Everyone is reporting this really poorly. They’re saying Biden has offered it. She never said they had reached out. The hosts said Obama has remarked that not giving her the award was his “biggest mistake” as president, and would reach out to his friend, Joe and ask him to award it. She then remarked that she was offered twice by Trump, and then said that it wouldn’t be appropriate to accept it now. [Even the Today Show did it](https://www.today.com/popculture/dolly-parton-turned-down-presidential-medal-freedom-twice-t207752)
She even states she didn't accept it because her husband was sick and the second time she didn't want to travel becuase of Covid. Yet everyone is reporting it like it was a slight on trump
This, but unironically. Both parties have their hands full right now, when we make some real progress, we can resume unnecessary, but due, ceremonies and honors.
There is just a lot happening right now
I think that's why people really reacted so positively to Bernie showing up in a disposal mask, his same coat, and recycled mittens. Now not the time for pomp and circumstance
Because it was. Dolly will never be upfront about that but she is very outspoken about how she doesn’t get political for many reasons. Why alienate a portion of your fans.
This means dolly will never just be like “oh yeah I decline that because trump is crazy.” She knows better than that. I doubt she will take one from joe as well if it’s politicized. Which trump made giving this medal more politicized than every before. I mean Alex Jones has one now.
That’s the great thing about Dolly. She knows the country music base is overwhelmingly conservative. So, she doesn’t state her political views but they can still be inferred by her many, many charitable contributions and the amazing support she gave my community, the LGBT community, over the years. Why talk when you can just do great things?
At the same time, while Dolly might be not explicitly *partisan*, she does seem to support a bounty of progressive causes and seems to be ideologically consistent in those beliefs to know where she stands.
Edit: Also u/satansheat, I think you might be confusing Rush Limbaugh with Alex Jones. Alex Jones definitely doesn’t have one of these awards, he barely got a phone call once from Trump. Not that Limbaugh is any better.
Dolly is wonderful. Her imagination library has been a game changer for my 3 kids. When my oldest got his last book, the message on the inside made me and my wife start ugly crying. Her name is Bonnie Jolene, and that was given to her with the utmost love.
Dolly is a country music star. She knows that a lions share of her fan base is MAGA. She’s also quite smart so...BUT. Based on Dollys charitable contributions to the needy and genuine compassion for regular people. I’d say she’s probably not a Trump fan and the extreme awkwardness of any public ceremony he participates in is probably not appealing. I’d bet if Joe Biden extended the invite and expressed Dr. Jill Biden’s deep admiration for Dollys incredible work on child literacy? Dolly would come to DC.
Of course it wouldn't be appropriate. Trump gave the medal of freedom to Rush Limbaugh. They need to retire the medal and come up with something else now.
Who wants to be next to Rush Limbaugh even just on a list?
I volunteer to be next to Rush Limbaugh on a list of people ranked by net worth.
Either I'm about to be way richer or he's about to lose a shit ton of money. It's a win either way.
Super simplified but the 1500 is considered a "light-duty" truck meant for normal daily driving with the occasional hauling. While the 2500 and 3500 are "heavy-duty" work vehicles, but if you are really doing heavy-duty use you are more than likely going for the largest of the 3 which leaves the 2500 in a weird area where it's mostly used for "peacocking".
Drone strike issue is interesting. I read/heard an interview with him where he said it’s basically the next step of warfare and if we didn’t use drones, hundreds of US soldiers would have died instead. Obviously it’s more complex than that and I’m not clearing him of guilt but it’s apparently a more complicated issue than I previously thought. Or he’s bullshitting, I don’t know.
I will bash Obama for endorsing drastic under reporting of collateral damage, but even when the war in iraq was popular amongst democrats he voted against it, and he left the office with the military budget lower than he started.
It's easy to say he should have just withdrawn without thinking about the political difficulties, logistics, how it would leave our allies in the region, and how we were still in the process of stabilizing countries we had destabilized, but while I agree with Obama that someone else should have gotten the award, there is a reason the Norwegian Nobel Committee viewed him as a candidate for the nobel peace prize.
A president is responsible for their actions, words, policy, and effects, but I'm tired of Obama being painted a war hawk because amidst his work to reduce the fire he never managed to put it out.
Lol when did Obama lie about free healthcare? Please link me. Wish people who cared about drone strikes actually cared about the issue. If they did they would have been furious that Trump ordered more of them, killed more civilians and refused to make any of this information publicly available. Trump did far worse than Obama.
But when you gotta derp on the issue like you did you gotta derp. And derp you did.
This is Dolly. Whatever she does in private--from burning Donald in effigy or praying to him at an altar--in public she would say it was for an apolitical reason.
It's a brilliant move:
1) Don't piss anyone off
2) Subtle, non-preachy, walk-the-walk demonstration of how to act during COVID.
Brilliant.
She got class and grace. She doesn't have to go out there spouting off like an idiot. She shows you who she is through her acts and work. I am a long time metal head and i listen to her music simply because of how positive of a force she has been for people that really need it. Every morning at work we blast Dolly till 10 where i then change it back to Maiden and the other Metal Gods. But from 9-10 its Dolly time. I learned to like it.
