Dolly Parton is instantly recognizable for her iconic style and persona, but how did she create her enduring image? Dolly crafted her exaggerated appearance and stage personality by combining two opposing stereotypes—the innocent mountain girl and the voluptuous sex symbol. Emerging through her lyrics, personal stories, stage presence, and visual imagery, these wildly different gender tropes form a central part of Dolly's media image and portrayal of herself as a star and celebrity. By developing a multilayered image and persona, Dolly both critiques representations of femininity in country music and attracts a diverse fan base ranging from country and pop music fans to feminists and gay rights advocates. In Dolly Parton, Gender, and Country Music, Leigh H. Edwards explores Dolly's roles as musician, actor, author, philanthropist, and entrepreneur to show how Dolly's gender subversion highlights the challenges that can be found even in the most seemingly traditional form of American popular music. As Dolly depicts herself as simultaneously "real" and "fake," she offers new perspectives on country music's claims of authenticity.
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Dolly Parton, Gender, and Country Music
Dolly Parton is instantly recognizable for her iconic style and persona, but how did she create her enduring image? Dolly crafted her exaggerated appearance and stage personality by combining two opposing stereotypes—the innocent mountain girl and the voluptuous sex symbol. Emerging through her lyrics, personal stories, stage presence, and visual imagery, these wildly different gender tropes form a central part of Dolly's media image and portrayal of herself as a star and celebrity. By developing a multilayered image and persona, Dolly both critiques representations of femininity in country music and attracts a diverse fan base ranging from country and pop music fans to feminists and gay rights advocates. In Dolly Parton, Gender, and Country Music, Leigh H. Edwards explores Dolly's roles as musician, actor, author, philanthropist, and entrepreneur to show how Dolly's gender subversion highlights the challenges that can be found even in the most seemingly traditional form of American popular music. As Dolly depicts herself as simultaneously "real" and "fake," she offers new perspectives on country music's claims of authenticity.
Dolly Parton is instantly recognizable for her iconic style and persona, but how did she create her enduring image? Dolly crafted her exaggerated appearance and stage personality by combining two opposing stereotypes—the innocent mountain girl and the voluptuous sex symbol. Emerging through her lyrics, personal stories, stage presence, and visual imagery, these wildly different gender tropes form a central part of Dolly's media image and portrayal of herself as a star and celebrity. By developing a multilayered image and persona, Dolly both critiques representations of femininity in country music and attracts a diverse fan base ranging from country and pop music fans to feminists and gay rights advocates. In Dolly Parton, Gender, and Country Music, Leigh H. Edwards explores Dolly's roles as musician, actor, author, philanthropist, and entrepreneur to show how Dolly's gender subversion highlights the challenges that can be found even in the most seemingly traditional form of American popular music. As Dolly depicts herself as simultaneously "real" and "fake," she offers new perspectives on country music's claims of authenticity.
Leigh H. Edwards is Professor of English at Florida State University. She is the author of Johnny Cash and the Paradox of American Identity and The Triumph of Reality TV: The Revolution in American Television.
Table of Contents
AcknowledgmentsIntroduction: Dolly Mythology1. "Backwoods Barbie": Dolly Parton's Gender Performance2. My Tennessee Mountain Home: Early Parton and Authenticity Narratives3. Parton's Crossover and Film Stardom: The "Hillbilly Mae West"4. Hungry Again: Reclaiming Country Authenticity Narratives5. "Digital Dolly" and New Media FandomsConclusion: Brand Evolution and DollywoodWorks CitedIndex
What People are Saying About This
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Leigh H. Edwards's tremendous book brings our understanding of Dolly Parton's career and significance to a new level. Anyone who wants to understand Parton's contributions, not just to country music, but to American culture in general, should read Dolly Parton, Gender, and Country Music.
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Travis D. Stimeling
Leigh H. Edwards takes a close look at Dolly Parton's songwriting, recordings, acting, and public persona and convincingly demonstrates that Parton is not only a powerful Appalachian musician but also a remarkably engaged artist who uses her many talents to engage with issues of gender, sexuality, and class.
Kristine M. McCusker
Leigh H. Edwards's tremendous book brings our understanding of Dolly Parton's career and significance to a new level. Anyone who wants to understand Parton's contributions, not just to country music, but to American culture in general, should read Dolly Parton, Gender, and Country Music.
The Political Force of Musical Beauty - Barry Shank
In this compelling analysis, Leigh Edwards shows us how Dolly Parton, the masterful manipulator of media images and country authenticity, artistically melds elements from her biography with fantasies of success into a career that spans decades, crosses genres, and inspires millions of fans. Read this book to learn how Parton manages to be simultaneously fake and real, ordinary and extraordinary, normal and outrageous. A model of interdisciplinary scholarship.