A viral tweet insists that Dolly Parton should have been chosen as TIME’s “Person of the Year.” The internet agrees.
Sorry, Mr. Musk! It looks like the Dolly Parton is once again taking your spotlight. It all started when Time Magazine announced their 2021 “Person of the Year.” The publication chose Elon Musk, the billionaire CEO of SpaceX and Tesla, among other large projects. Their announcement was paired with an in-depth interview with Musk, calling him a “clown, genius, edgelord, visionary, industrialist, [and] showman.”
Nobody can take Musk’s accomplishments and contributions to society away. However, the internet argues that a woman with big blonde hair and acrylic nails should have been given the title. Aaron Parnas, an attorney and Democratic strategist, posts the now-viral tweet.
“Dolly Parton, not Elon Musk, deserved to be Time’s Person of the Year” he says.
These thirteen words caught people’s attention. With over 120,000 likes and 13,000 retweets, Twitter users are responding to Parnas’ statement. Fans of Dolly Parton list some of the singer’s philanthropic efforts.
“Agreed! She is probably spending her own money to help out storm victims from the weekend,” @HumanService5 tweets.
“She gave $1 million to Vanderbilt which helped them develop the Moderna vaccine quicker. Not sure if that should make her person of the year, but it sure was helpful and giving,” @sonoran_soul writes.
The singer does not do these good deeds for credit. She just wants to help others. Her earnings do not define her, and I think this is really powerful.
“I always count my blessings far more than I ever count my money,” she says.
Dolly’s Philanthropy
The Dollywood Foundation is Parton’s non-profit. It was founded in 1988 to “inspire children in her home county to achieve educational success.” Now, it helps students all over Tennessee and beyond.
The organization, funded by Dolly herself, gives free books to over a million children every month. Her “Imagination Library” also provides scholarships to high school students trying to pursue their dreams. It is all about fostering ambition and a love of learning with the next generation.
In 2016, Parton’s foundation distributed funds to citizens who lost their homes to the Great Smoky Mountain fires. Her “My People Fund” raised $411 million to help these families get their lives back on track.
Most recently, Dolly Parton is a supporter of the COVID-19 vaccine. Singing to her tune “Jolene,” Parton encourages social media users to trust and celebrate it. She is happy to make a difference and hopefully save lives by funding coronavirus research at Vanderbilt University.
“I’m a very proud girl today to know I had anything at all to do with something that’s going to help us through this crazy pandemic,” Parton tells BBC.
So, what are your thoughts? Should Dolly Parton be Time’s “Person of the Year?” Or, is Elon Musk more deserving? Let us know.
