Thanksgiving 2023 Halftime Shows: Dolly Parton Scores, Jack Harlow Fumbles

When it comes to the halftime performances during Thanksgiving, everyone must bow to them Dolly Parton.

Fresh off releasing her star-studded Rock star album, Parton, 77, performed at halftime during the Dallas Cowboys and Washington Commanders game on Thursday, November 23. As expected, she crushed it while dressed as a Cowboys cheerleader (with her signature rhinestones). Viewers raved about Parton’s performance, with many commenting that she is a “national treasure.”

Unfortunately the same couldn’t be said Jack Harlow. The 25-year-old rapper was tasked with entertaining those who tuned in to watch the Green Bay Packers take on the Detroit Lions. Fans torched Harlow’s performance and the matte igloo-themed set. proverb it was like “the live-action production of Club Penguin.”

At least viewers got to see Harlow’s performance. Steve Aoki was utterly dismissed, like the potato salad with raisins that someone thought would be a great addition to a Thanksgiving meal. When Aoki, 45, was scheduled to play the halftime show for the Seattle Seahawks-San Francisco 49ers showdown, the broadcast was limited to commercials, meaning no one other than those at Lumen Field got to see his antics.

Read on for a look at the highlights (and lowlights) of the 2023 Thanksgiving Halftime Shows.

Dolly Parton

Parton continued to show why she is one of the most beloved performers with her halftime show. Turning AT&T Stadium into her stage, Parton — dressed in a sparkly version of a Cowboys cheerleading outfit — performed a fast-paced six-minute show in which she kicked off with “Jolene,” her 1973 hit. From there, she continued with “ 9 to 5,” the anthem and theme song of her 1980 comedy (which also starred Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin). Parton then ended her performance with a shortened version of Queen’s “We Will Rock You/We Are The Champions.”

The NFL posted the full performance on YouTube shortly afterward. “Dolly never ceases to amaze us,” one fan wrote in the comments section. “I mean, who doesn’t love Dolly!?” asked another. “She is an inspiration to all of us, old ladies and beyond! Go ahead, girl!” wrote a third fan, while one summed up what everyone was thinking: “Dolly Parton is a national treasure.”

Jack Harlow

Many viewers threw the penalty flag on Harlow’s set. Harlow was tasked with entertaining the crowd at Ford Field in Detroit, which wouldn’t be easy. It didn’t help when Harlow emerged from an igloo, one fan said watched like it costs “$49.99”. Another fan posted on X (formerly Twitter) that Harlow’s set belonged to a child Frozen play equipment. Others commented on Harlow’s shabby appearance, glasses and outfit let him look such as Ming Ming (Peter Billingsley) of Elf.

“Jack Harlow Really Stole His Church’s VBS Decorations for Thanksgiving Break,” joked one fan. As for the performance, Harlow went through his songs “Tyler Herro,” “WHATS POPPIN,” “INDUSTRY BABY” (the song he did with Lil Nas X), “First Class” and “Lovin On Me.” It apparently failed to win over fans.

“If Jack Harlow was smart he’d come over here and just tweet, ‘Miss Dolly ate me at half-time, didn’t she?’” said one fan.

If Jack Harlow was smart, he’d come over here and just tweet, “Miss Dolly ate me at half-time, didn’t she?” pic.twitter.com/dwXT2PxZSS

— Sassington, MD (@MissSassbox) November 24, 2023

Steve Aoki

If NFL fans don’t remember seeing Aoki play the halftime show during the Thanksgiving game between the 49ers and the Seahawks, that’s because it didn’t appear on the air. When Aoki was about to play, NBC decided it was time to air some commercials, removing Aoki’s set from the broadcast entirely.

“Steve Aoki’s halftime show was like 30 seconds,” one fan posted on X, sharing brief footage of Aoki pumping up the crowd before NBC decided to run some ads. What fans ultimately missed was Aoki throwing a pie in the face of Seattle’s mascot, Blitz.

.@Steve Aoki just threw a pie at the @Seahawks mascot 😂 pic.twitter.com/NJNhkLPJtm

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—NFL (@NFL) November 24, 2023