To The Late Great Dolly Parton
September 3, 2026 by admin_name
To The Late Great Dolly Parton
Ink2Quill Opinions
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This is a dedicated to the late and great Dolly Parton, (Dolly Rebecca Parton Dean) who has been called ‘The Queen of Country Music’ for her voice, she was also an accomplished actor and dabbled in comedy for at least a few skits. Her career spanned many decades and if you consider that she came from very humble origins in rural Tennessee and achieved the heights she did it’s nothing less than amazing. She is a singer songwriter, actor, business woman among other things and was able to cross barriers and reach wider audiences. I love hearing stories of people who were able to achieve that kind of success and Dolly Parton is one of those people.
Now, I don’t know her career all to well but I’m impressed how well liked and applauded she is by older generations. I’ve talked to people who travelled to other countries from Europe to the US to see her perform. I’ve listened to stories of the hardships she overcame by fans and I have to say that I was moved. Years ago, one of my coworkers was talking about her with someone and when I asked what their conversation pertained to they answered “You probably don’t know who she is.”.
“Excuse you? I loved her movie “9 to 5”. I know who she is.” I wanted to answer. Suffice it to say that when a performer/ artist moves people the way she does it’s impressive and she did it through song, film and business. Those are great mediums to introduce positive change in society. It`s a dated film but a great comedy nonetheless, set in our not-too-distant past where the clothes look a little funny and the tech was analog and lacking by our modern standards.
My only regret is that people of today will watch the film and mistakenly call it sexist against men. People who don´t know better will assume that it´s just another male bashing film that shows men as the villain to be humbled by the `better´ women characters. And that is a valid criticism for many films and TV series today which have much too much misandry. The male bashing is rampant in the society of today from the court rooms to the screen and that needs to change.
However, let me explain this film for the people of today as it was explained to me. Back then, say 50, 60, 80 years ago and further back society and the workplace was a horror show. (I think TV series like “Mad Men” show this well the way Dark Skinned people and women were treated and how members of the Rainbow Communities were not even acknowledged to even exist.) The society of decades past was in dire need of positive change when it came to issues of racism, sexism and other forms of discrimination. So, if you watch this dated but great film through the context of the times of decades past and not through the lens of today please banish the thought of cancelling it. I loved the scene where their boss was scrambling on all fours through the office. The camera angles made him look like a rat. It`s comic genius.
9 To 5 movie trailer:
“9 To 5” is an American comedy, social commentary produced by Bruce Gilbert and directed by Colin Higgins who also wrote it with Patricia Resnick. It stars the late great Dolly Parton, Lily Tomlin, Dabney Coleman, Jane Fonda, Elizabeth Wilson, Sterling Hayden, Henry Jones, Lawrence Pressman, Marian Mercer, Renn Woods, Norma Donaldson, Roxanna Bonilla-Giannini, Peggy Pope, Richard Stahl, Ray Vitte and so many more.
The story is simple a group of woman have a worse than terrible boss who feels entitled to get away with bad behavior because of the times he live in. This is the America of the 1980s where sexism against women in the workplace is rampant and pervasive. The workplace of decades ago was sexist, racist and more. Movies like this one helped create a positive change in society through humor and the heavy hitters that took part in the “9 To 5” film project.
John Ink2Quill
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