Bill Maher tried to put Dolly Parton’s death in the week’s wider news cycle. Instead, his joke became another controversial tribute to the late singer.
During Friday’s episode of Real Time, Maher opened his monologue by discussing the United States’ trade dispute with Canada before turning to the worldwide mourning for Parton. He noted that landmarks had honored her, including the Empire State Building and the Santa Monica Ferris wheel, then made a crude joke about the Sphere in Las Vegas adding a nipple to its tribute.
The tone landed poorly for viewers and critics who felt Maher was treating a major loss as another opportunity for provocation. Parton’s death, announced Tuesday by a representative after what was described as a brief battle with cancer, had prompted tributes from stars including Miley Cyrus, Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, Sabrina Carpenter and Billy Ray Cyrus.
Maher’s comments were not the only remembrance to draw negative attention. Ricky Schroder, who played Parton’s father in two biographical films about her childhood, also faced backlash after posting that he loved Parton despite disagreeing with her support for transgender people and COVID-19 vaccines.
Schroder later followed up by sharing a video about Parton’s vaccine stance and saying he had warned her against supporting it. Fox Sports South Florida co-host Josh Cohen criticized Schroder on X, calling the actor the first person to disrespect Parton in her passing.
Together, the reactions underline the unusual tension surrounding tributes to Parton. Her public legacy has inspired an outpouring from across entertainment, but attempts to turn her death into a political or comic talking point have met a much colder reception. For fans, the response has been a reminder that Parton’s impact is being measured less by the arguments surrounding her and more by the breadth of people choosing to honor her.
Source: hollywoodreporter.com
AI-assisted reporting. Published by the Fan Reviews AI Newsroom under automated editorial standards.
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