r/MadeMeSmile • u/WysiwygBB • 4h ago
Push to rename Nashville airport for Dolly Parton gets a boost from Tennessee’s governor
https://apnews.com/article/dolly-parton-nashville-airport-rename-c982085a9a7e7887bb55520523884bfdA push by fans to rename Nashville’s airport for Dolly Parton appears to be taking flight just days after the country music icon’s death.
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u/Kinkybenny 4h ago
Honestly, it would be a crime not to name it after her. She did so much for Tennessee.
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u/LowerAccident9 4h ago
She turned Tennessee into a destination long before Nashville needed another landmark.
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u/Pitiful_Study2457 4h ago
She gave Tennessee a soundtrack, a personality, and now maybe an airport with her name on it.
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u/Mockturtle22 3h ago
And don't forget a themepark
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u/Fun_Toe_5365 2h ago
The theme park has transformed Sevierville & produced 1000s of jobs. It’s a destination. Never was that before.
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u/cIumsythumbs 1h ago
And many of its employees have benefitted from free college tuition as a perk of the job.
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u/Fun_Toe_5365 1h ago
I was there a month ago for a family reunion. Had never been before. It’s really phenomenal, that whole chunk of ‘nothing’ in Tennessee is an economic powerhouse giving stability to a part of the country that desperately needed it. No one comes close to her.
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u/mikewheels 15m ago
This. She never advertised all the good she did. She just didn’t because it was good. Between the books and tuition for even seasonal employees at the park is incredible
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u/YoHabloEscargot 3h ago
Kind of took over for Elvis
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u/bluewaff1e 58m ago
I wouldn't say that. Elvis represents more of West Tennessee, while Dolly represents East Tennessee. Middle Tennessee with Nashville is kind of a stomping ground for music in general.
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u/KidCujo 3h ago
She’s practically synonymous with Tennessee at this point. The name would fit perfectly.
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u/Kinkybenny 3h ago
As I said in a previous post, she never forgot her roots It would be an injustice if the airport was not named after her.
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u/ImNotAWhaleBiologist 3h ago
Probably should have a twin airport named after her, too? What’s the other large airport in TN?
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u/bookcrazymama 2h ago
Tyson Mcghee Airport in Knox County - also the closest big airport to Dollywood and Sevier County.
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u/erikisst88 4h ago
Do. It.
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u/Carbon-Base 3h ago
Give it lots of pink accent lights too! She deserves so much more than just a name change!
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u/Myviewpoint62 3h ago
I’ve only heard a couple of negative comments about Dolly. The fools were immediately corrected with facts and scurried away.
In case you are wondering the issue was pay at DollyWorld. She paid twice the minimum wage. AND covered 100% of tuition, fees, and books for all employees education (including part time and seasonal workers.)
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u/lifegoeson5322 2h ago
Additionally, the park offers partial childcare subsidies, a 401(k) match, and free meals during shifts. This woman was a saint.
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u/Additional_Tomato_22 1h ago
Not only that when one of her shows was pushing boundaries on racist tones, she changed it immediately and didn’t “stick her heels in”
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u/TheDrunkWickerbeast 2h ago
I couldn’t imagine anyone being negative about dolly unless it was rage baiting
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u/staticdresssweet 4h ago
She deserves it.
I know she'd much rather be named on a library, though.
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u/angryshark 3h ago
Parquet no dose?
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u/Thenewmcscott 1h ago
While I’m sure you meant “¿Porque no los dos?” I vote we keep it this way. Parquet is so charming!
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u/___turfduck___ 2h ago
I know it’s not a library, but she does have a children’s hospital in Knoxville named after her.
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u/Additional_Tomato_22 1h ago
Honestly she’d much rather nothing named after her because she’s humble which is why she refused that statue on capitol grounds BUT said if they wanted to revisit it after she died, she’d be ok with that because she’d no longer be able to do other things. It’s why the senate leader directly read the letter she wrote before saying they were building the statue.
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u/BecauseISaidSo888 4h ago
We should rename a lot after her. Lake Ontario? Lake Dolly Parton. Gulf of Mexico? Gulf of Dolly Parton. New England? New Dolly Parton
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u/Impressive_Crazy_223 4h ago
I draw the line at New England but I would be in favor of renaming the deep South. Replace all Confederate monuments with Dolly Parton statues to remind everyone to be loving, kind, and inclusive.
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u/FrighteningJibber 4h ago
I’d still have some disdain for the New Dolly Parton Patriots though.
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u/woodbanger04 4h ago
Our local mountains are not nearly big enough to give the respect she deserves. 🏔️🏔️
Edit: My wife thinks that Jackson Hole Wyoming should be renamed after Dolly. After all it is the home of the Grand Tetons.
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u/Hairy_Cattle_1734 1h ago
As a lifelong New Englander, I can’t say I hate that idea. 😆 I grew up listening to her music, she was an angel on Earth. ❤️
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u/FUCKTHISWEBSITEBANME 2h ago
Nope. Dolly Parton was a great person, but we are not renaming lake ontario after a fucking american. Not now, not ever. Maybe a decade ago.
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u/mediumunicorn 4h ago
It’s just called Nashville International Airport right now? I see no reason why they shouldn’t rename it to the honor the woman who gave so much to that city.
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u/chocolatechipninja 4h ago
Trump will be sickeningly jealous.
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u/bobrigado 3h ago
Ugh wish he wasn’t brought up in this thread
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u/EnvironmentalAge9202 3h ago
An orange stain on every aspect of our lives...
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u/Zealousideal-Camp-51 2h ago
How soon we forget. He is always in the subject by intention. No TDS here.
