Dolly Parton Facing Media Criticism After Super Bowl Commercial Promotes 'Working'

Connor Grant | February 9, 2021
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Country music star, Dolly Parton, is facing criticism from liberal media outlets after a remix of her song ‘9 to 5’ was used in a Squarespace commercial during the Super Bowl. The commercial, titled ‘5 to 9’, aimed to advertise the pre-built website software that Squarespace provides its consumers in a humorous manner. 

The advertisement essentially cast light on Squarespace’s ability to help an individual make money outside of their normal nine to five work hours. The company’s pre-built website software allows users to start small businesses or other ventures online as “side-hustles." Parton’s new rendition of ‘9 to 5’ encouraged hard work and the ability to be your own boss. 

Unfortunately for Parton, these encouragements are being interpreted as the ‘glorification’ of people of overworking and that the widely-loved and highly philanthropic singer was “playing a rich man’s game” according to a NBC News contributor. 

The NBC News contributor, Kim Kelly, wrote on Sunday that the commercial was a “tone-deaf misstep."

"It's a perfect storm of gig economy propaganda. It's not 'fun' or 'empowering' to juggle multiple jobs; it's an indictment of a system in which people aren't paid fairly and workers are squeezed down to the last drop of energy," Kelly said.

"As much as we all love Dolly Parton, it’s still disappointing to hear her literally sing the praises of “working, working, working.”

Many Super Bowl Advertisement regulars decided not to release commercials this year citing a fear of offending people during the sensitive times we are living in with the Covid-19 pandemic and the ever-increasing social divide in America. 

The lack of commercials from companies such as 37-year Super Bowl ad veteran Budweiser was evident during the big game Sunday as many of the advertisements disappointed. But it seems these companies’ concerns of coming off as offensive were accurate. Squarespace and Dolly Parton must not have gotten the memo and unfortunately for them, the ‘misstep’ of a commercial is apparently just ‘tone-deaf’ ‘propaganda’. 

Watch and judge the commercial, that now has more dislikes than likes, for yourself below.

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