dolly parton, three 6 mafia, & the oscars

Dolly Parton died today and there are so many great stories you're going to hear about the wonderful life of an absolute icon, but one of my favorites took place at the 2006 Academy Awards. Dolly Parton, a lifelong advocate for LGBTQ rights and equality, was nominated for a song she wrote for a movie called Transamerica. Nominated opposite her was the rap group Three 6 Mafia, nominated for their song, "It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp" from the movie Hustle & Flow. And in one of the most shocking Oscar moments in history, Three 6 Mafia won. "It's hard out here for a pimp." They were only the second hip-hop song ever to win, Eminem had won for Lose Yourself, but this was a real moment, they celebrated on stage. They had a lot of fun. And Dolly Parton, gracious as ever, was seen applauding for them. And sincerely, if you watch these award shows, you can tell when someone's doing it 'cause they know the cameras on them and when someone's excited. But the real Dolly Parton magic happened when the cameras were off. It for a decade when in 2016, DJ Paul of Three 6 Mafia told the Hollywood Reporter piece that Dolly actually sent them a message when they got home to Memphis. He said, "After we won, Dolly Parton, who we were up against, sent us a letter: 'We're proud of you guys, and I'm just glad that the Oscar came back to Tennessee one way or another.' She's real cool - from Tennessee, too, you know." It's obviously sad that she died today, but her memory and her legacy across so much of entertainment, so much of education, so much of this country is gonna live on a lot longer.