Let’s start out by saying that a monument to a former leader of the KKK is kind of an odd statue to keep up unless a state is entirely proud of the statement that such a thing makes. But then let’s counter it by asking “Why in the hell did it take this long for people to become offended to this degree?” The act of replacing every Confederate statue or monument with the likeness of Dolly Parton feels like a knee-jerk reaction however. The people stating that those that forget history are doomed to repeat it aren’t wrong, but perhaps a museum exhibit can be created in which the statues that are being taken down would be allowed to stand as a reminder of the days that so many want to forget or at least warn people against. As it goes however, the idea that’s being covered MovieWeb’s writers and many others to erect statues of Dolly Parton all over Tennessee isn’t the worst idea in the world, but it’s certainly an odd one. It feels too much like an extension of the mob mentality, in which one person says something only to have it parroted again and again, over and over until people finally listen. While it’s true that it would be a little more uplifting and even more apt to make people proud of the forward movement they’ve taken, it’s also yet another bend of the knee to pressure being applied by those that are pushing for a change that might end up folding over on them if they’re not careful. The belief might be that Dolly’s image would never be taken down for the same reasons, and that’s an obvious observation, but at the same time it still feels like an imperfect solution.
There aren’t a lot that would agree with this and for good reason since the monuments that are being petitioned for replacement with Dolly’s image are of those that served the Confederacy in a manner that was considered to be absolutely despicable. It’s hard to argue against that with a straight face since the inhumanity that was visited by slavery practices is a dark part of the nation’s history that subjugated people for no better reason than because they were black. The replacing of said monuments with Dolly Parton’s likeness is to be seen a something positive, an upbeat way to look at Tennessee and what they value considering that Dolly has stood for helping people throughout the years and has done nothing but treat people with dignity and respect that she’s felt that everyone deserves. It’s easy to imagine the criticism for saying anything against this, but while a single statue of Dolly Parton might be well and good, making all monuments over in her image feels a bit too much, even for being who she is and what she’s done. There are plenty of other celebrities that might be able to find some sort of place in the state where the monuments have been taken out, or perhaps something a little more unifying might be placed instead.
No offense to Dolly Parton, as she’s done plenty for the world at large and has risen quite a ways in her career to the point of being a legend, but immortalizing her by plastering her likeness all over the state feels like overkill, especially when Tennessee can bring up so many other famous names to brag about such as Minnie Pearl, Bessie Smith, Davy Crockett, Johnny Ace, Kathy Bates, and many more. For one reason or another people don’t appear to be bringing up more than one name at this time and it’s a bit telling when it comes to the current movement that there’s a certain direction that society is trying to move that might feel justified in the minds of many, but is bound to head off in the wrong direction at some point. Dolly Parton is a worthy candidate for a monument to be sure, but in light of how people are wanting to give more and more prominence to the lives of POC’s it might be nice to see mention of someone other than Dolly, especially given that Tennessee can boast quite a few famous names when it comes to the performing arts.
Personally I have nothing against Dolly Parton, other than the minor idea that I don’t care much for her music. But that’s not enough to deny that she would be a fitting addition to Tennessee’s landscape as a monument that people could actually enjoy looking at. But if we’re going to try hiding a history one might a well mention a bunch of other names that are likely deserving of a monument to their memory due to what they gave to the public. After all, Dolly is just one name out of many.
Follow Us