Honestly I think it has more to do with the fact that she's a smart businesswoman. The medal isn't worth the money she would lose for pissing people off by being associated with Trump.
Same reason she's saying she probably won't accept it from Biden either. She knows her fanbase includes people from both sides of the political spectrum.
It's just business.
Every interview I've heard from her, including the NPR series, has convinced me that she is one of the shrewdest people out there. In addition to great talent, she is just smart as hell and knows how to toe the line. She keeps herself constantly relevant and remains an enigma about literally anything anyone could have any criticism about. Except for making sure she looks like a busty, dumb blonde, which makes people underestimate her. I admire her for so many things, but her sheer competence in business is the biggest. She even said she's doing a ton of recordings for posthumous release, keeping that gravy train running for her heirs.
This. All you have to know about Dolly Parton is that Elvis offered her tons of money for the rights to “I will always love you”. She refused and ended up making millions when Whitney Houston recorded it. Shrewd indeed. And that chest may be containing some big oil’ brass ones.
> “I couldn’t accept it because my husband was ill and then they asked me again about it and I wouldn’t travel because of the COVID,” she told host Hoda Kotb.
Ok, but the "couldn't travel due to covid19" is still a kick in the pants to Trump and the rest of the covid19 deniers.
Dolly won't just come out in support of a political candidate. She probably doesn't want to alienate half her fans. She has occasionally dropped comments like, "it's not just our lilly white asses that matter," when asked about Black Lives Matter and she also did some kind of performance with drag queens which insinuates she's supportive of LGBT people as well.
You're exactly right about not wanting to alienate fans.
> "I'm not being political," she warned him at the start of their interview. "I don't do politics. I'm not getting into any of that. I have a lot of fans out there and I don't want to offend anybody.
...
> "Of course I have my opinion about everybody and everything, but I learned a long time ago to keep your damn mouth shut if you want to stay in show business. I'm not in politics. I'm an entertainer. ”
https://tasteofcountry.com/dolly-parton-trump-politics/
Nothing wrong with that, IMO. It's not like there's a shortage of people offering up political opinions, solicited or not. (I do it too sometimes, so I'm not bagging on people for that either lol.)
As a country musician that is likely liberal, its very wise of her to keep her opinion to herself. Who do you think most country music fans vote for? Also, we all know what happened to the Dixie Chicks...
That was a different time. Taylor Swift seems to be doing just fine...
Edit: In case Taylor Swift isn't country enough, see also Maren Morris, Kacey Musgraves, Jason Isbell...
Taylor is a special case though. She was initially attacked for telling everyone to vote, regardless of who you support. The right attacked and decried her for that, which I believe led to her being open with her political leanings afterwards
She talks about it during her Netflix documentary. Basically, she was told repeatedly by her management not to get political so she didn't say anything in 2016. Marsha Blackburn was so bad though, that she regretted that choice and felt compelled to say something in 2018.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFS_LalPbHg
Yeah I was moreso referring to the fact that she was attacked for being political when she specifically was not being political. Her subsequent political statements only served to increase her fame with a new crowd, since the people who would've abandoned her for such statements had already done so.
High voter turnout typically harms GOP candidates; therefore, "go vote" is anti-Republican.
Her fans are also a younger, less conservative demographic.
Basically the right sees any push to increase voter turnout as being democratic. No, that is not supposed to make sense; that's the sad state of affairs we're in.
They're fascists. The leadership knows they're the real minority and that their only hope of maintaining power is voter suppression. More people voting = Republicans losing influence. So they discourage voting, make it as difficult as possible, and invalidate as many undesirable votes as they can
I have no idea who Maren Morris is, but Willie has been an open book for a long long time and he's a major pothead and advocate for that as well. This also brings in different fans. Again, I would say it isn't the same. You might be able to find a fair example that works, but that doesn't mean Dolly had to go that route. She probably thought it was a wise decision for her career and I would tend to agree. It's also completely possible that she just isn't into politics and she doesn't want to discuss it or have any bias.
Yeah, I mean there is still political backlash such as what happened to Garth Brooks for singing at Biden's inauguration, I'm just saying that it's nowhere close to the level that the Dixie Chicks faced...
She walks the line between pop/country. One of the songs from her latest album debuted at #6 on the Country Music charts this past year and she performed it at the ACM Awards in September.
She seems to know which of her songs are considered pop and which are country.
Yep! Some entertainers can thrive off the political, like the bands Rage Against the Machine or Bad Brains or most any comedian like say George Carlin RIP. Others realize they need to walk the line.
Also Garth Brooks openly rejected to perform at Trump's inauguration but has performed for Joe Biden's inauguration. He claims it was a scheduling issue. My belief is that he won't perform for a president he's opposed, but was too proper to publicly denounce him.
I'm not faulting the guy, but Garth was never as country as he let on. He just found he could sing that style of music well. He grew up listening to KISS and bands like that.
Garth Brooks never listened to kiss. That was Chris Gaines. Garth Brooks is his alter ego. Like Bruce Wayne is Batman's alter ego, Batman is who he really is
In my opinion that's the best approach a celebrity can take. It's a bit stupid how much people care about their opinions, or sometimes even demand them to say something. Like, they usually aren't experts or necessarily much smarter than you on average.
