In 1995, the revolutionary Goldust character debuted in World Wrestling Entertainment and provided the spark of controversy that would ultimately lead to the Attitude Era. Goldust was ambiguous. He had major homosexual overtones and while that would not only be welcome but embraced in 2014, the mid-to-late '90s were a different time. Dustin Runnels' portrayal of the character was so spot-on that it incited a great deal of backlash from concerned parents. He played mind games that tapped into a general sense of homophobia at that period of time, no more was it on display than in his rivalry with Razor Ramon. Whether he was legitimately upsetting Scott Hall remains a mystery but all of the rubbing and suggestiveness definitely appeared to make him uncomfortable. Goldust would win the Intercontinental Championship from Ramon at the Royal Rumble in 1996. By the time the following year's event rolled around,the character was turned down a notch and turned babyface. It would go through many changes and alterations before Runnels left WWE in 1999. Terri was Goldust's longtime valet. As Marlena, she was routinely referred to as Goldust's "director." She guided Goldust to the Intercontinental title and became the centerpiece of a rivalry between the golden one and Hunter Hearst Helmsley. By the fall of 1997, she was split from Goldust as her and Dustin's marriage began to unravel. A year later, she was back on television as one of the more visible Divas on the roster, first as Val Venis' love interest, then as one-half of Pretty Mean Sisters. The company's resident "She Devil," she used her sex appeal to get ahead in the company. While Dustin and Terri did not remain married throughout their WWE careers, they both achieved varying levels of success and were staples of WWE television for the better part of a decade.
Erik Beaston is a freelance pro wrestling writer who likes long walks in the park, dandelions and has not quite figured out that this introduction is not for Match.com. He resides in Parts Unknown, where he hosts weekly cookouts with Kane, The Ultimate Warrior, Papa Shango and The Boogeyman. Be jealous.
