When it comes to politics, Americans are increasingly polarized: data suggests that we’re finding less to agree on and getting angrier in our disagreements. [1] This political divide is also bleeding into the rest of our society, thanks to our reliance on sociocultural cues to define political positions. Open TikTok, for example, and you’ll find a host of tips for sussing out someone’s politics based on attributes that are non-partisan at face value. He drives an F-150? Probably voted for Trump. She shops at Trader Joe's? Progressive.
Thus, as political division deepens, we start to find ourselves with a greater cultural division, where the two parties are associated with separate grocery stores, hobbies, or musical genres. Of course, categorizing pop culture along partisan lines leads to inaccurate, harmful, and divisive stereotypes. Still, I think it allows for some interesting evaluations. For example, what do Americans’ shared cultural preferences reveal about the political issues we agree on? My mind jumps first to two of America’s greatest (and blondest) icons: Dolly Parton and Taylor Swift.
Both women play a massive role in American pop culture: Taylor’s Eras tour was so wildly popular that it’s estimated to have boosted the US economy by $5 billion; [2] Dolly’s career has spanned decades, produced dozens of hits, and even been the subject of a whole BYU class.
The American music scene they work in isn’t necessarily new to politicization. Hip-hop, for example, has been identified with black and urban issues since its inception, while folk music has been a vehicle for pacifist, environmentalist messages since at least the 1960s. [3] Dolly and Taylor both began their careers as country singers, which is stereotypically Republican, and then crossed over to more liberal pop music. What allows them to successfully inhabit both spaces?
It’s easy to see how she might appeal to a left-leaning audience, especially in recent years. Her music has become increasingly feminist and supportive of the LGBTQ+ community, and after facing criticism for her silence in 2016, she has become more vocal in her opposition to Donald Trump. Yet her brand of social liberalism is watery enough that it only alienates the farthest right Republicans. Her frequent references to traditional American culture combined with her beginnings as the flirty, inoffensive teenage darling of country music also endear her to the conservative crowd.
The numbers suggest that, as expected, Taylor Swift has a bipartisan audience. 55% of her fans identify as Democrats, with the other 45% split evenly between Republicans and Independents. [4] While it’s not an even split, it’s fairly representative when you consider that most of her listeners are under 40, a demographic dominated by Democrats. [5]
Dolly represents both ends of the spectrum in even more dramatic ways. She fits right into the working-class Republican base: she is a white woman in her 70s, was raised in poverty-stricken rural Tennessee, and speaks frequently about her Christian faith. Yet the left adores her for her early support of the LGBTQ+ community. Dolly’s iconically high-femme look is regularly impersonated by drag queens, and she often jokes that she herself would be a drag queen if she weren’t a woman. [6] Americans who are liberal on social issues may also appreciate Dolly as an empowered woman from a patriarchy-dominated era. Those who lean liberal on economic issues can get behind her working-class anthem “9 to 5” (which I was first introduced to when Elizabeth Warren used it–without Dolly’s permission–on the campaign trail). [7]
They also both rely heavily on popular, non-partisan positions. They sing about the American way of life and own their national heritage with a sort of non-partisan patriotism. Though she never addresses specific policies, Dolly has released a song about her frustration with government corruption, which both parties claim they’re working to end. Taylor frequently sings empowering lyrics, with simple messages about kindness or resilience that are vague enough to apply to anyone.
This is not to say that the singers are immune to criticism. Taylor has been criticized by the left for environmentally costly habits. The right has questioned whether Dolly’s child literacy charity is sending kids age-appropriate and politically appropriate books. [8] Throughout their careers, both women have faced pushback for not taking more political stands. The Taylor/Dolly model for bridging the political divide may also seem challenging to replicate. Is it only possible for straight, white, conventionally attractive women? Does bipartisan support depend on sharing their specific opinions?
I hope that the answer is no. I am optimistic that even Americans whose identities, circumstances, or politics don’t exactly mirror Taylor or Dolly can still find common ground with a majority of the country. There are likely many other ways to resonate with people across the aisle, but Taylor and Dolly’s model shows that the feat is possible–and at the very least, we can all agree to enjoy good music.
