Communication Professor Reacts to Dolly Parton Barbara Walters Interview 

Free Download pdf Confident Speaking: www.alexanderlyon.com/free-resources

Dolly is the epitome of "killing them with kindness." She absolutely eviscerated Walters and never once had to speak an ill word of her.

“They weren’t very educated but they were very intelligent” I teared up when she said that. What a beautiful quote and something that more people need to understand.

When Dolly said on a talk show, "Do you know you much it costs to look this cheap?" I instantly fell in love with her, and I still am. What a woman.

I love watching Barbra Walters’ face when she realizes she has been schooled and exposed as inferior by a ‘hillbilly’. ‘Yeah, I thought that’s what ya meant’ was my favorite line from Dolly. She’s pointing out how she wouldn’t be surprised at Walters’ low minded questions

The strong eye contact when she says “i like myself, I like who I am” was the kill shot in this interview. It exudes honesty and begs the question: do you like who you are?

That “hillbilly” outclassed Barbara Walters at every turn! Gotta love Dolly!

I recorded Dolly back in 2004. She's the most down to earth and completely professional person you will ever meet. She showed up an hour early for the 8:00am. session completely "Dolled up"and even apologized for being early and then offered to get me a cup of coffee. She is top class.

I think body language was a huge part of this interview as well. Dolly exuded confidence, leaning in to the interview, holding eye contact, a non-stop smile, and never once having to think about her answers. Baba Wawa just seemed like a petty, jealous, old hag who just had her ass handed to her in the prettiest, sweetest Southern accent.

Amazing how Dolly handled such disrespectful and manipulative questions with unshakable poise and charm. She is a ninja in this interview. What an incredible human.

I'm 50+ yr old lady who met Dolly at a Woolworth in Mobile Alabama when I was a 5 yr old. I had saved up my allowance to buy her Jolene album, stand in line and get her to sign it. I was a very "hillbilly" little kid that cried and was petrified to stand in front of her to just ask for her signature. She treated me like a little princess and my parents had never been that kind to me. I have never forgotten it. She will always be the picture of "Class" to me. ❤️

I’m embarrassed to say that, as a child, I bought into the “Dolly is a joke” mindset. Now I’m grown and realize what an icon she really is ❤

Dolly is clearly very secure and unshakable. A great example to always keep calm, smile and don't let others' rudeness affect your shine.

Actually Dolly smacked the living sh*t out of Walters, she talked about class and intelligence, while looking Walters straight in the face. Dolly is a treasure.

I love how she says “ I am secure in myself” while looking straight at Barbra exposing Barbras obvious envy, insecurity and obvious projection.

Dolly Parton was about 32 years old here in 1977. For someone with minimal education she gave the most impressive answers to Barbara Walters. Even if the top public relationship firm were given these questions in advance they could not have answered them more eloquently than Dolly. Wow!

Her responses were so considerate and full of class. Never stooping to Walters level, but remaining kind and respectful while staying true to herself.

That interview is 45 years old, and Dolly Parton is STILL an American treasure! Brilliant responses!

“Your kinda people” that hurt me. Being Mexican I’ve heard this a lot. Dolly handled it with such grace. She is a good role model for all

"I am very real where it counts... and that's inside." You go, Dolly!!!

I love that Dolly never shy's away from looking Barbara in the eye as well as the camera. You can tell she's proud of what she's saying.

This goes beyond having a "bad" interview. This puts on full display of what Walter's true character was like.

Crazy how Dolly Parton has transcended each generation and how each generation still appreciates her. Genius tier.

It may be cliché to say, but Dolly really is a National Treasure. She's one of the most talented, savvy artists in the music industry, a humanitarian and philanthropist, and one of the smartest, witty, well-spoken celebrities I've ever seen. Well done.

I adore Dolly Parton. I'm moved to tears by her grace, kindness and strength. Growing up in the 70's, I remember Walters had a lot of respect as a female trail-blazing journalist. I'm scratching my head about this now. She is simply a "mean-girl" in this interview. She blew the opportunity to elevate another trail-blazing woman. There are many interesting inquiries about the challenges Dolly experienced instead of being demeaning. I wonder if Walters looked back at her approach with regret.

Dolly's body posture is incredible. She is at ease and leaning in with respect and interest. Without an ounce of meanness. She is a person who causes others expose their ugliness in her presence.

Dolly Parton has natural class, something Barbara Walters could only dream of.

God bless Dolly. She has sent my children free books on a regular basis.

