Dolly Parton's death draws rare bipartisan

Dolly Parton died this week, prompting tributes from across the American political spectrum. A recent YouGov poll gave the singer a net approval rating of 65%, compared to much lower figures for contemporary political leaders.

Former President Donald Trump ordered flags flown at half-mast and wrote on social media that "there has never been anyone like her, and never will." Hillary Clinton posted that "she was the best of America." This bipartisan response highlighted Parton's unique position in a divided nation.

A Calculated Neutrality

Sarah Phillips, a professor teaching an Anthropology of Dolly Parton course at Indiana University, told the BBC that Parton "is the one person who straddles political divides… the so-called culture wars." Much of that universal appeal was attributed to her steadfast refusal to weigh into partisan politics.

"I've got as many Republican fans as Democrats and I don't want to make any of them mad at me, so I don't play politics," Parton once said in a Fox News interview. This philosophy extended to her declining the Presidential Medal of Freedom from two different presidents, Donald Trump and Joe Biden, to avoid appearing to favor one side.

Politics on Her Own Terms

Despite avoiding party labels, Parton was never apolitical. She spoke about women's rights, LGBTQ equality, and Black Lives Matter. Phillips argued this commitment to speaking her mind, alongside an "amazing sense of self," was integral to her appeal.

"She has always been a model for women, carving your own path, looking out for yourself, making sure that you retain the rights to your intellectual property," Phillips said. "And if that's not feminism, I don't know what is." Parton demonstrated this early, refusing to distance herself from co-star Jane Fonda during the 1980 film 9 to 5, despite Fonda's controversial political activism.

Image and Philanthropy

Parton's glamorous, camp image was a deliberately cultivated part of her shrewd entrepreneurship. In a famous 1977 interview, when journalist Barbara Walters suggested her look was a joke, Parton retorted that the joke was on the public, and she knew exactly what she was doing.

Her philanthropy was deeply personal, stemming from growing up in poverty in a one-room cabin with 11 siblings. Initiatives included the Imagination Library, which sends free books to children, and helping fund the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine. She also owned Dollywood, the largest employer in its Tennessee county.

James Rogers, president of the board of the American Eagle Foundation, recalled Parton's kindness, describing how she once detoured an entire entourage to kneel and talk to his young daughter. Phillips, who grew up near Parton's home region, said the singer "wants all boats to rise" and embodied an old-fashioned American Dream of hard work and talent. The professor noted that when she asks audiences abroad to name their country's equivalent to Dolly Parton, nobody has an answer.