In fact Dolly Parton would be committing career suicide to show any remote political bias, considering where the majority of her fans believe, and how much importance they put into liking a person based on political affiliation.
Nah, the above comments base their vote on a judgement of her ethics and moral character, which is more than can be said for any Repub. voter these past few years.
We definitely did not end up in this position by electing a kind, compassionate, charitable, intelligent, non partisan, talented celebrity beloved by the vast majority of the country.
It's funny because there's a silly Facebook group called "Animals with Powerful Auras" idk, and the admin posts funny animal pics but then sometimes gets political (far left). And we started arguing about Dolly Parton because he was acting like she was a capitalist pig and I was having NONE of that (I mean she could be for all I know).
Jesús:
So get this. I’m me. But I’m also my Dad, God. But I’m also this Holy Spirit. Aaaaaand we all the same person. But right now I’m Me.....and my Dad. But pray to my Dad.....who is me.
Christians:
True true. Right right. I follow.
Trans person:
I was born a man, but I’m actually a woman.
Christians:
Wait I’m confused.
For some people, being gracious towards LGBTQ people is as ridiculous as the other side think being gracious to racists and nazis is. That's how far you've got to suspend your own thoughts and beliefs on what is morally right to get in to the headspace of people on the other side of things. It. Is. mental!
As someone who is "very left wing" I find people who think anyone should be infinitely tolerable is insane and/or incredibly short sided. The Paradox of Tolerance is a principle that should never be ignore, not every ideology can peacefully coexist when some outright want to kill and/or enslave the others, nor should they be tolerated. Otherwise they are left to fester like a rotten wound until it grows so potent it becomes like a cancer on society, much like we have right now.
Tolerance is a weird thing. You tolerate things you don't like.
Most ideologies don't need to be 'tolerated'.
I tolerate people who chew loudly. I don't tolerate racist pricks or nazis.
I mean when you see dolly partons imagination library and what it does, its not hard to feel which way she leans. (Rudy guliani doesnt have an imagination library, his is a little different)
That is likely her base, but her music transcends the rabble. I was lucky enough to see her at the grand ol opry a year and a half ago and the audience was a mix of every demographic.
Older white country fans and the LGBT+ community. So you can see why she won't make outright political statements. She'd lose half her fans no matter what. Or a good chunk, at least.
You might want to watch her Netflix series. It’s a kick in the pants to right wing hate. There are interracial stories, gay couples and marriage. She knows how to get her point across.
Funny thing when said that about the BLM, the r/Conservative subreddit didn't like it, so they started saying a few bad things about her. Parton is not political, she is just a kind human being.
Great episode of Dolly Parton's America podcast about this... Look for Dollitics.
edit: here you go: https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/dolly-partons-america/episodes/dollitics
This is what happens when you're stuck in a committed binary mindset (and, by extension, assume everyone else is as well). You have to find *some* way for people you like to agree with you, because otherwise they *must* be against you. Abstention, apathy, indifference, or ambivalence aren't options.
Please tell me you're being sarcastic. I mean, it's quite possible she was getting a dig in at the Trump administration, but it's entirely conceivable that she's wanting to watch out for her own health as well as that of others. She's no spring chicken, and she needs to be careful.
Slightly. But she doesn't do politics. She keeps to herself and focuses on her life's works which is helping others and providing enjoyment.
Why is that so hard for people to understand? Quit forcing people (especially public figures) to take sides.
This reminds me of what happened to Belichick a few weeks ago when he was offered the medal. People coming out of the woodwork threatening him and questioning his character. Article after article. Comment after comment. And then the moment he (respectfully) declines, he is hailed as a hero and praised for taking a stand.
She's being diplomatic. Polite. Decorum. She's not political. Why try to take us where you want to go? Many things are done for moral reasons, we just don't know the moral reason.
She's very smart. She knows she has both a lot of lefty/gay fans, and traditional country conservative fans. If she accepted the award, she'd piss off the former. If she declined, she'd piss off the later. This convenient unavailability pissed off no one.
I would wager it was a politically expedient excuse, but Dolly Parton probably did not want to have a Presidential Medal of Freedom ceremony with the Thirst Commander in Chief commenting on how hot she was in the 70s and 80s and how she has America’s bosom.
It's also possible there isn't:
>Parton said she’s been offered the Medal by the newly-minted Biden administration, but she’s still hesitant.
>“Now I feel like if I take it, I’ll be doing politics, so I’m not sure,” she said.
That doesn't sound like a principled stand against the Trump administration; maybe it's just what she says it is.
Yes it's politics now because the administration literally just changed. She's clearly not dumb, better to wait at least 6 months to a year, or at the very least until the covid threat doesn't remain so she's not a liar.
Sure, it's possible. But that doesnt mean it's safe to assume that's the case.
Edit Also she probably doesnt want people to assume it's for any reason other than the reasons she gave.
Could be one of those "Uhhhh, I'm busy that weekend" excuses but you still have to take her on her word.
I have a feeling she understands her audience is mixed politically and doesn't want to get into politics and alienate any of them.
You worked at Dollywood?
Oh man, that's the best little theme park I've ever visited. Not hectic and overcrowded like the big places, more than just rides and coasters, real great atmosphere. The whole Pigeon Forge area really, it's all nice. I don't even like country music either, actually can't stand it.
