Dolly Parton: "A lot of men thought I was as silly as I looked" | 60 Minutes Archive
In a Nutshell
Dolly Parton reveals that her exaggerated feminine appearance led many men to underestimate her intelligence, which she used to her advantage in business. By the time they realized she "thinks like a man," she had already secured deals and moved on. Her signature look—originally inspired by a glamorous town woman she admired as a child—became a strategic tool rather than a liability.
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As a little girl, Dolly Parton was most impressed by the town woman. This woman had yellow peroxide hair, red nails, red lipstick, beautiful eyes, high heels, and a short skirt. Parton thought she was the prettiest thing she'd ever seen. Whenever Parton was with someone, they would say "Oh, she ain't nothing but trash." Parton would respond by saying "Well, that's what I'm going to be when I grow up," meaning she wanted to look that way.
When Parton started out with her signature look, people really got the wrong idea in the sense that they didn't know that beneath that look there was one of the smartest women around. Parton certainly got hit on a lot, and a lot of men thought she was as silly as she looked. Parton states that she looks like a woman but thinks like a man, and in the world of business, that has helped her a lot. By the time they think that she doesn't know what's going on, she's already gotten the money and gone.
"A lot of men thought I was as silly as I looked"
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