't nobody's full. Uh, just because I'm a woman 457 00:26:50,680 --> 00:26:52,800 Speaker 1: and nine to five, you know, just because I'm a woman, 458 00:26:52,880 --> 00:26:55,119 Speaker 1: she says, my mistakes are no worse than yours. Just 459 00:26:55,160 --> 00:26:58,040 Speaker 1: because I'm a woman nine to five talking about you 460 00:26:58,080 --> 00:27:00,480 Speaker 1: would think I would deserve a fat promotion in all 461 00:27:00,520 --> 00:27:04,240 Speaker 1: this stuff, and even with Joe Lene, you know where 462 00:27:04,280 --> 00:27:07,879 Speaker 1: in the story this woman is trying to steal Dolly's man. 463 00:27:08,440 --> 00:27:11,960 Speaker 1: Dolly's not calling her bad names. There's no hint of 464 00:27:12,080 --> 00:27:15,480 Speaker 1: slut shaming in this song whatsoever. She's simply saying like, look, 465 00:27:15,840 --> 00:27:18,480 Speaker 1: I know you're awesome, I know you're gorgeous, but please 466 00:27:18,480 --> 00:27:20,680 Speaker 1: I love him, don't take him away. Yeah, I mean, 467 00:27:20,680 --> 00:27:24,400 Speaker 1: she's just earnestly saying I can't compete with you, Joline, 468 00:27:24,800 --> 00:27:27,440 Speaker 1: So if you could just kind of disappear, that would 469 00:27:27,440 --> 00:27:31,320 Speaker 1: be nice. Um and Dr Amy Pelloff, who's the Assistant 470 00:27:31,359 --> 00:27:34,679 Speaker 1: director of the Comparative History of Ideas Program and the 471 00:27:34,720 --> 00:27:37,439 Speaker 1: Affiliate Assistant Director of Gender, Women in Sexuality Studies at 472 00:27:37,440 --> 00:27:41,080 Speaker 1: the University of Washington. Wow, that's quite a title. Um 473 00:27:41,160 --> 00:27:45,800 Speaker 1: has also looked into this intersection of feminism and Dolly 474 00:27:45,880 --> 00:27:51,240 Speaker 1: Parton from a performative standpoint, and she calls it folk 475 00:27:51,520 --> 00:27:56,360 Speaker 1: feminism what she sees in Dolly Parton. Uh. For instance, 476 00:27:56,520 --> 00:27:59,480 Speaker 1: she quotes Dolly Parton saying, I soon realized that I 477 00:27:59,520 --> 00:28:01,840 Speaker 1: had to play by men's rules to win. My way 478 00:28:01,840 --> 00:28:04,399 Speaker 1: of fighting back was to wear frilly clothes and to 479 00:28:04,480 --> 00:28:09,080 Speaker 1: put on the big blonde wigs. And pelf is really 480 00:28:09,480 --> 00:28:13,560 Speaker 1: fascinated at how I mean, when we talk about gender, 481 00:28:13,600 --> 00:28:15,920 Speaker 1: we often talk about how gender is a performance is 482 00:28:16,000 --> 00:28:18,200 Speaker 1: the things that you put on. It's the feminine versus 483 00:28:18,200 --> 00:28:21,280 Speaker 1: the masculine. Really boils down to how you are acting 484 00:28:21,560 --> 00:28:25,080 Speaker 1: and you know what you're wearing, these kinds of performance aspects, 485 00:28:25,320 --> 00:28:27,879 Speaker 1: and when it comes to femininity, Dolly is like the 486 00:28:28,160 --> 00:28:32,960 Speaker 1: highest most heightened version of gender performance that you could 487 00:28:32,960 --> 00:28:36,160 Speaker 1: really imagine, right well, I mean she does say I've 488 00:28:36,160 --> 00:28:37,840 Speaker 1: always said that if I hadn't been a woman, I 489 00:28:37,840 --> 00:28:40,080 Speaker 1: would have been a drag queen exactly, and I mean 490 00:28:40,080 --> 00:28:43,360 Speaker 1: that goes I mean she basically is like that whole 491 00:28:43,360 --> 00:28:46,920 Speaker 1: performance are the big wigs, all the makeup, the hair, everything. 