10 Things WWE Wants You To Forget About Goldust
5. He Had Tourette's Syndrome
You don't see many gimmicks these days revolving around neurological disorders. Festus - who suffered from a little-known condition whereby he became uncontrollably angry after hearing a bell - was one of the last.
Before that, however, there was Goldust. In 2003, he suddenly contracted Tourette's syndrome after being electrocuted on an episode of Monday Night Raw (which is perfectly scientifically sound, whatever the haters may claim).
Mostly, the resulting gimmick was kind of tedious. Goldust already had a unique selling point in the shape of his flamboyant ring gear and the fact he performed in a full body suit and face-paint. He didn't really need anything else.
It was also offensive. TV shows can only really get away with this kind of thing when they treat the subject matter with kid gloves. Here, they made a point of laughing at him at every available opportunity, which isn't a great look when you're courting the viewership of impressionable children.