A Beautiful Noise
No, not the Neil Diamond thing. The Mexican Pizza thing.
It doesn’t matter what day, month, or year it is, because there’s still a better-than-average chance that Dolly Parton is doing something nice for the rest of us. She sends free books to any kid who likes reading for funsies; she dropped seven figures to help Vanderbilt University develop a covid vaccine, and she might’ve convinced Taco Bell to bring back the Mexican Pizza too.
In January, Parton told Insider that she has a go-to Taco Bell order (soft shell tacos, mild sauce, rice and beans), but she also said she “thinks they should” bring back the Mexican Pizza, which was discontinued in November 2020. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the Mexican Pizza reappeared on the Bell’s menu by mid-May — at least until it started selling out across the country. (“Oh mercy, it was worth the wait,” Parton said after getting her manicured mitts on one of them.)
Not only that, but in September Parton collaborated with Doja Cat on “Mexican Pizza: The Musical,” a very real thing that was described as “the true story of the Internet losing its mind.”
The whole project started when Doja Cat shared a song about the pie, and then TikTokker Victor Kunda followed up with a tossed-off 30-second choreography sketch. Then, somehow, Parton agreed to take part in it too, blowing the production up into an all-singing, all-dancing, 12-minute extravaganza in portrait mode. (In addition to an onscreen cameo, Parton also provided the voice of the pizza.)
“What a fun time, and what a fun idea to be part of the Mexican Pizza musical,” Parton said in a statement that definitely reflected the words that came out of her actual mouth. “Very cool. I would say it was ALMOST as good as a Mexican Pizza.”
You can watch the musical on YouTube, before, during, or after you have a Mexican Pizza — they’re back on the menu permanently. Not too bad for a glorified tostada!
A version of this story appeared on the news page of Questionist’s parent company Geeks Who Drink. But the majesty of Dolly Parton cannot be confined to a single website, right?
Photo illustration: ??? / Taco Bell / Questionist