With the passing of Dolly Parton, an era has ended. This era is defined not by her personality, but by a type of figure that once unified the nation.
There used to be many such unifying figures in American culture—celebrities, stars, political and sports figures. They were legends that usually personified certain American traits and ways of being to which most people could relate. These celebrities were not ideological but more cultural icons—part Hollywood, part John Wayne, part American Way of Life.
Such legendary figures flourished especially around the fifties and carved out a niche inside the American psyche. They often lived troubled, even immoral lives, yet projected an air of vitality.
Dolly Parton was one of these figures who built up a legend like so many others. However, she was different because she attached herself to a legend at the very end of those times when legends still lived. She had to fight hard to keep it alive.
Over the years, she rode out the cultural storm that destroyed other, less fortunate figures and survived with the tattered remains of her legend. She was known much more for what she was perceived to be than who she actually was. She encapsulated her legend inside her Dollywood theme park, which could awaken Cracker Barrel-like nostalgia for times long past.
In these hostile times, when everyone thinks only of themselves, legends do not age well. Thus, as she aged, her legend aged too, in all its garish, flashy tones. Sensing the times, she also shifted her cultural values and positions, unfortunately trying to accommodate everyone behind a neutral veneer, a Southern accent and a ready smile.
Thus, Dolly lived a paradox of clashing values and untenable positions. She managed to appeal to all ideological, cultural and social extremes and everything in between. Rather than unify the nation, she let everyone remember her as they wanted her to be, but always harkening back to those simple times when legends still lived. Thus, praise for her ranged from Democrats, DSAers and Republicans to pro-lifers and LGBT activists and from Fr. James Martin to President Donald Trump.
All wanted to claim her as their own, although she represented none of them entirely. And so she remains just one more of those superficial entertainment legends that will not endure like the heroes and saints of yore.
Most will take leave of Dolly Parton with all the passion of a final Facebook post. They might remember a feel-good moment from the past. However, the era of such legends is over. Its icons are fading away. They never had what it takes to build a lasting legacy: an authentic and solid moral foundation.
Photo Credit: © Joseph Hendrickson– stock.adobe.com