Barbara Walters was worth $170 million when she died. Dolly is worth $650 million. She knew how important it was to be kind to someone as disadvantaged as Barbara was. 😊

“I’d never stoop so low as to be fashionable that’s the easiest thing in the world to do” was a very clever shot at Barbara Walker’s especially considering Barbara has always been very fashionable. I felt it was beautifully and intelligently executed.

I sort of met Dolly years ago while laying over at an airport in Tennessee. I saw her walking with her high-high heels on and two young teenage boys ran over to her to give her a hug and she was so sweet and kind and smiled at all of us and hugged those two boys! She was and IS a class act!!! She treats people with kindness and respect and I have a lot of respect for her!!

Class, talent, intelligence, inner strength, kindness, self actualization, even temperament, and a healthy sense of self. Those are all words to describe some of characteristics of Dolly Parton. Yes she’s physically beautiful. But it’s her internal beauty that really shines the brightest. She handled this interview with so much grace and class, it’s a masterclass in how to handle uncomfortable situations; she is clearly someone who does not allow the negative opinions of others form her own self worth. We could all learn a thing or two from the incomparable Dolly Parton.

This is why I've always loved Dolly. Underneath her image which some people are quick to judge is an incredibly intelligent woman with a pure heart. Barbara was foolish for underestimating her and probably regretted it afterwards.

It was this interview that made me a fan of Dolly as a person. Such self respect and dignity.

I was never a fan of Barbara Walters but I'm not into country music either. Dolly's choices of dress and hairstyles are very different from mine, but I admire her tremendously as a person and a songwriter. She is a stellar human being, warm, strong, kind, intelligent, honest, humorous and immensely talented. The kind of person it would be a pleasure to relax and spend an afternoon with. Class is not in how you dress . . . it's in who you are. She outclasses Barbara by a country mile.

She describes “her people” as being intelligent and having a lot of class and her answer and reaction to the insulting question exemplified that

This interview has aged so incredibly well. I love Dolly!

The way Dolly handled the insults thrown at her made me want to cry. What a beautiful human being.

I'm a black hillbilly and proud of it. Love me some Dolly Parton.

If you watch Walters' interviews through the years, you'll notice that she often used a soft focus on herself, and had flowers in the picture frame next to her. And how she treated the interviewee depended upon whether she liked the person or not --- you'll see this with her female interviewees, some got soft focus and flowers too, while others didn't.

As a Southerner, I am proud of Dolly for demonstrating her strength and intellect to defuse and quietly upstage Barbara's attempts to demean and patronize her. I don't know if Barbara was openly jealous of Dolly's beauty, presence and talent, or if it was unconscious bias towards someone who speaks with a southern accent, but either way she did not come off well by comparison. I would paraphrase Dr. Martin Luther King to say that I hope all of us will someday live in a country where we are not judged by nether the color of our skin nor the dialect we speak, but by the content of our characters.

I grew up in East Tennessee near where Dolly is from. She has done more for her community than any politician can possibly imagine- she has brought jobs and prosperity, but more important, shes given east Tennessee something to be very proud of. She is a queen to us, and reading these comments it makes me happy that the rest of the world sees it too. Dolly forever!

How she didn’t bite at the ‘joke’ bit is astounding. It’s not just poise & class, Dolly is smart! She saw right through Walters.

The hillbilly seems to have a lot more class, intelligence, and self assurance than the sophisticated urban lady could conjure up in a lifetime. Let's remember that Barbara Walters developed "The View," the absolute hallmark of communication don'ts.

There's an inherent misogyny in Walters' questions that is all the more upsetting coming from a woman talking to another woman. It would be easy to call this a product of the times, but Walters clearly knows what she's doing. Blaming her assistant, for example, expresses a consciousness of guilt. Sadly, there are no questions of art, or talent or inspiration. And while Parton did indeed take the high road, I do wish she had held Walters more accountable.

Master class in Southern charm. Her first answer about having Country class was a sweet but direct contrast to Barbara's utter classlessness. Her comment about how creating her own look takes a lot more thought than simply following fashion was a knock on fashionable people. Finally, emphasizing how much she likes who she is seemed to say, do you like who you are, Barbara? Bravo Miss Dolly!

Hahaha, Walters tried to depict Dolly as "cheap" and instead ended up proving how much class she has

For a “hillbilly” she out smarted her on every level 😂

Dolly never drops her engaging smile the entire time. As long as she keeps smiling, not even a skilled interviewer like Walters can lay a glove on her.

