“Stereotypes”: Deconstructing Dolly Parton

Dolly Parton is an icon — and one of the most beloved figures in the culture. When she began her career, she crafted an image around a town floozy in her tiny TN town whose colorful look had fascinated her as a child. Of course, it didn’t take long for jokes about her appearance (big hair, big boobs) to become part of the act. Dolly took them all in stride, turning them on their head with songs like “Dumb Blonde” and comments like “It takes a lot of money to look this cheap.”

Of course, the “image” belied a ferocious talent as a singer, songwriter, author, and actor — not to mention an exceptional head for business and heart for philanthropy. In this episode of our series, Stereotypes, we break down a bit of what makes Dolly Parton tick.

-The CS Team

-Photo: Getty Images