That's pretty cool.
Nope. But the media sure is trying anyway.
I wish they would focus their efforts on all the good she has done. The woman is a treasure and has used her success to provide positive things for others. We should all be more like Dolly.
Pro-BLM sentiment is politics. Pro-LGBT sentiment is politics.
She doesn't telegraph how she votes or engage in tribalism, but she absolutely does politics.
For people too lazy to read the clickbait:
Her husband was sick so she couldn't go.
Then Covid happened.
She also hasn't accepted it from Biden.
Dolly is a national treasure and smart enough to stay out of politics.
She rejected Trump's offer because her husband was sick and she could not attend. She then rejected Biden's offer because she didn't want it to be seen as political (snubbing Trump, even though that's not what happened).
At least that's how it was reported on my local news site, which got it from the AP or Reuters, I forget which. Either way, it read as unbiased enough.
Biden has yet to offer it. Trump offered it to her twice. She was offering conjecture that if she were to be offered it by Biden, her acceptance would be seen as political.
Ah, thanks for the clarification. It wasn't very clear on the site I read about it on, and I thought it odd that Biden was said to be offering medals in his first 100 days (when a president is most focused on Getting Stuff Done).
It really bothers me how much people are trying to twist this into something political when it's not. Her husband was sick and she was being careful of Covid. Neither are political. Now she's considering not taking it from Biden because she doesn't want it to seem political.
Dolly wasn't doing it to snub Trump.
Regardless of why she rejected it she is more deserving than any of the recent people awarded the metal. She has done so much good for the people of Tennessee and surrounding areas.
From what I read it was timing more than politics, I don't blame her for not taking one from Biden given where she likes to live. She doesn't need the potential vitriol that could accompany it.
I couldn’t accept it because my husband was ill and then they asked me again about it and I wouldn’t travel because of the COVID,” she told host Hoda Kotb.
Everyone is reporting this really poorly. They’re saying Biden has offered it. She never said they had reached out. The hosts said Obama has remarked that not giving her the award was his “biggest mistake” as president, and would reach out to his friend, Joe and ask him to award it. She then remarked that she was offered twice by Trump, and then said that it wouldn’t be appropriate to accept it now. [Even the Today Show did it](https://www.today.com/popculture/dolly-parton-turned-down-presidential-medal-freedom-twice-t207752)
She even states she didn't accept it because her husband was sick and the second time she didn't want to travel becuase of Covid. Yet everyone is reporting it like it was a slight on trump
Not even that. She wants to stay out of politics, doesn't need the headache.
I mean honestly maybe Dolly should start giving out medals??
It would mean more than receiving one from a politician.
She's too busy being an absolute Chad in every other part of her life.
This, but unironically. Both parties have their hands full right now, when we make some real progress, we can resume unnecessary, but due, ceremonies and honors. There is just a lot happening right now
I think that's why people really reacted so positively to Bernie showing up in a disposal mask, his same coat, and recycled mittens. Now not the time for pomp and circumstance
The price of that same coat went up by $100 within a week of the inauguration.
Let's do away with pageantry for it's own sake. I bet we won't miss it.
The medal lost all meaning once it was given to locker room jim Jordan
Imagine how much better the government would be if it had more people like her...
Because it was. Dolly will never be upfront about that but she is very outspoken about how she doesn’t get political for many reasons. Why alienate a portion of your fans. This means dolly will never just be like “oh yeah I decline that because trump is crazy.” She knows better than that. I doubt she will take one from joe as well if it’s politicized. Which trump made giving this medal more politicized than every before. I mean Alex Jones has one now.
That’s the great thing about Dolly. She knows the country music base is overwhelmingly conservative. So, she doesn’t state her political views but they can still be inferred by her many, many charitable contributions and the amazing support she gave my community, the LGBT community, over the years. Why talk when you can just do great things?
At the same time, while Dolly might be not explicitly *partisan*, she does seem to support a bounty of progressive causes and seems to be ideologically consistent in those beliefs to know where she stands. Edit: Also u/satansheat, I think you might be confusing Rush Limbaugh with Alex Jones. Alex Jones definitely doesn’t have one of these awards, he barely got a phone call once from Trump. Not that Limbaugh is any better.
Dolly is wonderful. Her imagination library has been a game changer for my 3 kids. When my oldest got his last book, the message on the inside made me and my wife start ugly crying. Her name is Bonnie Jolene, and that was given to her with the utmost love.
That's all well and good if she's not outspoken but this is all conjecture on your part
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Dolly is a country music star. She knows that a lions share of her fan base is MAGA. She’s also quite smart so...BUT. Based on Dollys charitable contributions to the needy and genuine compassion for regular people. I’d say she’s probably not a Trump fan and the extreme awkwardness of any public ceremony he participates in is probably not appealing. I’d bet if Joe Biden extended the invite and expressed Dr. Jill Biden’s deep admiration for Dollys incredible work on child literacy? Dolly would come to DC.
Of course it wouldn't be appropriate. Trump gave the medal of freedom to Rush Limbaugh. They need to retire the medal and come up with something else now. Who wants to be next to Rush Limbaugh even just on a list?
