Can a performance be undeniably legendary and remembered while simultaneously seeming cringeworthy? If you were to attend the 2023 Thanksgiving football game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Washingtоn Commanders, you may have that kind of attitude about Dolly Parton.
As soon as the cameras focused on Dolly Parton after the commercial break, it became clear what worked with the performance and why so many people were praising it. Dolly Parton’s transformation into a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader was a watershed moment in popular culture, bringing together two iconic figures of Americana.
What really won over a lot of people at the concert was her stage attire—ignore the fact that she’s 77 years old and that the costume’s skin sections were spandex. Eventually, that stage outfit might be on exhibit at Dollywood or the Country Music Hall of Fаme.
However, as was widely anticipated from the start, Dolly Parton lip synced her performance. Her miming of both the in-between-song chatter and the final “Happy Thanksgiving!” was what really shocked and exposed the lip-syncing to many in the audience. If you want to hide, rather than reveаl, that you’re lip-syncing, you should turn on the mike between songs.
The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade had a string of lip synchronized performances earlier in the day. Things work like this. People who spend their day reading in-depth music criticism online are hardly the target audience for a Thanksgiving football game performance at the 50-yard line. It’s for those who can’t wait till the holidays roll around and chain eateries start selling peppermint and pumpkin spice flavors. For the masses, it is intended.
Another embarrassing part was how Dolly appeared to rely on the large Dallas Cowboys player to help her balance while she swayed from side to side onstage. It seems like a technical glitch forced Dolly to perform in front of the star instead of atop it. The stage’s front row effectively obscured Parton’s shoes. I hope it wasn’t a serious medical problem but rather the height of her heels.
However, all of this is ultimately irrelevant. The mere act of taking the stage reveals more talent than the majority of performers manage to accumulate throughout the course of their lives. Look at what Jack Harlow did in the earlier game against the Green Bay Packers and the Detroit Lions if you don’t believe me.
With her recent admission into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fаme and the publication of her Rockstar album, Dolly Parton is experiencing a time that allows her to be exposed to broader and newer audiences. Her legacy extends beyond country music, football, America, and peppermint lattes.
Someday, we’ll all wish that Dolly Parton could still perform at football games, accompanied by a background track or not. She has previously stated her intention to retire from performing live. Dolly Parton has been a constant presence in the world for almost seven decades, and one day there will be a time when she is no longer able to do so.
Regardless of your opinion on the matter, Thanksgiving Day 2023 will go down in history as a watershed moment for Dolly Parton, much like the first time you heard “Jolene” or “Coat of Many Colors,” or witnessed her perform “Islands in the Stream” alongside Kenny Rogers, or appeared opposite Burt Reynolds in The Best Little Whоrehоuse in Texas. Why? Because Dolly Parton has proven time and time again that she leaves an indelible mark on any field in which she performs.
