The Intertwined Legacies of Gloria Steinem and Dolly Parton

Gloria Steinem saw women's lives in all their complexity, recognizing tragedy, comedy, and meaning in every woman.

Feminism needed both the explicit organizer articulating values and the person joyfully embodying those values.

Steinem's undercover Playboy Bunny exposé and abortion reporting launched her feminist activism and led to co-founding Ms. Magazine.

Steinem moved into formal advocacy, fighting for the ERA, founding the National Women's Political Caucus, and organizing for workplace equality and reproductive rights.

As a child, Dominus found 1970s feminism intimidating and harsh, but later came to deeply appreciate the professional opportunities it created.

Watching Nine to Five in 1980 was a lightning bolt feminist moment where Parton's character confronted sexual harassment and workplace injustice.

Parton's charm and hyper-femininity made feminist ideals accessible to women alienated by the formal movement, and she modeled feminist values through business control and self-expression.

Steinem formally recognized Parton as a feminist figure in a 1987 Ms. Magazine tribute, stating she found her unique power and helped other women do the same.

Steinem imagined running a democratic roadside diner in her old age, and Dominus imagines Dolly Parton playing on its jukebox.