One thing that I’ve always noticed about Dolly is that she has this Aw-shucks grin on her face, but there’s enough power, intelligence, beauty and confidence behind it that throws people off. She seems to enjoy herself when she dodges these questions, she has a quick wit and it appears that she’s really having fun.

I had the good fortune to see Dolly perform to a small, intimate group of about 30 people. It was just her sitting on a stool with her acoustic guitar sinIging, chatting and telling stories and jokes. It's one of my most cherished memories. Two of the funniest things she said I'll never forget. One was, "It costs a lot of money to look this cheap" and the other was "I can't believe how windy it was in Tampa today. When I got off of the plane the wind blew my hair all over the place. I had to chase it half way down the runway before I caught up with it!" And Barbara thought she would insult Dolly by asking if she worried that people think she's a joke. Underestimate Dolly at your own peril. She is the queen of the, "Well, bless your heart" technique.

Dolly really grew up a kind of poor most Americans will never experience. She isn't one of those stars who had wealthy parents and connections. Read about her someday. I cried and developed a profound respect for her. She really does love the community she grew up in. When she began to earn money she made sure to go back home and create opportunity for people in her community to live better too. She didn't just donate money, she intenttionally created jobs for them. That's a big part of the reason she created Dollywood. She really is an intelligent and compassionate woman. I love her!

From the first time I heard her when I was a little girl, I've loved Dolly. I was around 7 years old, and I really believed that she was singing just for me. I have followed her as she moved forward in her career, but mostly, I am in awe of her charitable work. I love love love Dolly.

What an amazing example of how classy Dolly Parton is, and highly intelligent too because she had Walters number from the start and effortlessly dealt with her ridiculous questioning. I’ve loved Dolly since I was a little girl, partly because I always felt she was so true to herself and despite such talent seemed down to earth and honest, and decent. She hasn’t changed from that, still the same gifted and beautiful soul.

Dolly is the best. I’ve never seen her be negative or rude. She has true class and grace.

Dolly is one of the classiest people in the entertainment world. The young “stars” of today really need to take a chapter out of her book in how to dress for attention, the one thing is Dolly’s makeup has been on point for over 50 years, trendy for the times but not over the top ever, and her clothing may be over the top, but almost everything is actually covered and her hair is really her signature after her voice.

How Walters became famous for being a journalist is beyond me. How Dolly became a Superstar has never came into question. God Bless you Dolly.

You stopped short of one of dolly’s most iconic quotes where Walters asks her about people calling her a dumb blonde, and dolly says she doesn’t mind because she’s not dumb and isn’t blonde either

Dolly is and always has been a very intelligent woman and she always handles herself perfectly in interviews. *It's a common attitude to underestimate people who are born in the south and/or born into poor families. We are stereotyped...just as Walters tried to do here with Dolly.* But instead, Walters came off as rude and insulting. *Great job Dolly!*

Dolly said it in her book something like “It takes a lots of money to look this cheap.” Very honest statement…… it gave me LOL moment.

I love Dolly so much. She’s always so fun and intelligent in interviews. She’s done so much charity as well. I live in West Virginia and my kids received free books from her for years.

This was not an interview. It was an intended jealous attack and insult. Dolly handled this intelligently. Kudos to Dolly. She’s a real class act.

It takes guts and steel spine to stand up for yourself without falling into the trap of getting mad. She handle's this "mean girl" moment with poise and grace.

Dolly always has that down to earth class❤

Dolly definitely put her ‘security’ out front and didn’t hesitate to be very blunt, but yet in her humble and sweet way - put Barbara in her place. Dolly is a treasure 🌸💗

I’ve always been curious as to how Dolly learned to handle herself so well? She’s never been involved in any type of scandal, nobody’s had anything negative to say about her, and decades later she’s still always confident, funny, & poised!!

Man she was completely correct about "her people"! Highly intelligent, and full of class :)

“ iIt was country class but a great deal of class.” One of the best responses ever. Barbara had no idea who she was talking to ;Dolly, or that southern women can read more than words when people speak and aren’t intimidated by others no matter who they are or where they are from.We don’t try to hurt others or insult them, however we aren’t going to put up with any mess from anyone trying to put us down or play us as superficial. We are sure of ourselves while staying humble. I don’t want to be like anyone else but who I was created to be. I take inspiration from Dolly and many people but know I’m the only me and live accordingly. Being real where it counts is everything. I never minded telling a joke or letting others think whatever they want about me and not taking false opinions or liars to heart.