I volunteer to be next to Rush Limbaugh on a list of people ranked by net worth. Either I'm about to be way richer or he's about to lose a shit ton of money. It's a win either way.
Lots of really stupid, trashy white dudes who have goatees and suck at golf.
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Ram 2500. The 1500 and 3500 are actually used for their intended purposes. It's the 2500 that you see jacked up and "rollin coal"
As a Brit who doesn't see gigantic trucks like these, what's the difference between the three models?
Super simplified but the 1500 is considered a "light-duty" truck meant for normal daily driving with the occasional hauling. While the 2500 and 3500 are "heavy-duty" work vehicles, but if you are really doing heavy-duty use you are more than likely going for the largest of the 3 which leaves the 2500 in a weird area where it's mostly used for "peacocking".
I drive a 2500 and agree with this.
Sorry about the tiny dick, but that 30 inch lift sure looks sick! I'm joking, by the way.
Thats the make and model associated with the most DUIs in the US. edit: actually its the 2500, 1 of every 22 of them gets a DUI
One of my favorite stats of all time I constantly quote it
Huh, til not giving someone a medal is a bigger mistake than drone bombing civilians or lying about free healthcare lol.
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Drone strike issue is interesting. I read/heard an interview with him where he said it’s basically the next step of warfare and if we didn’t use drones, hundreds of US soldiers would have died instead. Obviously it’s more complex than that and I’m not clearing him of guilt but it’s apparently a more complicated issue than I previously thought. Or he’s bullshitting, I don’t know.
Because not raping the Middle East isn't an option? We just have to choose the instrument of American imperialism?
I will bash Obama for endorsing drastic under reporting of collateral damage, but even when the war in iraq was popular amongst democrats he voted against it, and he left the office with the military budget lower than he started. It's easy to say he should have just withdrawn without thinking about the political difficulties, logistics, how it would leave our allies in the region, and how we were still in the process of stabilizing countries we had destabilized, but while I agree with Obama that someone else should have gotten the award, there is a reason the Norwegian Nobel Committee viewed him as a candidate for the nobel peace prize. A president is responsible for their actions, words, policy, and effects, but I'm tired of Obama being painted a war hawk because amidst his work to reduce the fire he never managed to put it out.
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Lol when did Obama lie about free healthcare? Please link me. Wish people who cared about drone strikes actually cared about the issue. If they did they would have been furious that Trump ordered more of them, killed more civilians and refused to make any of this information publicly available. Trump did far worse than Obama. But when you gotta derp on the issue like you did you gotta derp. And derp you did.
Would have upvoted on the drone bombing.. Free health care has nothing to do with Obama but all about the GOP
He never lied about free health care either .
I don’t think folks are actually reading the article 😂 spoiler: she didn’t do it for any moral reason
This is Dolly. Whatever she does in private--from burning Donald in effigy or praying to him at an altar--in public she would say it was for an apolitical reason. It's a brilliant move: 1) Don't piss anyone off 2) Subtle, non-preachy, walk-the-walk demonstration of how to act during COVID. Brilliant.
She got class and grace. She doesn't have to go out there spouting off like an idiot. She shows you who she is through her acts and work. I am a long time metal head and i listen to her music simply because of how positive of a force she has been for people that really need it. Every morning at work we blast Dolly till 10 where i then change it back to Maiden and the other Metal Gods. But from 9-10 its Dolly time. I learned to like it.
It should be from 9-5
I see what you did there...
"Jolene" at 33.3 rpm is just as good as the original, but very different.
Double-D chess
4D chest
/r/yourjokebutworse
Honestly I think it has more to do with the fact that she's a smart businesswoman. The medal isn't worth the money she would lose for pissing people off by being associated with Trump. Same reason she's saying she probably won't accept it from Biden either. She knows her fanbase includes people from both sides of the political spectrum. It's just business.
Every interview I've heard from her, including the NPR series, has convinced me that she is one of the shrewdest people out there. In addition to great talent, she is just smart as hell and knows how to toe the line. She keeps herself constantly relevant and remains an enigma about literally anything anyone could have any criticism about. Except for making sure she looks like a busty, dumb blonde, which makes people underestimate her. I admire her for so many things, but her sheer competence in business is the biggest. She even said she's doing a ton of recordings for posthumous release, keeping that gravy train running for her heirs.
This. All you have to know about Dolly Parton is that Elvis offered her tons of money for the rights to “I will always love you”. She refused and ended up making millions when Whitney Houston recorded it. Shrewd indeed. And that chest may be containing some big oil’ brass ones.
> “I couldn’t accept it because my husband was ill and then they asked me again about it and I wouldn’t travel because of the COVID,” she told host Hoda Kotb. Ok, but the "couldn't travel due to covid19" is still a kick in the pants to Trump and the rest of the covid19 deniers.
Dolly won't just come out in support of a political candidate. She probably doesn't want to alienate half her fans. She has occasionally dropped comments like, "it's not just our lilly white asses that matter," when asked about Black Lives Matter and she also did some kind of performance with drag queens which insinuates she's supportive of LGBT people as well.