492 00:28:47,200 --> 00:28:50,440 Speaker 1: I mean, she basically is a drag queen. And uh 493 00:28:50,520 --> 00:28:53,760 Speaker 1: Amy Pelof also points out her contradictory identities, and I 494 00:28:53,800 --> 00:28:56,800 Speaker 1: think that's interesting and I wonder if this is part 495 00:28:56,800 --> 00:29:00,560 Speaker 1: of why everybody loves Dolly is because you know that 496 00:29:00,640 --> 00:29:04,480 Speaker 1: extreme femininity, there's the male fantasy part compared with the 497 00:29:04,560 --> 00:29:09,200 Speaker 1: gay icon aspect of her performance, the simple country girl 498 00:29:09,360 --> 00:29:13,640 Speaker 1: versus the jet setting celebrity, the faithfully married woman versus 499 00:29:13,640 --> 00:29:16,840 Speaker 1: the film fatale, and then the straight woman versus lesbian. 500 00:29:16,880 --> 00:29:18,680 Speaker 1: A lot of people have said, oh, well, Darli must 501 00:29:18,680 --> 00:29:20,520 Speaker 1: be a lesbian Causina she's not out with her husband 502 00:29:20,520 --> 00:29:22,400 Speaker 1: all the time, when in fact she's like, dude, we're 503 00:29:22,440 --> 00:29:25,600 Speaker 1: just she's my best friend, calmed down. And then that 504 00:29:25,640 --> 00:29:29,480 Speaker 1: whole dichotomy between the artificial and the authentic, that almost 505 00:29:29,520 --> 00:29:32,440 Speaker 1: everything about her when you look at her, probably fake, 506 00:29:33,040 --> 00:29:36,960 Speaker 1: but she herself is so genuine. Well, and she's so 507 00:29:37,280 --> 00:29:40,720 Speaker 1: genuine about the fakeness, you know. And and it was 508 00:29:41,000 --> 00:29:45,360 Speaker 1: one quote about the sexuality aspect or the sexualization of 509 00:29:45,400 --> 00:29:48,720 Speaker 1: her body. She said, there's nothing sexy about my look. 510 00:29:48,920 --> 00:29:51,959 Speaker 1: Men are not usually turned on by artificial looks. And 511 00:29:52,000 --> 00:29:54,480 Speaker 1: I've always been like that, Like she think it thinks 512 00:29:54,520 --> 00:29:59,000 Speaker 1: it's kind of laughable to even consider herself, uh sex icon, 513 00:29:59,120 --> 00:30:02,200 Speaker 1: just because she had as large breasts. Yeah, and I 514 00:30:02,200 --> 00:30:07,080 Speaker 1: mean she's been able to accomplish I mean just you know, 515 00:30:07,120 --> 00:30:09,640 Speaker 1: we blew through that timeline of her life, but you know, 516 00:30:09,680 --> 00:30:12,400 Speaker 1: this woman has accomplished so much and been awarded with 517 00:30:12,480 --> 00:30:16,320 Speaker 1: so much, and she's done it on her own terms completely. 518 00:30:16,400 --> 00:30:18,479 Speaker 1: She has been able to do everything with a smile, 519 00:30:19,000 --> 00:30:21,680 Speaker 1: looking exactly the way she wants to look, doing what 520 00:30:21,720 --> 00:30:24,880 Speaker 1: she wants to do, and still gathering all of this, 521 00:30:25,560 --> 00:30:28,560 Speaker 1: all of these accolades, all of this notoriety. Yeah, And 522 00:30:28,600 --> 00:30:30,600 Speaker 1: I mean, I think a lot of it goes back 523 00:30:30,640 --> 00:30:37,000 Speaker 1: to her being a child in tiny town, Appalachia and 524 00:30:37,320 --> 00:30:41,440 Speaker 1: having this one dream and having some incredible work ethics 525 00:30:41,440 --> 00:30:44,200 Speaker 1: she's she's even said that, Um, you know, she has 526 00:30:44,280 --> 00:30:48,640 Speaker 1: a lot of talented relatives she's like, but I don't 527 00:30:48,640 --> 00:30:50,479 Speaker 1: think that any of them are