If Dolly Parton can be canceled, we’re in trouble

The most inescapable person in American history – iconic American singer, songwriter and actress Dolly Parton – has been caught in the crosshairs of cancel culture.

The country legend, also affectionately known as “The Iron Butterfly,” “The Songbird of Smoky Mountain” and “The Woodland Barbie,” among other priceless nicknames, has a successful career that spans more than half a century and has more than 100 million records. sold worldwide. Parton is, by all accounts, the best country music singer of all time.

Parton has long been revered for her happy-go-lucky personality. She has somehow managed to appeal to both ultra-conservative and ultra-liberal supporters without remaining completely silent on the issues she cares about and without alienating either extreme. She has long been the unscathed centrist heroine of American entertainment. While the country has sharply divided along red and blue primary lines, with nearly every public figure choosing sides, Parton has long remained the last vibrant purple.

Dolly Patron is Switzerland.

Until now.

Conservative writer Ericka Andersen wrote earlier this month in the Federalist that Parton’s support for the LGBTQ2S+ community was a “false gospel.” Andersen specifically stated that Parton’s citing of her Christianity as the reason she is inclusive is false (the author calls being LGBTQ2S+ “immoral sexual behavior” and “not aligned with God’s vision for humanity”).

The post sparked a bonanza of right-wing vitriol aimed at Parton. Many people rallied behind the homophobic outcry while a huge contingent defended Parton. (“They came for Dolly. We’re driving at dawn,” one fan wrote.)

In fact, the smear against Parton was so fast and furious that even the author of the shameful article eventually apologized, saying she regretted calling epithets at Parton. “As I wrote in the article, I love her and think she is doing amazing things for the world. We all make bad choices sometimes about how to frame things. This was one of those moments for me! Dolly is one of the rare people who is loved by everyone and loves everyone. The world is lucky to have him,” Andersen wrote.

Dolly Parton speaks onstage at the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame 53rd Anniversary Gala at Music City Center on October 11 in Nashville. (Jason Kempin/Getty Images)

But has the canceled culture train left the station? Did the haters clash and ruin Dolly Parton as the magical unifier she’s long been known for?

It’s not like Parton has avoided politics or spoken out on the issues she cares about. His substantial philanthropic work through his foundation, Dollywood, includes causes such as hospitals and healthcare (including $1 million for Covid-19 vaccine research), animal rights, education and much more. Moreover.

Parton has long supported the LGBTQ2S+ community. She wasn’t afraid to stand on stage at LGBTQ2S+ events and say we should stop judging and love everyone. She also moved past the catfights that country music artists often spew in their lyrics and behind the scenes and instead shared something distinct: kindness. Her biggest hit, “Jolene,” is so sweet in its depiction of another woman, that scholars have analyzed it as a coded lesbian song.

There was something untouchable about Parton. People went after Taylor Swift and spread misinformation about her being the Democratic robot trained to swing the election. Or about the unhinged Kanye West proclaiming extremist conspiracy theories.

But Dolly Parton has weathered the past few years, even decades, largely unscathed by polarization and division.

Parton was all afternoon specials and theme parks and smiles and cleavage. She didn’t have a bad word to say about anyone, and you couldn’t compare her to anything other than the little country belle, fun-loving, sweet, big-voiced, ‘do that ” which is. “If you see someone without a smile today, give them yours,” she once posted on X, formerly Twitter. Its softness could cause root canals.

From left to right, everyone loves Dolly Parton. California gays and Alabama mountain men planned getaways to Dollywood, Parton’s Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, theme park. Nowhere else in America would these two factions walk through a giant pink butterfly-shaped entrance together and line up, excited about the same attractions.

Parton has long been the great equalizer. Which also made her the last whisper of a united, centrist America. I’ve long joked – and worried – that Parton was the canary in the coal mine and when they came for her, all hope was officially lost. As long as Dolly Patron remained happy and unharmed, I assumed America had a chance to overcome its challenges and move forward as a united nation. But now, with the arrows pointed at Parton, all I feel is existential dread (and I also hear the lyrics to “Jolene” playing on repeat in my tired head – why is it so catchy?! ).

Indeed, the coming pitchforks for Dolly Parton are an apt reminder of America’s decline and the sheer terror at the inevitability of civil war. Nothing is sacred, not even your country singing neighbor.

There is, however, a sliver of light that shines through the broken shards that we can grab hold of. One need look no further than the words of the great queen of country herself: “A kaleidoscope of colors, you can spin it around in circles.” You can keep her in your vision, but you never demean her.

Maybe America could dust itself off from this nasty skirmish we find ourselves in and start again. That is, if we can heal from this episode and cancel Dolly Parton.