YMMV / Dusty Rhodes

• Audience-Alienating Era: His commentary in latter-day WCW. Much of what he said made sense....to Dusty. Despite this, fans still loved to hear him talk, as he was just that charming and entertaining.
• Awesome Music: His WWF theme. Fans still mark out for it, and it became synonymous with Dusty by the time he passed. It's easily his most recognizable theme, and one of the best known wrestler themes ever recorded.
• Harsher in Hindsight:
  • During his famous "Hard Times" promo, Dusty said that there were only two people that could be called "bad", himself and John Wayne. In 2015, Dusty died on June 11. John Wayne also died on June 11, almost 40 years earlier. Coincidentally, Wayne died from stomach cancer, and after Dusty's death it was revealed that he also had stomach cancer (although it was not apparently his immediate cause of death).
  • His last appearance on TV was Cody telling him "you're dead to me" as part of an angle where Cody lost himself to Stardust and turned on his brother.
• Funny Moments:
  • His reaction to Goldust and Cody interacting at one point, with an abrupt Dance Party Ending to the segment:
    Goldust: Hey, how 'bout we go over there and you teach me some of your... grooming tips, y'know? (sharp inhale, but Cody cuts him off)
    Cody: Don't breathe on me. [Exit]
    Goldust: W-wait! Help a brother out! [Exit]
    Dusty: (standing next to Ted Dibiase and IRS wearing a blond wig) ...man, I raised some weird kids.
  • There's also that one holiday episode of Raw with him and Goldust:
    Dusty: There are some weird people here.
    Goldust: [Walks up to Dusty, who jumps in surprise.] I haven't noticed. [Inhales]
• Hilarious in Hindsight: The New Breed (Chris Champion and Sean Royal) claimed that in the year 2002 Dusty Rhodes was President of the United States. Well, that didn't happen, but, the results of the 2000 U.S. Presidential Election between Al Gore and George W. Bush did resemble a Dusty Finish and it did put a Texan in the White House.
• Memetic Mutation: Thanks to Botchamania, we got "He's got a bicycle!" and INSANE DUSTY COMMENTARY
• Narm Charm:
  • The WWF years from 1989-1991, aka the polka dot years. Yes, it Flanderized Dusty, but his spirit was infectious. If this promo on the Honky Tonk Man isn't Ham and Cheese, nothing is.
  • He was an Unintelligible Talkative Loon Cuckoolander Commentator prone to Malapropisms, Buffy Speak, Perfectly Cromulent Words and utter gibberish with the potential to crack up his fellow commentators, and people loved him for it.
• Tear Jerker: The ending quote from the WWE tribute aired after his death, originally recorded for a documentary.
  Dusty: This is the American Dream, and I'm-a tell ya one thing; happy trails to you, 'til we meet again...
• Vindicated by History: Fans did become a little more appreciative of Dusty's booking over the years, for his various cage variations, other gimmick matches, tournaments and big match pay per views, after they had seen several worse bookers and learned not all of Dusty's questionable ideas were ones he actually wanted to go through with. Even then, one of his most famous cases in TNA Lockdown did get an affectionate all cage card tribute in U Know Pro.

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