YMMV / Goldust

• Awesome Music: Comes with the territory of being a pro wrestler
• Badass Decay: Transformed from an uber-creepy tank in 1995 to kid-friendly comic relief in 2002.
• Ham and Cheese: Like his dad and brother.
• Rooting for the Empire: Black Reign in his debut match over Chris Harris, even after his pet mouse got involved.
• Took the Bad Film Seriously: While much of Dave Meltzer's original reaction to the Goldust character is unfortunately homophobic and dated, ol' Dave was right about one thing: it absolutely could have been a career ending disaster in lesser hands. But by reveling in the gimmick, playing into it and making it his own, Dustin Runnels managed to parlay it into a multi-decade career that entertained crowds and made him a beloved elder statesman of the business.
• Vindicated by History: The Goldust gimmick won The Wrestling Observer Newsletter's "Worst Gimmick" award when it debuted in 1995 and again when it became The Artist Formerly Known As Goldust in 1997. Dustin Runnels being a solid hand in between the ropes and playing the character solidly (along with the homophobic reactions the character got in the 1990s having faded away with time) saw him remain as Goldust for over 20 years, only stopping after signing with All Elite Wrestling due to wanting to try something new in the twilight of his career and WWE owning the rights to the Goldust character.

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