1 Trending: Dolly Parton’s Catalog Is More Than Just Catchy Tunes

2 Trending: Pastor: The ‘Sin Of Empathy’ Plagues Lindsay Clancy’s Fangirls

3 Trending: Trump’s ‘Largest Single Mass Revocation Of Visas’ Is Why Midterm Turnout Matters

4 Trending: How Leftist Nonprofits Connected To Republicans And Judges Enable Crime Sprees In Red States Like Oklahoma

America Can’t Make Shared National Treasures Like Dolly Parton Anymore

Where the pop stars of today see an audience to be lectured, Parton saw people to be entertained, comforted, and loved.

Share Article on Facebook

Share Article on Twitter

Share Article on Truth Social

Share Article via Email

In the days and weeks ahead, Dolly Parton will be honored for many of her accomplishments and wonderful characteristics, but one in particular will be her place in American history as a figure that spanned the divide of politics. We will watch both the left and the right hail her as a “national treasure” and an “American icon” in a way that we may never see again. The beloved country music star’s death is another heartbreaking reminder that, for many reasons, America can no longer produce stars or heroes that can earn or sustain a wide cultural fan base comparable to Parton’s.

Consider today’s female country music stars, such as Kacey Musgraves, who like Parton came from a small rural town, but unlike Parton, quickly abandoned her hometown’s values. Just this week, Musgraves kicked off a concert in Chicago by suspending from the ceiling sitting on a testicle-shaped disco ball, and then asking fans to donate to a charity for children “whose parents have been deported unfairly.” She’s also had her share of angry tweets at the president and calls for gun control.

In contrast, Parton refused to alienate fans on either side of the political aisle, and not just because it was financially savvy to do so. She was an outspoken Christian her entire life, and openly cited her faith in God as the motivation behind every........

© The Federalist