Dolly Parton took control of her career by making men the butt of the joke

A scholarly retrospective traces how Dolly Parton used humor — from ad-libbing over producer Porter Wagoner on live television in 1973 to lines like her quip about the cost of looking cheap — to seize creative control in an industry that often treated women as ornamental.

The piece situates Parton among other female country artists, including Lulu Belle, June Carter and the Pistol Annies, who used comedy to subvert expectations and needle male hosts, duet partners and cheating men in song. It notes lingering industry bias, citing a 2015 radio consultant's comment sorting male and female artists into 'lettuce' and 'tomatoes.'

Parton left Wagoner's show in 1974 after writing 'Jolene' and 'I Will Always Love You,' going on to 25 No. 1 country singles and 10 Grammys. She died on Aug. 25, 2026.

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