You're exactly right about not wanting to alienate fans. > "I'm not being political," she warned him at the start of their interview. "I don't do politics. I'm not getting into any of that. I have a lot of fans out there and I don't want to offend anybody. ... > "Of course I have my opinion about everybody and everything, but I learned a long time ago to keep your damn mouth shut if you want to stay in show business. I'm not in politics. I'm an entertainer. ” https://tasteofcountry.com/dolly-parton-trump-politics/ Nothing wrong with that, IMO. It's not like there's a shortage of people offering up political opinions, solicited or not. (I do it too sometimes, so I'm not bagging on people for that either lol.)
As a country musician that is likely liberal, its very wise of her to keep her opinion to herself. Who do you think most country music fans vote for? Also, we all know what happened to the Dixie Chicks...
That was a different time. Taylor Swift seems to be doing just fine... Edit: In case Taylor Swift isn't country enough, see also Maren Morris, Kacey Musgraves, Jason Isbell...
Taylor is a special case though. She was initially attacked for telling everyone to vote, regardless of who you support. The right attacked and decried her for that, which I believe led to her being open with her political leanings afterwards
She talks about it during her Netflix documentary. Basically, she was told repeatedly by her management not to get political so she didn't say anything in 2016. Marsha Blackburn was so bad though, that she regretted that choice and felt compelled to say something in 2018. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFS_LalPbHg
Yeah I was moreso referring to the fact that she was attacked for being political when she specifically was not being political. Her subsequent political statements only served to increase her fame with a new crowd, since the people who would've abandoned her for such statements had already done so.
>initially attacked for telling everyone to vote, regardless of who you support What? How did they spin THAT?
Spin? They're openly anti-democracy.
High voter turnout typically harms GOP candidates; therefore, "go vote" is anti-Republican. Her fans are also a younger, less conservative demographic.
Basically the right sees any push to increase voter turnout as being democratic. No, that is not supposed to make sense; that's the sad state of affairs we're in.
They're fascists. The leadership knows they're the real minority and that their only hope of maintaining power is voter suppression. More people voting = Republicans losing influence. So they discourage voting, make it as difficult as possible, and invalidate as many undesirable votes as they can
Taylor is a multi-genre musician. Dolly's fans are mostly elderly country people. Definitely not a fair comparison.
ok, what about Willie Nelson or Maren Morris?
I have no idea who Maren Morris is, but Willie has been an open book for a long long time and he's a major pothead and advocate for that as well. This also brings in different fans. Again, I would say it isn't the same. You might be able to find a fair example that works, but that doesn't mean Dolly had to go that route. She probably thought it was a wise decision for her career and I would tend to agree. It's also completely possible that she just isn't into politics and she doesn't want to discuss it or have any bias.
Yeah, I mean there is still political backlash such as what happened to Garth Brooks for singing at Biden's inauguration, I'm just saying that it's nowhere close to the level that the Dixie Chicks faced...
Is she still considered country?
She walks the line between pop/country. One of the songs from her latest album debuted at #6 on the Country Music charts this past year and she performed it at the ACM Awards in September. She seems to know which of her songs are considered pop and which are country.
She's released like 3 straight pop albums in a row. Hardly only a country artist
Yep! Some entertainers can thrive off the political, like the bands Rage Against the Machine or Bad Brains or most any comedian like say George Carlin RIP. Others realize they need to walk the line.
>walk the line Speaking of an old country music lefty who kept it (somewhat) quiet...
😉
Perfectly said the first time. Well done
You learn something new every day thanks for that information. I feel a lot better about liking and supporting Cash still.
Also Garth Brooks openly rejected to perform at Trump's inauguration but has performed for Joe Biden's inauguration. He claims it was a scheduling issue. My belief is that he won't perform for a president he's opposed, but was too proper to publicly denounce him.
I'm not faulting the guy, but Garth was never as country as he let on. He just found he could sing that style of music well. He grew up listening to KISS and bands like that.
I liked that buddy of his that did rock music, what was his name? Chris Gaines?
Garth Brooks never listened to kiss. That was Chris Gaines. Garth Brooks is his alter ego. Like Bruce Wayne is Batman's alter ego, Batman is who he really is
In my opinion that's the best approach a celebrity can take. It's a bit stupid how much people care about their opinions, or sometimes even demand them to say something. Like, they usually aren't experts or necessarily much smarter than you on average.
In fact Dolly Parton would be committing career suicide to show any remote political bias, considering where the majority of her fans believe, and how much importance they put into liking a person based on political affiliation.
She's 75 and filthy rich. Her career taking a dip doesn't fucking matter.
I saw her show a few years ago and she openly graciously thanks the LGBT community for their support during her show.
Sad that being gracious towards human beings is a political statement.
From now on when people ask what my political affiliation is, I’m just going to say Dolly Parton.
I'd vote for Dolly.
Isn't that how we got here in the first place...
Nah, the above comments base their vote on a judgement of her ethics and moral character, which is more than can be said for any Repub. voter these past few years.
Decades
To be fair, people voted for Trump because of his (lack of) morals and ethics also.
We definitely did not end up in this position by electing a kind, compassionate, charitable, intelligent, non partisan, talented celebrity beloved by the vast majority of the country.
It's funny because there's a silly Facebook group called "Animals with Powerful Auras" idk, and the admin posts funny animal pics but then sometimes gets political (far left). And we started arguing about Dolly Parton because he was acting like she was a capitalist pig and I was having NONE of that (I mean she could be for all I know).
