So you've heard of the
Rushmore Trend right? Essentially it's a thought experiment/discourse generator within fanbases on social media to determine what would go on the Mount Rushmore related to that subject, what has the biggest cultural impact and legacy. So what would you guys label as the Mount Rushmore of Doctor actors?
For me I'd put money on it as Tennant, Tom Baker, Smith and Pertwee. Keep in mind these aren't my favorites, some people use Mount Rushmore memes to just put up their favorites, but to me just ranking who I like the best isn't nearly as interesting as trying to argue who I think factually is the most beloved and I think these four fit the bill. Baker and Tennant are the most iconic, give a guy a large scarf or blue suit or any suit with a brown coat and immediately they'll know what you're referencing. Smith is also iconic in this same way, the iconography is there but Smith also gets by on viewership and how much Superwholock transformed the show into a "thing" in America, that while it's gone now haunts it to this day almost as much as Tennantmania. Pertwee I think people could argue against, but I think Pertwee deserves to be on there because he did it almost as long as Baker did, presided amongst some of the most creatively memorable years of the show and recovered Doctor Who to such an extent that it was no longer an ageing sci-fi series and instead a ratings juggernaut like it was when The Daleks arrived
And for a cheeky follow up question: if there was an evil Mount Rushmore that detailed the ones that had either:
a) the least culture impact
or
b) the most cultural impact in a NEGATIVE way
what doctor actors would be there?
For me there's two versions of the ranking: I think in terms of lack of impact it has to be Davison, McCoy, McGann and Gatwa. I think the general public will - especially when the years pass from Ncuti's run - see these four as "filler" Doctors. They're the kind of thing that someone will think of when they think of how there's a ton of Doctors that only autistics can name all of. When it comes to negative impact it has to be Colin Baker, Capaldi, Whittaker and Gatwa. I'm double dipping with Gatwa because I really do think that he is unique in being both hated and forgettable, because while no one will revisit his seasons I think also he'll have the stink of being the guy who killed the show by being shit at it. Colin Baker essentially destabilized the ratings singlehandedly, not his fault but he's the most inarguable. Whittaker is obvious, but I hate that I have to put Capaldi here, but I feel that they were the people the general public associated with two things: being miscast, and then presided over a nadir of the show's quality that justified the accusations of being miscast. Now I don't agree with Capaldi being miscast, but Who's cultural popularity dropped steeply based off of Capaldi's casting alone because it gave women the ick and the darker tone and less consistent quality meant people were less likely to stick around to see the good stuff, I'd argue Capaldi's era is better than Smith's latter two seasons, but back then the show was filling its niche regardless of quality. "He's oogleh!" alienated the youth and women, which caused the casting of Jodie to try to get them back. Whittaker and Gatwa were even worse with this dragging down of the franchise, where you were getting shit scripts for actors who were only cast because of their identity and not their talent, along with deliberately antagonizing the gammons with every episode.
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x 5 
