Slog AM: Dolly Parton Died, Tim Curry Died, I’m Too Sad to Do the Real News

Yesterday, Dolly Parton died. I can’t think of another person who was so widely beloved. It felt like a global day of mourning as thousands of tributes poured in from every direction. I loved her, too. So yes, we’ll do the news this morning, but let’s also remember just a few of the ways in which Dolly Parton was an anomaly, an angel, a once-in-a-lifetime talent, and a once-in-a-lifetime human being. She maneuvered sexism in the music and film industry with humor and grace, and while she never officially endorsed any political candidates or claimed a party, she talked with her money and actions. She encouraged people to be kind, to lead with love. May we all go forth with a little bit more kindness in the coming days, for Dolly. 

And just as we were about to hit publish on this post, we learned Rocky Horror Picture Show and Monty Python star and comedy legend Tim Curry died. Dolly would probably make some joke about how “Isn’t it just like a man to try to steal her spotlight, even in death?” And he would laugh and laugh because he was also kind and funny, and I hate today; I’m going back to bed.

Starbucks Workers United is calling for a nationwide boycott. On the website, union organizers write, “What we’re fighting for is simple: a minimum $17 per hour wage, enough hours to live on, better staffing in our stores, and basic workplace protections.” They also point out, “Starbucks has violated U.S. labor law more than any other company in modern history.” In December, Starbucks had to pay $35 million to more than 15,000 workers “to settle claims it violated labor law.” 

💖 Dolly Parton was pro-worker! Though her song “9 to 5” was written for the movie of the same name, both she and filmmakers Colin Higgins and Patricia Resnick were also inspired by the National Association of Working Women’s organization, 9to5, which was founded in 1973 and fought for equal rights and fair pay. The song—and the scene in which Parton and costars Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin get stoned and fantasize about killing their sexist boss—left a hell of a legacy as women continue to fight for equality. In 2018, Alice Bag teamed up with Kathleen Hanna and Allison Wolfe to recreate scenes from the movie for the music video for Bag’s song, “77.”

Will Seattle teachers strike? Today, members of the Seattle Education Association (SEA) are holding a general meeting where they will either ratify a tentative contract or authorize a strike. Collective bargaining began in June, and in a recent update, SEA Vice President Davina Diaz said two of the important issues they’re negotiating are “pressurization and wages.” She continued:

“When we say pressurization, we mean relief from the increases in caseload, class size, and workload that take our time and focus away from students and lead to burnout. … Budgets are moral documents that show who matters, and who doesn’t. The spending on highly-paid administrators paints a clear picture of priorities that don’t align with what our students need.” 

💖 You know who looooved educators? Dolly Fuckin’ Parton! In 2022, the National Education Association awarded Dolly Parton with their highest honor, the Friend of Education Award. Y’all already know about the Imagination Library, which has sent hundreds of millions of free books to children all over the world for years. What not everyone remembers, though, is that in the early days of the Dollywood Foundation, founded in 1988, Parton promised seventh- and eighth-grade students in Sevier County, Tennessee, where she grew up, that she would personally pay them $500 if they graduated from high school. At the time, the dropout rate was about 30 percent. It plummeted to 6 percent after Parton intervened. In 2000, she introduced the Dolly Parton Scholarship, giving $15,000 to five high school Sevier County seniors. You hear that, Seattle Public Schools? In the name of Dolly, I implore you to PAY! THE! TEACHERS!

Speaking of paying up, Meta has agreed “to pay up to $17.1 billion in penalties and make major changes to its products over claims it endangered children with addictive social media platforms,” says the New York Times. 

💖 Social media has been good for over the past 20 or so hours, as thousands of tributes to Dolly flood the feeds. Here’s Dolly Parton singing “Everyday People” with Kermit; here’s Dolly Parton hanging out at Pee Wee’s Playhouse; here’s Dolly Parton talking about how great her ass is; here’s the letter Dolly Parton wrote to Eminem when he was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. 

Looking for work? Yesterday, the City posted the Seattle Police Chief job. The hiring process will include community outreach, and Mayor Katie Wilson is also putting together a Chief of Police Search Advisory Committee that so far includes retired Washington Supreme Court Justice Mary Yu and Ian Warner, the Public Policy Director at Vulcan Real Estate. The salary is $234,294.48 – $374,900.40, and “relocation has been authorized for this position.” In the announcement, Mayor Wilson said, “Seattle’s next police chief must be visible, accountable, and present in our neighborhoods, listening to residents, workers, and businesses across our city.” Meaning, at a minimum: PLEASE ACTUALLY LIVE IN SEATTLE.

💖 While Dolly stayed out of party politics—she never endorsed a presidential candidate and turned down the Presidential Medal of Freedom multiple times—she did let her actions, and where she put her money, do the talking. And while she was often praised for being a feminist icon, she never referred to herself as such, telling the Guardian in 2023, “I’m all about living an example rather than preaching it.” Indeed, in 2020, Parton donated $1 million to Vanderbilt University in Tennessee to help develop the Moderna vaccine. In 2021, she even sang a version of “Jolene” to encourage people to get vaccinated, and told the “cowards” to stop being “a chicken squat, and get your shot.”

Here are a few more headlines you should read between Dolly Parton and Tim Curry remembrances and movies: ICE is targeting travelers at Sea-Tac; ICE agents in Yakima Valley are also continuing to wear face masks even though THAT IS ILLEGAL; and US toilet paper is getting pricey because of trade war with Canada. Sigh.

Today, let’s end it with Dolly Parton not taking any of Barbara Walters’s shit: 

Fuck, she was so great.

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