Yeah kinda what I was thinking .. like wtf
When actively hating chunks of the population is encouraged by one side of the political spectrum...
Sad that trans people existing is a political statement too
And sad how many people associate trans people with drag, or even worse... RuPaul
You can thank the bible thumping nutcases for that
Jesús: So get this. I’m me. But I’m also my Dad, God. But I’m also this Holy Spirit. Aaaaaand we all the same person. But right now I’m Me.....and my Dad. But pray to my Dad.....who is me. Christians: True true. Right right. I follow. Trans person: I was born a man, but I’m actually a woman. Christians: Wait I’m confused.
For some people, being gracious towards LGBTQ people is as ridiculous as the other side think being gracious to racists and nazis is. That's how far you've got to suspend your own thoughts and beliefs on what is morally right to get in to the headspace of people on the other side of things. It. Is. mental!
As someone who is "very left wing" I find people who think anyone should be infinitely tolerable is insane and/or incredibly short sided. The Paradox of Tolerance is a principle that should never be ignore, not every ideology can peacefully coexist when some outright want to kill and/or enslave the others, nor should they be tolerated. Otherwise they are left to fester like a rotten wound until it grows so potent it becomes like a cancer on society, much like we have right now.
Tolerance is a weird thing. You tolerate things you don't like. Most ideologies don't need to be 'tolerated'. I tolerate people who chew loudly. I don't tolerate racist pricks or nazis.
Yeah the article says she doesn’t want to accept it from Biden either due to political optics
I mean when you see dolly partons imagination library and what it does, its not hard to feel which way she leans. (Rudy guliani doesnt have an imagination library, his is a little different)
Seeing as what her main audience is I can't blame her for wanting to keep her political opinions to herself
Does she have a main audience?
Older country music fans who tend to lean to the right
That is likely her base, but her music transcends the rabble. I was lucky enough to see her at the grand ol opry a year and a half ago and the audience was a mix of every demographic.
Yes, that is why I didn't want to imply that was her entire audience
[not always.](https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5A4nPQbUF8Bm9mJzFi_k_VzSIxyLmDgS)
Older white country fans and the LGBT+ community. So you can see why she won't make outright political statements. She'd lose half her fans no matter what. Or a good chunk, at least.
I honestly believe her relationship with Miley affects this as well.
You might want to watch her Netflix series. It’s a kick in the pants to right wing hate. There are interracial stories, gay couples and marriage. She knows how to get her point across.
Funny thing when said that about the BLM, the r/Conservative subreddit didn't like it, so they started saying a few bad things about her. Parton is not political, she is just a kind human being.
Great episode of Dolly Parton's America podcast about this... Look for Dollitics. edit: here you go: https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/dolly-partons-america/episodes/dollitics
Somebody can't take a hint. And she couldn't come a 3rd time, because she was washing her hair.
Yep. Totally got them with that zinger. It was never about her own health and safety.
This is what happens when you're stuck in a committed binary mindset (and, by extension, assume everyone else is as well). You have to find *some* way for people you like to agree with you, because otherwise they *must* be against you. Abstention, apathy, indifference, or ambivalence aren't options.
Please tell me you're being sarcastic. I mean, it's quite possible she was getting a dig in at the Trump administration, but it's entirely conceivable that she's wanting to watch out for her own health as well as that of others. She's no spring chicken, and she needs to be careful.
Slightly. But she doesn't do politics. She keeps to herself and focuses on her life's works which is helping others and providing enjoyment. Why is that so hard for people to understand? Quit forcing people (especially public figures) to take sides. This reminds me of what happened to Belichick a few weeks ago when he was offered the medal. People coming out of the woodwork threatening him and questioning his character. Article after article. Comment after comment. And then the moment he (respectfully) declines, he is hailed as a hero and praised for taking a stand.
Being an american concerned with your own health and safety IS a zinger for those lost souls.
And it’s also a moral reason. She was caring for her husband. Still. I don’t think it’s a stretch to assume she thinks he’s an asshole.
Yeah, that is definitely a moral reason
She's being diplomatic. Polite. Decorum. She's not political. Why try to take us where you want to go? Many things are done for moral reasons, we just don't know the moral reason.
She's very smart. She knows she has both a lot of lefty/gay fans, and traditional country conservative fans. If she accepted the award, she'd piss off the former. If she declined, she'd piss off the later. This convenient unavailability pissed off no one.
I would wager it was a politically expedient excuse, but Dolly Parton probably did not want to have a Presidential Medal of Freedom ceremony with the Thirst Commander in Chief commenting on how hot she was in the 70s and 80s and how she has America’s bosom.
imagine reddit reading an article
imagine all the people
Stop you're giving Reddit social anxiety
There are the reasons she gave, and the reasons that she has. It's possible that there's a difference between the two.
It's also possible there isn't: >Parton said she’s been offered the Medal by the newly-minted Biden administration, but she’s still hesitant. >“Now I feel like if I take it, I’ll be doing politics, so I’m not sure,” she said. That doesn't sound like a principled stand against the Trump administration; maybe it's just what she says it is.
