During a new conversation with The Guardian, Dolly Parton explained why she chooses to remain non-political.
The singer refrains from identifying as a feminist due to the connotations associated with the term. She’s committed to empowering everyone and supporting equal pay for equal work. While Dolly is seen as an example of a strong woman, she prefers to lead by example rather than embrace the feminist label. Speaking of what led her to make this early decision to stay out of political matters, she said:
“Because you’re going to lose half your audience. Even within my own family, especially the last few years since Trump and Biden, all that, it’s like we can’t even go to a family dinner anymore. Especially if people are drinking – they get in a damn fight at the table. Don’t get so trapped where if you’re a Republican, you got to be this way; if you’re Democrat, you got to be that way. You’re not allowed to think nothing else.”
Parton further expressed why she doesn’t like politics:
“Well, how crippling is that? I’ve got as many Democrats as I do Republicans as fans, and I’m not going to insult any of them because I care about all of them. I ain’t that good a Christian to think that I am so good that I can judge people. That’s God’s job, not mine. So, as far as politics, I hate politics. Hate politics.”
She mentioned that she does speak out when she feels the need, like her new song ‘World on Fire,’ which criticizes politicians worldwide. The singer noted:
“I tried to say what I was thinking about all of it – can’t we rise above, some love, step up and make a change? Whether it be about the world being on fire with hate and greed and climate change or whatever, you’re not even allowed to say you believe in certain things because you’re going to just lose a whole bunch of people that are so set in their ways, they wouldn’t believe it.”
‘World on Fire’ arrived as the first single of Parton’s upcoming album ‘Rockstar,’ which is set to meet the audience on November 17. It marks her first venture into the rock genre, featuring collaborations with several rock musicians.
