I’m listening to Dolly Parton’s America, a podcast by Jad Abumrad, the creator of Radiolab. Jad’s father, a physician, became friends with Dolly Parton after treating her, and this afforded Jad unusual access to the star. I had no intention of listening to the podcast when it was introduced, but loving the work of Abumrad, I thought I’d give the first ten minutes a listen, and I immediately became hooked.
Dolly Parton is a fascinating person and more influential and popular than I could’ve ever imagine. I’ve also started to fall in love with her music over the course of the podcast.
The most recent episode focused on Parton’s unwillingness to take a stand politically. Though she writes and performs songs about social justice, women’s rights, and racism, she has thus far refused to speak out against Trump despite the constant questioning by the media.
While onstage at the Emmy’s in 2017 with her 9 to 5 costars Jane Fonda and Lili Tomlin, Parton refused to criticize Trump even though Fonda and Tomlin did so, cracking jokes in an attempt to change the subject and avoid taking a political stands.
Parton talked about this unwillingness to take a political stand on the podcast, saying that she has fans on both sides of the aisle and wants to entertain everyone.
She said, “No matter what you say is wrong.”
Dolly Parton, of course, is wrong.
These are not normal times in America. The President of the United States is a bigot. He separates migrant families on the border and cages small children. He brags about committing sexual assault. He conspired with foreign powers to undermine American elections. He is ignoring the rapidly escalating crisis of climate change. He operated a fraudulent university that stole millions of dollars from hard working Americans and was forced to settle the case for millions more. He stole from his own charity, was forced to pay a fine, and is now banned from ever operating a charity again. He illegally used campaign funds to pay porn stars to remain silent about extramarital affairs. He is enriching himself and his family from US coffers constantly, from overcharging the Secret Service for food and transport at his resorts to diverting the flight paths of US military planes to keep the airport geographically closest to his Irish resort in business. He insults war heroes and attacks Gold Star families. He threatens to imprison his political opponents. He praises dictators. He divulges state secrets to Russian operatives in the Oval Office. He lies multiple times a day.
This is not a normal Presidency. Saying that Donald Trump is a bigot, a liar, a self-described sex offender, and a traitor who has colluded with foreign powers for political gain is not wrong. This is a man who claims that windmills cause cancer and continually asserts that tariffs are paid directly into the US Treasury. He alters meteorological maps with Sharpies (a federal crime) rather than admitting a mistake.
These are not normal times. In times like these, patriots speak up. Decent human beings stand against this insanity. Folks with a platform put that platform to good use.
“No matter what you say is wrong,” is nonsense. Not saying anything is wrong. Standing by silently is wrong. Refusing to speak up so that you can sell more records and fill more seats is wrong.
Last night Elysha and I were guests at Lisa Lampenelli’s storytelling and comedy show “Losin’ It.” This is not a political show at all, but Lisa still found a way to make her feelings on Trump clear a few times during the course of the evening.
She wasn’t afraid to offend.
And during the Q&A at the end of the show, a man asked a question. When Lisa asked, “Do I know you?” he said, “I don’t think so. Trump 2020!“ at which point several people in the audience erupted into cheers.
Trump supporters were in the audience. A bunch of them. Lisa didn’t care. She followed up the audience member’s political statement with another joke about Trump.
Did she lose a future audience member in the process? Maybe, but I think not. She answered the man’s initial question, referenced him later with a smile, and expressed an acceptance of his presence in the audience, if not his political position.
She took a stand. She made her position clear. He pointed out the insanity of our times. She acted like a patriot.
These are not normal times. Someday Americans will look back on time in America and ask what the hell their fellow Americans were thinking. Historians will ask how the American public allowed this to happen. Some of us will have a record of resistance. Through our words, our writing, our participation in protests and marches, our support for organizations like the ACLU, and more, we will be on the right side of history.
Others, like the Republican members of Congress, the pundits on Fox News, and that audience member last night, will not.
Dolly Parton, too. She will land on the wrong side of history. You can’t stand silently in the middle and claim to be on the right side of history. You either pick a side or you support the status quo.
Silence allows the villainy to continue.
I still think Dolly Parton is a fascinating person, and I’m still falling in love with her music. But do I like Dolly Parton?
Certainly not as much as I did a week ago, and perhaps not so much anymore. I understand the desire to sell tickets and make your fans happy, but not at the expense of our country, our climate, our functioning democracy, or basic human decency.
