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Comment by dead_hn_theory | Hacker News Reader

We should be more ambitious with the people we build.

We should celebrate people like Dolly and not people unworthy of celebration or celebrity.

Yes, it would be nice if people who make the world a better place would receive more attention and appreciation.

That's so hard though. I feel like she was a 1 in 1 like a lot of great people. Trying to draw a trend line feels impossible. Like ...

  - amazing voice
  - amazing songwriter
  - talented actress
  - an icon for attractiveness in the 80s who was self-effacing about it
  - embraced her fans of all kinds (imagine someone born when she was being so comfortable with people of all races and stripes)
  - just a permanently positive force

Not a lot of people in my lifetime (1975-present) have _no one_ bad-mouthing them. And I am sure there's someone out there bad-mouthing Dolly, but c'mon.

Well, the positive traits you listed are certainly true, but let’s face it: she was also very intelligent and had a self-deprecating sense of humor, so there’s that.

Oh I left super smart out, but the self deprecating I felt like I got with self-effacing ("It takes a lot of money to look this cheap" is Mae West level gag writing).

Yeah she checked a lot of boxes. But maybe the room made by no longer elevating the unworthy would shine a light on those who do.

Exactly, noblesse oblige

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