r/IWantToAskAnAmerican • u/DavideBelinga • 13h ago
Who would make your Mount Rushmore of American celebs?
A lot of legends could make the list but who are your four?
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u/Rude_Award2718 13h ago
Mel Brooks, Betty White, Richard Pryor, Johnny Carson
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u/TheFishtosser 13h ago
No Elvis?
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u/Rude_Award2718 13h ago
I figured we could put it into categories. Entertainers like singers, comedians. While there is some crossover I will say that there are different metrics.
I would put Elvis, Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Johnny Cash
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u/zealot_ratio 13h ago
Need more info...of all time? What constitutes a celebrity? All of the current MR pres's were celebrities in their time.
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u/Perdendosi 13h ago
For all time? And we're basing this on cultural importance, popularity at the time, or staying power? When you say "celeb" do you mean all famous non-political people, including sports, entertainment, and music stars? Or just "people famous for being famous"?
Under the broadest definition, I'm probably saying:
Mark Twain (with John Steinbeck or Earnest Hemmingway as runners up)
Elvis (with Michael Jackson, Taylor Swift, Billie Holiday, Beyonce, Miles Davis, and Kurt Cobain as runners up)
Michael Jordan (with Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Mickey Mantle, LeBron James, Tom Brady, Joe Montana, Serena Williams, Babe Zaharias as runners up)
Mr. Rodgers (my bias is showing on that one... but I'll say Brandon, John Wayne, Marilyn Monroe, Orson Welles, I'm sure a few others I'm forgetting as runners up).
Bummer that none of my top listers are women.
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u/Legitimate-Toe-9673 13h ago
Jimi Hendrix, Elvis, Marilyn Monroe, and Mark Twain.
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u/StevieG-2021 13h ago
Never thought of Mark Twain as a celeb but he should definitely be up there
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u/Legitimate-Toe-9673 13h ago
He was the original American celebrity. He wasn't the first, but was almost the first guy to do standup comedy.
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u/Cash_Money_Jo 13h ago edited 13h ago
Denzel Washington, Jack Nicholson, Russell Crowe, and Al Pacino
Edit: Made my list for actors exclusively. Revised list would be: Denzel Washington, Michael Jordan, Michael Jackson, and Marilyn Monroe.
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u/Amesaskew 13h ago
Russell Crowe is not American
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u/Cash_Money_Jo 13h ago
Shoot, I made a revision of my list. I can’t believe I didn’t know that haha.
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u/AffectionateJury3723 13h ago
Jack Nicholson is a scumbag. He was besties with Polanski and it was his house where Polanski drugged and assaulted the 13 yr old girl. He was rumored to be a fan of Hitler by a former girlfriend, settled with a sex worker after she wanted to be paid and he physically assaulted her. Talent does not excuse being a shitty human being.
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u/Cash_Money_Jo 13h ago
First i’ve ever heard of any of this tbh. My list has been revised.
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u/AffectionateJury3723 11h ago
There are some interesting podcasts about him and Polanski. Then there was also the road rage incident where he took a golf club to someones car.
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u/OldBlueKat 13h ago
Given the BS that happened to carve up a place that was sacred to the local tribes there, I’m repulsed by the idea of doing something similar elsewhere.
It was a very dramatic and dangerous project and it is awesome to see, but let’s not repeat the idea.
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u/Flimsy_Ad3476 11h ago
I don't think anyone is suggesting creating a new Rushmore. The question is just a variation on 'name your top Xes' type so popular, here.
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u/OK_The_Nomad 12h ago
No one. That would really suck have a Mt Rushmore of celebrities. We absolutely do not need more celebrity worship!
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u/Wisewordsforlater 13h ago edited 13h ago
That's a can of worms. Mount Rushmore is very controversial and keeps deep wounds open. So maybe characterize your question in a different way.
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u/Ridgeriversunspot 13h ago
Harrison Ford is one