Gawker: defamer, dolly parton

Dolly Parton Brings Her "Melons To The Big Apple"

Tracie — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 13:00:00 EDT

Dolly was on Letterman last night, where she told a funny story about one of her first visits to Times Square in the late '60s: She was mistaken for a hooker.

She also performed her song "Backwoods Barbie," off her most recent album, which is also one of the songs used in the musical 9 to 5 (which opens tomorrow), for which she wrote all the music and lyrics.

Dolly, 1; Jay, 0

STV — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 21:00:00 EDT

· We leave you today with a Defamer PSA emphasizing the perils facing anyone who dares so much as hint at the irrelevance of Dolly Parton. [NBC]
· Credit where credit is due, even if it goes to Tom O'Neil: The awards freak changed his Dramatic Emmy prediction for best actor to Bryan Cranston last Friday. [Gold Derby]
· Whoops! We take it all back: O'Neil actually bothered to report that Ricky Gervais and Steve Carell prearranged their Emmy "stunt" before the broadcast. [Gold Derby]
· Because three Tyler Perry films per year aren't enough, the filmmaker/mogul has launched a new shingle to develop movies for both other directors and new, alternate actors who can play Madea. [Variety]
· Warner Bros. lost its litigious warm-up for next year's Watchmen trial, failing to convince an Indian court that the film Hari Putter: A Comedy of Terrors infringed on its Harry Potter franchise. [NYT]
· "The vomit shot out of Megan Fox like water from a geyser." Being a little hard on Diablo Cody's dialogue there, aren't you, John Horn? [LAT]

It's Dolly's World, We Just Live in It

T-RO — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 19:40:00 EDT

What do you call a party with a huge proportion of women with huge proportions, bleached blond hair and garish makeup? If you picked: "Just Another Night in Hollywood," or "Just Another Night at the Strip Club," or "Just Another Night in My Bedroom," take a number and go to the back of the line. Rather, the party in question —held at the appropriately named World of Wonder gallery on Hollywood Boulevard— was for a very specific, large-proportioned, bleached-blond beauty. No, not Jenna Jameson. This would be someone with actual talent, not to mention a huge gay following. OK, fine, I'll tell you. Dolly Parton!

Co-curated by E! Online columnist Marc Malkin and Steven Corfe, the Dollypop exhibition featured over 40 artists, all of whom answered their call for Dolly art with a certain fervor. "We were actually surprised actually how responsive people were when we just told them, 'Dolly Parton,'" said Steve. "There's a lot of closet Dolly fans out there."

Of course, an event such as this inspires people to pay homage. So, it was appropriate that we were greeted by a Dolly Door Girl.

Inside, we were seeing double and triple Dolly's.

There were even look-a-likes for other celebrities who seemed to have gotten lost. There was a Rick James look-a-like, and a Sophia Loren dead ringer that had us completely confused for five minutes.

James St. James interviewed some of them for his show on WOW TV. (I thought I was hallucinating and seeing New York club kid Richie Rich's body double, and then, realized OMG, it kind of was Richie Rich's body double!)

No detail went unnoticed. Pink champagne (what else?) was served.

Some guy with a contraption on his head was hanging out and taking in the Dolly art. [Ed. Note - That's the TMZ "Dollhouse Dude".]

These dudes just turned up. I'm supposing this is just par for the course in Hollywood.

Did I mention, there were roosters?

"We rented them!" said Marc Malkin, brightly.

Malkin and Corfin have been working on the show for about six months. But Marc insists he's not obsessed.

"I'm not obsessed!" he says. "I know some people would say I'm obsessed since I did a show. But I'm not a crazy kooky travel around the world type. I just love her."

Steve points out: "Yes, but he has butterfly tattoos!" (Butterflies=Dolly fan).

"But they have nothing to do with her! They don't!"

Suuuuuurrrrre.

