Dolly Parton set the internet on fire in more ways than one on Thursday as she performed at halftime during the Dallas Cowboys traditional home Thanksgiving Day game. The 77-year-old singer, philanthropist, and businesswoman donned a cheerleader outfit, leading to proclamations of her being a “national treasure.”
It’s often said the United States hasn’t been unified since 9/11, but this may have come pretty close to meeting the market.
We couldn’t help but cheer on @DollyParton during her halftime performance at today’s Dallas Cowboys game! 💙📣 Who agrees she should perform at the Superbowl? #dollyparton #dallascowboys pic.twitter.com/tWgBKwo8Tr
— The Women of Country (@TheWomenCountry) November 24, 2023
In our divided times, @DollyParton singing rock songs at halftime of an @NFL game on #Thanksgiving dressed as a cheerleader is one of the few things that can unite our country. pic.twitter.com/ZoYwJxseM9
— Elex Michaelson (@Elex_Michaelson) November 23, 2023
Former Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo seems to really enjoy himself as well.
Dolly Parton got Tony Romo HORNED UPpic.twitter.com/yBty8OonCR
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) November 23, 2023
Unfortunately, not everyone was enthralled. Some used the moment of national sanity as a way to promote their chosen political causes.
Reminder @DollyParton helped fund the @moderna_tx shot, changed her famous song Jolene to “Vaccine” 🎶 and called those who wouldn’t get it cowards and “chicken squat” – I get a lot of people have a soft spot for her but she’s no better than the rest of the big pharma shills. pic.twitter.com/i97s1Ys2p8
— Five Times August (@FiveTimesAugust) November 24, 2023
Are we really going to try to cancel people for supporting the creation of a vaccine to a virus that was, at least during the first few variants, legitimately killing elderly people at a fairly high rate? No one could have known at the time about how the government would use the vaccine as a cudgel, trying to mandate it, ruining the careers of military members and others. When there’s a virus, the normal course of events is to develop a vaccine. Was Parton supposed to see into the future and know this time would be rife with complications?
Parton’s intentions were good, and whether she had stepped in to help or not, those vaccines were getting made. The only thing her involvement did was perhaps save a bit of taxpayer money. If we are going to cancel Parton over her involvement with the vaccine, then we’ve got to cancel Donald Trump as well, and I’m pretty sure most on the right don’t want to do that. So let’s all take a deep breath, enjoy a nice moment, eat some leftovers, and try to have just one second devoid of political battling.
Back to the halftime show, I’m not going to give a play-by-play, but I think the reason Parton resonates so much is that she’s an icon of a bygone era. She brings back memories of a simpler time for many Americans, and that’s a good thing. We could all use a little positivity in our lives right now.
