Surviving the game of "greatness" boils down to two things. 1.) You can't call yourself great. Let your talents do the talking, and the praise will naturally follow! 2.) Never compare yourself to established greats. As a rising star, you never want to be "The Next [Insert Great Figure Here]" because you'll only guarantee the losing war you'll be fighting from then on.
Haliey Welch (known as "Hawk Tuah Girl") was unwittingly subjected to that second point by Rolling Stone. For everyone plotting Welch's downfall and her "15 minutes of fame" being over, it looks like you can happily celebrate. After this ill-favored comparison point between Welch and Dolly Parton, it's safe to say Welch's internet celebrity days are numbered.
For context, let's see what Rolling Stone actually said! The hook for the article reads as such: "She went viral for a sex joke, but Haliey Welch is much more — a charming Gen Z Dolly Parton who's rightfully becoming America's Sweetheart." Later in the article, it happens again! "While she may not sing or write songs, the 'Hawk Tuah Girl,' as she's come to be known, exudes the charm and magnetism of a Gen Z Dolly Parton."
To dispel any rumors of publication-on-publication beef, I'll nip it in the bud. I love Rolling Stone! In fact, the highlighted article about Welch is well-written and engaging! It's just... that comparison.
Rolling Stone Makes An Unfortunate Comparison Between Hawk Tuah Girl And Dolly Parton
Then, TikTok got a hold of the article. As y'all know, once something passes the virality threshold, it's a wrap.
@gracebirdly Dont you dare disrespect queen dolly like that #dollyparton #hawktuah #delusional #rollingstone #fyp #foryoupage
The "What has she done to deserve her fame?!" horse has been beaten to death, and frankly, I'm tired of people being bitter about it. However, there are some gems in the comments of that video!
"Dolly parton is still alive, performing, and relevant to multiple generations. hello??" one TikTok user states. ...Yeah, they fast-tracked Welch's plummeting internet stock with that one. If you were going the vibes route, there were so many other people you could've used as a frame of reference.
"dolly parton will be the dolly parton of EVERY generation she's irreplaceable." Agreed! We're comparing a juggernaut in and out of the music industry to an internet meme! Like, come on. Then again, Rolling Stone likely got y'all (and me, of course) to click on that article, so maybe they knew exactly what they were doing!