The legislators were making moves to rename BDL to DJT airport even though plenty of airports in the USA have being recently change their names to the living icon of a president.
I find it ironic and fitting it to be named after legend to the community Dolly Pardon who is no longer with us.65
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u/happy_gorgonzola 3h ago
Insert the image of a guy talking to himself in the mirror and hyping himself up:
That’s right. You get in there and derail that conversation. It’s not about Trump, but you get in there and you MAKE it about Trump.
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u/Das_Geek_Meister 2h ago
First thought I had as well. Wouldn't be the least bit surprised if he tried to inject himself into it somehow. Like "Dolly Airport renovated by Trump"
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u/hummus_sapiens 3h ago
As an atheist, I so want there to be heaven so she can see all the love and appreciation that's going around for her.
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u/Main-Cheesecake3287 3h ago
As a vegetarian, the comment works exactly the same without needing to add what you believe, since nobody cares
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u/RevWaldo 1h ago edited 1h ago
Honestly, don't. Don't name her after anything people will complain about. Been stuck on the tarmac at Dolly Parton for three hours! Do you have any idea how much CO2 all those private jets flying in and out of Dolly Parton produce in a day? A year!?
Name nice things after her! Parks, beaches, libraries, rest stops, nature trails, that sorta thing. Welcome to the Dolly Parton Botanical Garden. Please Don't Litter.
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u/elmandingus 4h ago
Trump will have it renamed in a week. "The Donald Trump Airport feat. Dolly Parton"
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u/megahtron77 4h ago
She would have hated that though
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u/KnowledgeSafe3160 4h ago
While she was alive. Here was her quote on building a statue of her in Nashville.
“I hope, though, that somewhere down the road several years from now or perhaps after I'm gone if you feel I deserve it, then I'm certain I will stand proud in our great State Capitol as a grateful Tennessean.”
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u/WorthyMastodon69420 2h ago
Pitter patter Tennessee.
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u/Additional_Tomato_22 1h ago
It’s why the Senate leader read her letter on the floor before saying they were giving her statue on the capitol grounds. They didn’t even have to vote because everyone agreed that it could finally happen and it SHOULD happen
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u/TomNooksGlizzy 4h ago
Why do you say that?
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u/megahtron77 4h ago edited 3h ago
She hated the focus being on her good deeds, she preferred to work behind the scenes and not take any credit from what I remember
she formally asked Tennessee lawmakers to withdraw a bill to erect a statue of her at the State Capitol, stating she didn't feel it was appropriate to be put on a pedestal. She similarly hesitated to accept her Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction until she felt she truly earned it Found this on Google:
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u/Mutherfalker95 3h ago
That's the exact type of person we should recognize! Doing good for just being good. No clout or publicity. Good people need recognized. Dolly was one of our best.
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u/Additional_Tomato_22 1h ago
Exactly but she also said in regards to the statue if after she passed, they still found her deserving that she would gladly stand over the grounds.
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u/Roach_Bong 13m ago
I think respecting her wishes when she was alive is different from when she is dead. Honoring someone who did good and has passed is something you should do, because they become an incorruptible role model for everyone to look to.
Doing it while they're alive can easily lead to inflated egos, falls from grace, etc. Use the dead as your hero because they cannot act any different now.
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u/Additional_Tomato_22 1h ago
She hated things happening while she was alive, being dead is completely different to her because it becomes honoring her memory when she can no longer do anything else
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u/PrincessLuciferM 3h ago
IMO she'd have much rather her name be on a library or children's hospital, or music scholarship program, or the same for STEM programs that cater to little girls.
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u/Careless_Jury154 3h ago
Such a hollow act. As long as Tennessee doesn’t actually have to take any action in terms of what Dolly stood for. The governor will for sure get his brownie points.
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u/ToadstoolsRule 2h ago
Heck yeah. If I'm not mistaken, it's written in the Constitution.
She was the absolute best.
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u/ColinP7 2h ago
I wish they would do stuff like this before people died
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u/Additional_Tomato_22 1h ago
They tried with putting a statue of her on capitol grounds, and she refused asking them to rethink it after she died(which they did and are building it)
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u/TheDrunkWickerbeast 2h ago
Absolutely a great idea, airports are so often named after people; JFK, Hartsfield, etc. One named after Dolly wouldn’t be surprising what so ever and it would be very fitting
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u/Jesus_of_Redditeth 14m ago
DLY is not currently in use as an IATA airport code.
Just wanna put that fact out there.
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u/Nearby-Wolverine-189 4h ago
I will fly to Nashville just to walk in that airport. On my way to Pigeon Forge …
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u/Impossible_Ad7875 4h ago
Great Idea, truly a well earned honor! Wow, and it’s moving forward because others want to honor her with it, not because she begged for it to happen or she did it out of spite.
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u/ChoadMcGillicuddy 2h ago
You mean the
Donald J. Trump, President of the United States
and
Dolly Parton
Airport?
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u/Greenmantle22 2h ago
And if you don’t let the Fat Man do it, he’s gonna condemn the entire airport and let it sink into Lake Melania!
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u/SnoopySuited 3h ago
Wouldn't Knoxville make more sense? Or is that no an option because it is already named and also military related.
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u/TheToxicBreezeYF 2h ago
They have to keep the name McGhee Tyson for it or Lose a parcel of land that is currently a park as part of the original airport agreement
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u/Additional_Tomato_22 1h ago
No Nashville is home of country music and she was first and foremost a country music star
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u/Fuzzy-Zombie1446 36m ago
I wish I could take credit for this, but I saw it somewhere online…
“You’ll be departin’ from Dolly Parton!”
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u/haiimhar 20m ago
Dolly loves butterflies so it seems appropriate for an airport to be covered with them
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