Dolly Parton: The Queen of Country Music

Simulation plays a significant role in Dolly Parton’s life. Her image, drag queens that long to look like her, and her theme park are some examples of how her life is related to  Jean Baudrillard’s ideas in his book, Simulations.

Dolly Parton is i country music icon who has been center stage for the past half centry. She is considered to be amongst the top 5 music artists of all time within all genres. In addition, she has been the most successful modern country performer to cross over to the mainstream of American popular culture, and her song  “Here You Come Again” was her biggest crossover hit. Dolly has written over 3,000 songs, and she has also wrote the most recorded song in history entitled “I Will Always Love You.” The star has teamed up with countless stars including Kenny Rodgers, Elvis, and Whitney Houston. Finally Dolly is a fantastic businesswoman and a devote Christian. Here is a clip of Dolly performing one of her most famous songs Jolene. The video gives you a glimpse into what her personality is like and what her voice sounds like.

Dolly Parton was born on January 19, 1946 in a small town in the Smokey Mountains in Eastern Tennessee. She was born into poverty, and she was the fourth of twelve children. She wrote her first song at age five, and when she was 18 she took off for Nashville with only her clothes in paper bags. When she arrived in Nashville she was lucky enough to get an invitation from singer, Porter Wagoner, and that is when her journey began.

Simulation and hyper reality are present in Parton's life and work. Her image is the first area in which Baurdillard's ideas are present. Dolly is arguably as famous for the way she looks as for the songs she sings. She has fake platinum blonde hair, tan skin, and her makeup is over the top. There is also quite the contreversy over her bosoms. Dolly is quoted saying, "I may look fake, but I'm real where it counts." Her is a clip f her talking about her simulated appearance. Dolly's iconic image as graced the covers of thousands of magazines, and people simply adore her. Below is an image of one of her fan's stomachs that has Dolly tatood on it.

All of Dolly's drag queens also relate to Baudrillard's ideas. The reasons for hyper reality are obvious here. All of the drag queens attempt to simulate Dolly's look. Here is just one example:

 

 

Nestled in the foothills of Tennessee lies one of Dolly’s most prized positions, Dollywood. Dollywood is the final way in which her life and work relates to Simulations. It is a place where tourists can learn about mountain life, but more importantly, about Dolly’s life. The entire theme park is a simulation of her life. There are clothes that visitors can purchase that look like Dolly's. There is a replica of her log cabin home that she grew up in. In additon, tourists can even meet some of her family members, for many of them are employed at the park. Dollywood even has it's own currency! The Tennessee theme park gets an estimated 2.5 million visitors each year which adds to Dolly's half billion dollar fortune. Here is a link to the ever-so-famous Dollywood.