If you’ve spent anytime on Twitter this week, you’ll have come across the new ‘red flag’ trend. 

It’s pretty self-explanatory: people have been posting what they consider a red flag, accompanied by a series of red flag emojis. It started out as something quite serious but, as these things tend to do, evolved into something fun.

“If they put pineapple on pizza,” is one I very highly endorse; “me and my ex are still friends,” proved to be a really popular one on Twitter. I think my entry would be “if they have The Wiggles as their Spotify anthem on Tinder.”

Step forward, though, Dolly Parton, who had the best ‘red flag’ entry.

“When her beauty is beyond compare with flaming locks of auburn hair,” the Queen of Country tweeted, referencing her classic hit ‘Jolene’. The post was liked well over 100,000 times with people clearly loving the reference.

It genuinely fits the ‘red flag’ trend perfectly: ‘Jolene’ is about Parton worrying about a stunningly beautiful woman stealing away her lover (“please don’t take him just because you can”). I’m sure after encountering the titular ‘Jolene’, Parton was always wary of pretty auburn hair in the future.

Love Country Music?

Get the latest Country Music news, features, updates and giveaways straight to your inbox Learn more

The famous hit is Parton’s most covered track and was ranked at number 217 on the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list by Rolling Stone.

Others have got in on the trend, including the Olympics organisers (“Sport is overrated” was their entry) but nothing will come close to topping Parton’s.

Away from social media, Parton just raised a huge $700,000 through her Smokey Mountain businesses for flood relief in Tennessee. The U.S. state saw more than 500 homes and 50 businesses suffer extensive damage from the torrential rain. Dave Grohl probably has a rival for Nicest Person in Music.

For more on this topic, follow the Country Music Observer.

Check out ‘Jolene’ by Dolly Parton:

YouTube VideoPlay

Get unlimited access to the coverage that shapes our culture.
to Rolling Stone magazine
to Rolling Stone magazine