Barbara Walters asking, "Where I come from...?" Her father ran a nightclub, it isn't as though she grew up on Park Avenue (not that it should even matter). I "met" Dolly Parton at the Minneapolis Airport in 1982, I was coming home from college. She was sitting with the "regular people", not in the VIP Lounge, and could not have been nicer when I asked her for an autograph. Great memory of a Great Lady.

When Barbara said “you don’t have to look like this”, Dolly’s response actually brought a tear to my eye. She is so genuinely good natured, her personality shines. She is so inspiring, how she doesn’t let people bring her down and she remains true to herself. Dolly Parton will always be one of the greatest American icons of all time. 💗

Walters froths at the mouth with jealousy and Dolly’s class shines through.

I'm not from the USA. I'm not into country music. But every time that I've seen bits of interviews or videos of Dolly Parton speaking I've always admired her courtesy, class, wittiness and not showing any kind of shock. She is a tought cookie with a smile. Beware, she has been doing good in so many ways and she will continue if you like it or not. Hat off to her.

I don’t think Dolly could ever receive a “check-minus” on ANY interview or ANY response she’s ever given! Obviously, no one is perfect. But Dolly is just about the damn nearest thing to perfection. Not only musically, or from our perspective on the “outside-looking in,” but as a centered, real individual-Perfection is an illusion, and a mere word, at that, I’m aware; but honestly, you’d be hard pressed to know of or discover anything senseless or clueless ever uttered by Dolly Parton. Ever, in her life. Maybe as an ignorant child she could’ve said something off the wall or immature, as we all have. Some more than others! Some learn quickly from their childhood mishaps, errors and dramas, and it’s called growth. I bet you that if Dolly ever “acted-up” as a child-which I am tempted to doubt-she would’ve been reprimanded fast enough (and it likely occurred early in life) to know that she needs to grow UP fast, as well! Not to mention, when you’re living in the Smoky Mountain wilderness, do you have m time to act out? No! They had fun of course. The music her family made growing up was their time to let loose, their entertainment and their individual expression “moment”. The rest of the days and nights, Lord!! You better believe that it’s all about survival y’all! There’s animals to tend to, food to prepare, canning, preserving, plants to sow, eggs to gather, chicken coop to clean out, trees to pick and prune, produce to sell maybe, animals to possibly hunt or butcher-that’s not counting all the children’s needs and the domestic duties!! The kitchen. The outhouse. The floors and windows. The roof might need fixing up or any leaks addressed. Might need to bear proof the animals and food stores as well. Kids in those settings grow up with class and pride. And Dolly exemplifies this with humor and talent. Classy people have classy children regardless of income or “perceived class” status, level of society, etc. Classy children know to not speak unless spoken to, and don’t get too showy and hyper when you are engaged by adults!

This is why Dolly is so loved! She is a beautiful human being!

You don’t need to have a PhD to be gracious and welcoming. Dolly was that all by herself. We should all try to be more like her. Thanks for the video.

Dolly is a true class act. She has spent her whole life taking the high road. Someone to admire and celebrate.

Mad respect for Dolly. I wouldn't have handled this anywhere near as well as she has. Some of my biggest regrets are conflicts in which I "took the bait" when someone took the low road.

What Dolly did in this interview is the traditional southern way women used to be taught to react. You meet aggression/rudeness with being sickenly sweet. My grandma said "you know what really gets at people, when you don't let butter melt in your mouth". When a southern woman says "well bless your heart" or calls you honey or darlin it isn't them being sweet lol. She also used the other old hillbilly adage "they can't bother you if they don't know where your goats tied" which basically means that if they don't know what bothers you then they have no power over you.

I've also met Dolly in the late 70's when I was a hotel clerk. She is a very sweet and gracious lady. Has more class than most people, especially Barbara Walters. Loved Dolly then, love her now!

Dolly Parton is one of my favorite humans because she is secure, authentic, kind, and smart AF! Barbara Walters on the hand is one of my least favorite humans because she had to insult others to make herself feel better about herself and it all played out in this interview! Love ya Dolly!! 💗

I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone that exudes a mix of total self-confidence, class, intelligence, and humility like Dolly. A true original.