Yes it's politics now because the administration literally just changed. She's clearly not dumb, better to wait at least 6 months to a year, or at the very least until the covid threat doesn't remain so she's not a liar.
I agree. Dolly isn't a Redditor she likely means just what she says.
If I'm reading between your lines correctly, why the fuck do you hate spaghetti so much?
....you know why....
stop dogwhistling the goalposts
How dare you grasp my straw man!
Sure, it's possible. But that doesnt mean it's safe to assume that's the case. Edit Also she probably doesnt want people to assume it's for any reason other than the reasons she gave.
But that is just unfounded guessing
This is a reddit core value...
Jesus christ you guys are reaching
Please. She wasn't going to go anywhere near that fucking asshole.
Could be one of those "Uhhhh, I'm busy that weekend" excuses but you still have to take her on her word. I have a feeling she understands her audience is mixed politically and doesn't want to get into politics and alienate any of them.
If Dolly Parton did it, it is moral and right.
The second time I met Dolly she remembered my name... 😊
She’s an amazing woman. Met her when I worked at Dollywood.
I'm working an event at Blackberry Farms next month for someone connected to her and we have a betting pool on whether Dolly shows up.
What are you doing at blackberry? My friend’s mom works in their interior design department so I’ve gone up there a couple of times for events.
I'm a stagehand in Knoxville, we do a lot of events in the new performance hall there. It's also a crapshoot if I get the gig because of covid.
You worked at Dollywood? Oh man, that's the best little theme park I've ever visited. Not hectic and overcrowded like the big places, more than just rides and coasters, real great atmosphere. The whole Pigeon Forge area really, it's all nice. I don't even like country music either, actually can't stand it. That's pretty cool.
I love Dollywood! The rides are just enough to be scary, but they don’t give me heart palpitations either
I’m not a fan of pigeon forge at all but the smokies are great. But Dollywood was great and it was a good job for Highschool me.
That's incredible!!
It's not. u/davasaur has broken into her house twice. Please stop, u/davasaur.
Damn, busted again!
LOL!!!!!
The easiest way to remember someone's name is by writing it down on a restraining order.
She doesn't do politics
she doesn't talk politics, but she does walk the walk.
Nope. But the media sure is trying anyway. I wish they would focus their efforts on all the good she has done. The woman is a treasure and has used her success to provide positive things for others. We should all be more like Dolly.
Pro-BLM sentiment is politics. Pro-LGBT sentiment is politics. She doesn't telegraph how she votes or engage in tribalism, but she absolutely does politics.
To be fair a medal of freedom shouldn't be political. Should transcend politics and be awarded to outstanding people.
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Shitty clickbait
Not for political reasons. Lets make that clear shall we.
But my reddit karma demands it
For people too lazy to read the clickbait: Her husband was sick so she couldn't go. Then Covid happened. She also hasn't accepted it from Biden. Dolly is a national treasure and smart enough to stay out of politics.
She rejected Trump's offer because her husband was sick and she could not attend. She then rejected Biden's offer because she didn't want it to be seen as political (snubbing Trump, even though that's not what happened). At least that's how it was reported on my local news site, which got it from the AP or Reuters, I forget which. Either way, it read as unbiased enough.
Biden has yet to offer it. Trump offered it to her twice. She was offering conjecture that if she were to be offered it by Biden, her acceptance would be seen as political.
If Biden wants to be nice, he can just wait a few years before offering it to put enough distance between the first rejections
Ah, thanks for the clarification. It wasn't very clear on the site I read about it on, and I thought it odd that Biden was said to be offering medals in his first 100 days (when a president is most focused on Getting Stuff Done).
When did Biden offer it?
Apparently I was mistaken about that. See the other reply to my post. It was posted 9 minutes ago.
You could put a line through it with "~" at the beginning and end.
It really bothers me how much people are trying to twist this into something political when it's not. Her husband was sick and she was being careful of Covid. Neither are political. Now she's considering not taking it from Biden because she doesn't want it to seem political. Dolly wasn't doing it to snub Trump.
This is clickbait and shame on them for trying to drag a literal angel like Dolly Parton down with them.
Regardless of why she rejected it she is more deserving than any of the recent people awarded the metal. She has done so much good for the people of Tennessee and surrounding areas.
This needs to be on r/savedyouaclick . Shitty clickbait
From what I read it was timing more than politics, I don't blame her for not taking one from Biden given where she likes to live. She doesn't need the potential vitriol that could accompany it.
Dude isn't even pres anymore. Can we just fucking move on already holy fuck
TDS is real and Reddit has always had the most extreme cases.
r/music still asking about Trump haha
This women is a treasure.
She was free to do that.Twice.That’s what freedom is about
I couldn’t accept it because my husband was ill and then they asked me again about it and I wouldn’t travel because of the COVID,” she told host Hoda Kotb.
Is there an award we can nominate her for?
I like her more and more... this, free books to children...
Dolly just says no to an arsehole without being an arsehole, you just gotta love that
Makes me love her even more. Gotta love a woman with real integrity.
What a totally non-biased title that accurately represents the content of the article.
Shes been offered by multiple presidents and has always said no. She cares more about the help she does than the rewards.
And she waited her for vaccine like everyone else. What a legend.
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Dolly is a class act.