Kyla Hullum

Professor Santos

30 March 2016

            In the article Diamond in a Rhinestone World by Alison Glock, she talks about Dolly Parton and her life before and after fame. I personally don’t like country music, and I don’t plan on listening to it on my own time, but I did enjoy reading about Dolly Parton’s life. I liked that they talked about how she basically came from nothing, was poor, and lived a tough life in general, but she incorporated that into who she is today. The fact that she embraces who she was and who she still is into her music makes her a great artist because it shows she is real. Throughout her career, she stood up for herself and her looks not caring what people thought or judged her on. I particularly liked her quote, “I don’t mind being called a dumb blonde…because I know I’m not dumb and I know I’m not blonde.”(Page 12) She did not care what people said because at the end of the day she knew who she was and what she was capable of. I have respect for Dolly just because she is comfortable of what she wears, her body, and her huge hair, considering most people would say she’s revealing too much or looks like a slut. She didn’t need her appearance to make people like her, but her personality and goofiness attracted the crowd. I think every woman should have the right to wear what makes them feel comfortable and not be judged on it because clothes do not make up who you are and your personality. If there were more people like Dolly in the world, there would be less slut shaming and more standing up for woman’s rights. The fact that she is a feminist too makes her an even better person because she isn’t afraid to tell it like it is. Something else that stood out to me was when Alison mentions towards the end of the article that Dolly never got involved with drugs, alcohol, and men that didn’t treat her right, which was very interesting because I feel like almost every female artist has dealt with either one or all of those situations. It’s sad to think that these kind of issues do happen with women, but at the end of the day we are all human and make mistakes so I don’t think female artist should be judged on that. Dolly Parton sets a good example for other female artist and proves that you don’t need to use your body to get famous, just use your personality and work hard to reach your dreams.