Malkin bought a piece by Jason Kronenwald; you'd never know it looking at it, but the piece is made entirely with chewed up pieces of bubblegum. This is not gross and is, in fact, quite beautiful. I failed to capture a proper photograph. I am sorry, dear readers.

Dolly's iconic look serves as easy fodder for artists. Her big, open grin, bright blue eyes and blonde hair, make it easy to pull off optical illusion pieces such at this one. (Different cosmetic items comprise her face).

Her infamous visage lends itself to other icons and iconic homages. So we got Dolly as a stand-in for other icons.

Dolly as Elvis:

Warholian Dolly:

Dolly as Lisa Marie in Marrs Attacks and Dolly as Glenda the Good Witch:

Other pieces were less pop and more poignant, like this blue Dolly:

Other pieces tried to play with her own iconographic visual language, instead on transposing her to something else.

Scott explained Dolly's universal appeal, thus: "It's the fact that she sooooo fake and nipped and tucked and bewigged and made up and yet so real."

Musical Theater Queens Rejoice As Dolly Parton Saves Ahmanson Crowd with Impromptu Concert

Kyle Buchanan — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 20:30:45 EDT

Though 9 to 5: The Musical recently opened at the Ahmanson here in Los Angeles, the first public performance wasn't exactly glitch-free. At one point, two automated set pieces got stuck, prompting an impromptu curtain to come down for thirty minutes while technicians fixed the problem. Sound like a disaster? Not quite, since Dolly Parton herself leapt from her set to entertain the crowd, singing impromptu versions of "9 to 5" and "I Will Always Love You." Of the latter song, she cracked, "OK, so I don't sound as good as Whitney, but I make more money off that song than she does." Dolly, you'll make even more money off 9 to 5: The Musical if you can promise a shutdown like that every night. Clip above. [WoW Report]

Dolly Parton Threatening To Sue Howard Stern For Tossing Her Lovely Audio Book Into A Filth Salad (NSFW)

Seth — Wed, 14 May 2008 20:55:00 EDT

We really take no pleasure in informing you that two of our idols—early tickle-machine adopter Howard Stern and top-heavy country legend Dolly Parton—are currently at war, but such is the case. To get you up to date, last week, Stern broadcast edited portions of her self-narrated audio book to form several beyond-filthy phrases. (Like, seriously: NSFW. This is the kind of stuff you imagine hearing at a 4 a.m. "Aristocrats" session around Bob Saget's jacuzzi after a night of Tuaca shots and blow. As such, it's hilarious.) Parton has had a listen, and released this statement in response:

"I have never been so shocked, hurt and humiliated in all my life,"

"I cannot believe what Howard Stern has done to me. In a blue million years, I would never have such vulgar things come out of my mouth. They have done editing or some sort of trickery to make this horrible, horrible thing. Please accept my apology for them and certainly know I had nothing to do with this."
"If there was ever going to be a lawsuit, it's going to be over this. Just wanted you to know that I am completely devastated by this."

We think there's another way: A brokered Stern/Parton peace accord, negotiated by us, an utterly unbiased third party, who just happens to possess a stack of vinyl, DVDs, 8x10 glossies, saved ticket stubs to Dollywood, and menus from the tragically short-lived Planet Fartman restaurant chain in dire need of autographing. We beg of you—let the healing commence, before the proprietor of Kenny Rogers Roasters has his reputation sullied any further by intimations that he's the World's Greatest Chickenhawk.

Parton "shocked" at Howard Stern radio segment [Reuters]

When Huge Breasts Happen To Good Singers

Seth — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 17:59:52 EST

National treasure Dolly Parton, who only recently acted as unwitting guardian angel to a seemingly hopeless American Idol contestant, has postponed her upcoming tour for back trouble caused by years of supporting her trademark rack. It's perhaps a slightly risqué topic for a family wire service like Reuters, but we think their headline tackles the material with just the right amount of tact. The breasts had no comment.

Dolly Parton postpones tour, blames breasts [Reuters]