At 74, Dolly Parton is still fitter and more influential than ever. The news that she was an uncredited producer on “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” highlights how her figure remains central to pop culture today.
Exactly 40 years ago Dolly Parton (Tennessee, 1946) published “9 to 5”, one of her most popular songs, with an Oscar nomination for the original theme of “How to eliminate your boss” (1980). It is an iconic comedy for many reasons, but especially for perfectly portraying the macho and sexist environment of the offices of the time, a toxic space in which the secretaries (played by Parton, Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin ) were exploited . in every sense. The script was the work of Patricia Resnick , a collaborator of Robert Altman, who wanted to write something lighter but more radical after his projects with the director. It was revolutionary and Parton’s song became a rallying cry for women fighting for better pay and eight-hour days (hence the song’s title).
This is not the only reason that brings Dolly Parton back to the present , the most popular country singer outside and inside her country and an icon of the excessive and tender country style. If her songs are legend, her wigs and extensions are no less so, nor is her generosity: she leads multiple charity projects and has donated a million dollars to alleviate the coronavirus crisis . What makes her a viral character today is the discovery of a Twitter user, who has revealed that she was one of the three women who made possible the cult series “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” (1997-2003), one of the first projects of Joss Whedon (“The Avengers”, 2012 and 2015), starring SarahMichelle Gellar . Her name does not appear in the credits, but she was one of the producers who financed the project, which could now return to television with a 21st century reboot.
Another recent discovery that has not caught us by surprise: Doly Parton is the godmother of Miley Cyrus , probably her number one fan and recidivist versioner of her songs, especially “Joline” (1973). The song didn’t win a Grammy when it was released, but it did 43 years later, thanks to a new version by Pentatonix . It is already a global classic and a real challenge for any beginning singer. The proof is that it is already part of the examination repertoire of the aspiring stars of “Operation Triumph”.
Although in the fan universe of the “triumphs” the song “Joline” is attributed more to Miley Cyrus than to Dolly Parton, the truth is that they succeeded in turning it into a trending topic to viralize the version that she is going to perform, from her home, the Galician Eva Barreiro . A beautiful tribute to its author, singer, actress and benefactor whose long and beneficial shadow continues to cast itself over current pop culture.