That quiet "I thought that was what you meant." was such a good thing to do, because it made it clear that Dolly DID understand Barbara was being rude, while also: A) showing the shot didn't hurt her B) lampshading that the question was rude while smiling politely C) leaving no room for false interpretation D) offering a chance for her interviewer to take back the weird question about how big her breasts were at 11 y.o. without sounding unwarrantedly aggressive or meek.

"...because I am secure." The eyebrow raise there speaks VOLUMES. Really, her body language throughout the interview could be its own video. Dolly knew exactly what she was doing/saying, and I love her all the more for it.

Dolly Parton has always been very much of a lady. Her kindness, generosity and caring are legendary.

This is great, thank you so much for playing this historic video as a teaching material.

Dolly has always been so positive, polite, never aggressive, never argumentative, never falling for the bait when she’s being interviewed. She’s been asked about Trump, and she handled it so well, refusing to just do what almost everyone else does. This is one reason why she is so loved by most people because she gives no reasons to dislike her. She’s very loving and kind, and the world would be a better place if we could all be more like her.

Dolly Parton has always been a gem. This interview was as catty as it gets, yet Dolly handled it with her legendary wit, Southern charm, grace and honesty. Something never even closely exhibited on Walter's part.

Dolly Parton shows so much grace and intelligence in this interview. She obviously knew what Walters was doing and easily chose not to get down in the gutter with her. Yes Dolly, I can believe your people possess innate class and intelligence because you demonstrated these qualities repeatedly during this "interview." Dolly has inspired me to take the high road in difficult situations because she modeled exactly how it is done with grace and a shining inner beauty.

For those who defend Walters, I'd suggest you compare her two interviews on YT where she interviewed (one of 'her' people) Barbra Streisand. Each of those interviews were designed to heighten Streisand's image, to present her marriage as something lasting and wholesome (it wasn't) to present Streisand as a Rock Star (she wasn't) and to showcase Streisand as nothing less than a shining child of Midtown Manhattan. If Walters was just doing her job (as some confused commenters claim), explain to us all why in her interviews with Streisand she didn't belittle and insult her as she did in this Dolly Parton interview?

I saw Dolly Parton in concert in my hometown, Glasgow, Scotland, a few years ago, and she was stunningly brilliant. She’s so charming, and you know the charm is not fake. This is a woman who has been in the celebrity business for many, many years now, yet you can tell that nothing has changed in her personality or outlook in life. Some people would say she comes from humble beginnings, but she came from rich beginnings. Not rich by monetary meaning, but rich in the aspect of respect, decency, and love. And she’s never allowed celebrity to affect her. She’s an absolute diamond of a person.

Clearly Dolly is the most intelligent of the two and a class act with Southern manners and charm.

She just oozes southern charm! The only thing Dolly didn't do was, she didn't say, "Well, bless your heart!" to Barbara with the sweet smile still on her face.

Dolly is unapologetically herself and I love her for it!! She let people underestimate her and cried all the way to the bank!!! There is nothing anyone said about her that she didn't say first and better! She comes off all sweetness, class, and grace (yet not a doormat) not sinking to Walter's level and she comes out if it looking classy and Walter's like a jerk.

Dolly has always been masterful at deflecting rudeness and asinine questions. A master class in class!

I met Dolly Parton when I was very young, I believe I was 6. My grandparents took me to see her perform and she talked to us afterward. I was only 6, but that conversation stuck in my mind all of my life because such a famous person was the nicest person to me and I was nobody just a little girl. She talked to me as if in the moment she would rather be talking to me than moving on to everyone else waiting. She told me I had beautiful brown eyes. I wish I could have met her again but I never did. I am 46 now

Ty so much for an incredibly insightful and entertaining video! The same goes for Dolly's brilliant interview and I'm doubly inspired. This is the first video I have had the pleasure of watching from you and am looking forward to watching many more without a doubt!!!!!

I lost so much respect for the reputation Barbara Walters had built based on this interview. Dolly is such a total champ in this.

This interview is proof that lack of education does not equate to stupidity, nor does a great education automatically bestow true class. Dolly outclassed Walters all the way!

It’s almost like Walters feels threatened by Dolly Parton’s self assurance, genuineness, and freedom to play. She seems insecure in her own self in these questions. Dolly is an absolutely amazing human. She’s easily the most intelligent and well put together person in the conversation

Dolly Parton is a living legend. An amazing song-writer, singer, musician, actor, business woman, and a lady of the greatest character and pure class in a business that has neither. I won't comment on Barbara, there's nothing to gain from pointing out how intelligence evades that female.