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Dolly Parton Was The Ultimate Southern Woman

Dolly was strong and feminine in equal measure, and the people she loved were no doubt her greatest pride.

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When I think of Dolly Parton, two things come to mind besides her iconic music. First, this photo, which appeared in a copy of Southern Living Magazine that I found on my grandmother’s coffee table as a young teenager, and which inspired me to cake my adolescent eyelids in sparkly white eyeshadow for months afterward. And second, her performance as Truvy Jones, the beauty shop owner and all-around community holder-togetherer in the 1989 masterpiece Steel Magnolias.

The movie is full of beloved and humorous archetypes of Southern women, and if you haven’t seen it, stop what you’re doing and go watch it, in Dolly’s memory. But none capture the heart of their subject material quite like Dolly, who was effectively hired to play herself, as she discussed in her memoir. Truvy Jones owns the beauty shop that functions as the preeminent third place for the women of her small Louisiana town, and we meet her with curlers piled high on her head, bantering good-naturedly with her husband. Like a true Southern matriarch, her wit is as sharp as her eyeliner. Her one-liners alone are worth watching the movie for:

Louie brought his new girlfriend over, and the nicest thing I can say about her is all her tattoos are spelled correctly. When it comes to pain and suffering, she’s right up there with Elizabeth Taylor. There’s so much static electricity in this room, I pick up everything but boys and money.

Louie brought his new girlfriend over, and the nicest thing I can say about her is all her tattoos are spelled correctly.

When it comes to pain and........

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