The Dolly Parton challenge is a social media trend that went viral in January 2020. It involves posting four different photos of yourself styled after famous singer Dolly Parton’s different “moods” to showcase your multifaceted personality.
Where did the Dolly Parton challenge come from?
The trend originated from a meme created by Dolly Parton herself. On January 21, 2020, Parton posted a collage of four photos of herself on Instagram and Twitter. Each photo represented a different social media platform and the image she would use on that platform:
- LinkedIn – a professional headshot
- Facebook – a family-friendly photo
- Instagram – a glam shot
- Tinder – a fun, flirty photo
She captioned the post “Get you a woman who can do it all.” The post went viral, racking up over 1 million likes on Instagram. Soon after, people started recreating the meme with photos of themselves styled after Parton’s iconic looks.
How did the challenge go viral?
After Parton posted the original meme, it quickly took off on social media. Celebrities like Jennifer Garner, Mark Ruffalo, and Kerry Washington took part in the trend. Brands like WWE, LinkedIn, and even Dolly Parton’s Dollywood amusement park joined in on the fun.
Part of what made the meme so shareable was how Parton had styled the photos specifically for each platform:
- The LinkedIn photo was a professional headshot.
- The Facebook photo showed her family-friendly side.
- The Instagram photo was glammed up.
- The Tinder photo was youthful and flirty.
This inspired people to style their own photos to match the vibe of each platform. The meme also spread because it was an easy and fun way for people to show off different sides of their personality.
Why did it go viral?
There are several reasons why the Dolly Parton challenge took off so quickly online:
- Nostalgia for Dolly Parton – Even if people weren’t familiar with Parton’s music, her iconic style and personality were recognizable enough to ignite interest.
- Relatability – The theme of showing your different personas on social media was highly relatable content.
- Easy to recreate – The meme was simple to recreate with just four photos of yourself styled differently.
- Humor – Adding captions about having different personalities for each platform added an element of humor.
- Creativity – People got creative with styling their photos and thinking of funny captions.
In the end, the meme checked all the boxes – nostalgia, humor, relatability, shareability – for creating viral internet content.
What are some examples of the meme?
People recreated the meme in many ways, getting very creative with styling their photos. Here are some popular examples:
- Styling photos for different fashion looks – boho, preppy, edgy, glamorous
- Showing professional vs. casual sides
- Kid-friendly vs. party-person sides
- Sporty vs. made-up looks
- Photos with pets vs. fancy photos
- Comedic photos showcasing “cool” vs. dorky sides
Funny captions were also a big part of the meme. People came up with taglines like:
- “The LinkedIn me vs. the ‘add guac’ me”
- “Teacher by day, wine mom by night”
- “Festival me vs. hungover me”
Adding humor and poking fun at oneself helped make the meme more popular and sharable.
Data on the viral trend
The Dolly Parton challenge exploded across social media platforms. Here are some key stats about the meme:
| Platform | Engagement |
|---|---|
| Over 1 million likes on Dolly’s original post | |
| Over 800,000 likes on Dolly’s original tweet | |
| TikTok | Over 380,000 videos created |
Celebrity and brand participation also helped spread the meme. Some top posts included:
| Celebrity | Engagement |
|---|---|
| Mark Ruffalo | Over 1.3 million likes on Instagram |
| Kerry Washington | Over 575,000 likes on Twitter |
| WWE | Over 206,000 likes on Instagram |
Why was it so popular on social media?
There are a few key reasons the meme took off across platforms like Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok:
- Image-focused platforms – The meme was perfectly suited for photo and video-based sites like Instagram and TikTok.
- Relatable content – As mentioned, the theme resonated of sharing different sides of yourself online.
- Easy engagement – People could participate just by posting their own version, commenting, or resharing others’ posts.
- Humor – The meme lent itself well to funny captions and poking fun at how we portray ourselves on social media.
Ultimately, it was the type of fun, visually engaging, highly sharable content that tends to spread quickly across social networks.
How did people react to the meme?
For the most part, response to the Dolly Parton challenge was very positive. People loved having an excuse to style fun photoshoots and show off their multifaceted personalities. Some key reactions included:
- Nostalgia and praise for Dolly – Many expressed nostalgia for Dolly Parton and praised her talent, business savvy, and ability to create viral memes decades into her career.
- Appreciation for creativity – People enjoyed seeing how creative others got with styling and editing their photos.
- Humorous captions – The funny taglines added to the photos got a very positive response, often more so than the photos themselves.
- Empowerment – Some felt empowered being able to showcase their multi-dimensional personalities.
Of course, some also voiced criticism or fatigue over seeing the meme flood their feeds. But overall, the response trended positive, which helped drive its popularity. People still enjoy reminiscing about the short-lived viral moment in internet culture.
How can you create your own version?
It’s easy to join in on the trend, even a few years too late. Here are some tips for creating your own Dolly Parton challenge:
- Pick out four photos showcasing different looks – professional, casual, glammed up, outdoorsy, etc.
- Style and edit the photos to fit the mood. Add props like glasses or hats.
- Post the photos in a 2×2 grid collage, labeling each for a different platform like LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and Tinder.
- Add funny captions to complete the meme.
- Share on social media and tag friends to challenge them to make their own versions.
The key is to pick photos that show contrasting looks and sides of your personality. Get creative with editing the pics to match the vibe you want. Most importantly, have fun with it and don’t take it too seriously!
Why did the meme die out?
Like most viral internet trends, the Dolly Parton challenge had a relatively short shelf life. Here are some reasons it faded away quickly after spiking in popularity:
- No staying power – The concept was simple and easily replicated, leading to meme fatigue after a couple weeks.
- Lack of variation – After people had seen a few dozen versions, the meme started feeling repetitive.
- Temporary nostalgia – It revived interest in Dolly Parton, but the nostalgia wasn’t enough to sustain it long-term.
- Only works in image form – It was difficult to adapt or iterate on the meme in new formats.
- Timing – Trends come and go quickly in the rapid pace of social media.
While the meme dominated feeds for a brief period, it wound up being just a flash in the pan. However, it remains a fun throwback reminder not to take our social media personas too seriously!
Conclusion
The Dolly Parton challenge gave people a fun, creative way to showcase their multi-faceted personalities through social media photos. The meme caught fire thanks to its humor, relatability, nostalgia, and shareability. Though it died out quickly, it left a lasting impact and remains a beloved viral moment in internet culture. Dolly Parton herself proved she still has her finger on the pulse when it comes to creating content people love. Her original post embodied the theme of the meme – showing how one woman really can do it all, even decades into her legendary career.