as successful as I am, 528 00:30:50,480 --> 00:30:52,480 Speaker 1: because I don't know if anyone who really wants to 529 00:30:52,520 --> 00:30:55,520 Speaker 1: work as hard as I do, because I'm sure was 530 00:30:55,640 --> 00:30:59,960 Speaker 1: NonStop to write over three thousand songs and do everything 531 00:31:00,120 --> 00:31:04,560 Speaker 1: else that she's been doing. Um, and I don't know. 532 00:31:04,640 --> 00:31:08,400 Speaker 1: It's it's interesting to just think about someone who today 533 00:31:08,480 --> 00:31:12,280 Speaker 1: when I feel like in our social landscape, everything is 534 00:31:12,320 --> 00:31:14,840 Speaker 1: so polarized. Everything is you either hate it or you 535 00:31:14,880 --> 00:31:19,720 Speaker 1: love it, And it's rare to find a person who 536 00:31:20,080 --> 00:31:25,440 Speaker 1: doesn't attract as much criticism as they do praise. And 537 00:31:26,520 --> 00:31:29,360 Speaker 1: it's hard to find someone who wants can can legitimately 538 00:31:29,520 --> 00:31:32,840 Speaker 1: talk smack about Dolly Parton even if you don't like 539 00:31:32,880 --> 00:31:35,640 Speaker 1: her music, even if you're not a country fan, there's 540 00:31:35,680 --> 00:31:38,720 Speaker 1: something to like about her. And I think it's because 541 00:31:38,880 --> 00:31:43,160 Speaker 1: of those kind of lines that she's able to skirt 542 00:31:43,200 --> 00:31:46,760 Speaker 1: that you just mentioned of just like kind of somehow 543 00:31:46,840 --> 00:31:51,600 Speaker 1: being everything all at once and being totally humble and 544 00:31:51,640 --> 00:31:53,680 Speaker 1: also self deprecating about it, which I think the self 545 00:31:53,720 --> 00:31:59,120 Speaker 1: deprecation helps, you know. So, happy birthday, Dolly, Happy birthday 546 00:31:59,240 --> 00:32:02,560 Speaker 1: and call a anytime. Yeah, you can hang out if 547 00:32:02,560 --> 00:32:05,200 Speaker 1: you ever want to pop over to Atlanta and Dolly. 548 00:32:05,520 --> 00:32:07,760 Speaker 1: Now that we're directly addressing you as though you're listening 549 00:32:07,800 --> 00:32:11,480 Speaker 1: to this episode, But I want to know though, if 550 00:32:11,640 --> 00:32:16,360 Speaker 1: other people listening consider her a feminist icon, are you 551 00:32:16,400 --> 00:32:19,440 Speaker 1: a fan? Is there anyone out there who has a 552 00:32:19,520 --> 00:32:23,360 Speaker 1: legit reason to not like Dolly? Let us know. Let's 553 00:32:23,440 --> 00:32:26,800 Speaker 1: let's talk about Dolly, And thanks everybody who's written into us. 554 00:32:26,840 --> 00:32:28,600 Speaker 1: Mom Stuff at Discovery dot com is where you can 555 00:32:28,640 --> 00:32:30,520 Speaker 1: send your letters, but you can also get in touch 556 00:32:30,520 --> 00:32:33,080 Speaker 1: with us on Facebook or tweet us at mom Stuff 557 00:32:33,120 --> 00:32:36,160 Speaker 1: Podcasts and to find all things stuff Mom Never told you, 558 00:32:36,200 --> 00:32:40,080 Speaker 1: including every single podcast we have ever published every single blog, 559 00:32:40,120 --> 00:32:43,520 Speaker 1: every single video, every single social media outlet we are on, 560 00:32:43,600 --> 00:32:46,200 Speaker 1: which is a lot. There's only one place to go 561 00:32:46,280 --> 00:32:49,320 Speaker 1: on the Internet now, and it's www. Dots stuff, but 562 00:32:49,360 --> 00:32:55,400 Speaker 1: I've never told you. Dot com for more on this 563 00:32:55,560 --> 00:33:03,080 Speaker 1: and thousands of other topics. Dot com three