Dolly Parton’s Viral Halftime Show Made Fans Thankful For “An American Treasure”

Once again, Dolly Parton has proved she’s a legend. The country singer was the talk of Thanksgiving after her halftime performance during the Dallas Cowboys-Washington Commanders game in Arlington, Texas. Her outfit was a big part of the conversation, because the 77-year-old Parton stole the show in a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader outfit.

“An American Treasure”

For her fans, Parton’s performance was further proof that she’s a national treasure. She got the crowd going by starting with one of her biggest hits, “Jolene,” and then continued with the also-beloved “9 to 5.” Next, she covered Queen’s “We Are the Champions” and “We Will Rock You” to transition into the second half of the football game.

“Dolly Parton is god damn national treasure,” one enthused viewer wrote on X (formerly Twitter). Another expressed the same idea, tweeting, “You know who’s a national treasure? #DollyParton. That’s who.” Still others heralded her as “an American treasure” and even “every life goal.” She “won Thanksgiving,” according to at least one viewer.

Fans couldn’t get over the fact that she’s 77. There were hilarious memes from people who just found out her age and quips that Jolene won’t be “taking her man.” One fan highlighted Parton’s impressive energy by showing a photo from the halftime show next to art featuring a bedridden woman, writing, “Dolly Parton at 77 and me almost half her age.”

The Romo Response

A lot of viewers loved seeing how retired Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo, now an NFL commentator, reacted to Parton’s performance during the CBS broadcast. “I mean, she looks amazing, right?” he said. “I mean, she’s wonderful. Who doesn’t like Dolly Parton?”

Summing it up, a fan called him “everyone in America after the Dolly Parton halftime show.” Another also reacted, writing, “I’m a little sad Tony Romo couldn’t spend the entirety of the second half talking about Dolly Parton as he clearly wanted to.” Similarly, another viewer said he “wanted to just keep talking about Dolly Parton as Jim Nantz tried to change the subject to the Commanders-Cowboys game.”

Dolly’s Defenders

As much as many fans loved Parton’s performance, there were some loud critics who took issue with her outfit, her age, and/or her politics. Her defenders were quick to answer them. “F*ck anybody talking sh*t about Dolly Parton,” one wrote. “She looks better at 77 than I have in my whole entire life.”

“Dolly Parton is a married Christian lady who does good community work and also looks better than you in short shorts,” another tweeted. “Cry about it.”

With Parton trending on multiple social media platforms, a fan weighed in with a cautionary reminder: “Stop celebrating how good #DollyParton looks for her age,” they wrote. “Celebrate her personality, her philanthropy, talent and success instead.”