Battle of the Eras is a season full of notable Challengers, but which ones are truly historic? Throughout season 40’s run, the concept of a Challenge Mount Rushmore has been teased on our screens. First, a coed monument popped up on episode 12 while Jordan and Tori were chatting. Then, an all-female Mount Rushmore appeared on episode 16.
The image displayed four female champions (omitting Tori, as the graphic was used to illustrate her confessional), but some of the picks left viewers scratching their heads.
It’s important to remember, the presidents on Mount Rushmore weren’t just picked because they were presidents. Sculptor Gutzon Borglum picked them for representing important moments in American history. Of course, they were presidents, so they all achieved a level of greatness, but there’s also a qualitative element to their inclusion.
So who should get on the Challenge Mount Rushmore, female edition?
MTV’s Picks
Cara Maria and Laurel were included on both displays, so production must really think they’re worthy.
It’s hard to deny Cara Maria’s inclusion because she won Vendettas, the first season that truly had only one winner. While she only has two wins so far (three with Champs vs. Pros), being the first-ever solo winner is a historic achievement on The Challenge.
Laurel also has a lot of success on The Challenge, and she generally performs better than Cara Maria when they’re both on a season together. While her place in Challenge history is less obvious, she does have a very impressive achievement on her resume: She has the longest streak of elimination wins without a loss.
The other two people who were featured on the all-female Mount Rushmore were Evelyn and Emily.
You’ll find very few people who will debate the fact that Evelyn is one of the greatest female Challengers, so she’s definitely worthy of being included in the Mount Rushmore conversation. She’s the second female to win three Challenge seasons, behind Veronica, and most viewers think she has untapped potential. She’s noted for playing a very strong game, and she’d likely have more championships under her belt if she kept appearing on the show.
Emily is a bit of a head-scratcher. Yes, she’s strong, but she also went home early on Battle of the Eras. She only has one win so far, though she also won Champs vs. Pros. Her most notable achievement was being undefeated in eliminations, but Tina ended this streak this season, which definitely knocks her down a couple of pegs in the rankings.
Other Contenders
If we look past the four people MTV chose, who else could earn a spot on the female Mount Rushmore?
Veronica seems like a strong contender because she’s the first girl to win three Challenge seasons. While we need to consider that her wins were on earlier, less-competitive seasons, she also helped form the show into the competition it is today. Not only is she a sneaky political player, but she’s the original Challenge addict. In the show’s early days she had the record for most overall appearances and most consecutive appearances, though they have since been broken.
Rachel is also worthy of discussion, and she’s probably considered the original Challenge beast. She won two seasons, The Gauntlet and The Duel 2, and this made her the second person to win an individual (but gendered) season. Rachel sticks out as a strong player, but it almost feels like she’s missing something before being noted as one of the best.
Jodi is the first female to ever win an individual season, The Duel 1. While Rachel often sticks out in people’s minds as a bigger Challenge personality, Jodi’s Duel 1 victory is a bigger turning point for The Challenge than Rachel’s win on The Duel 2. At this point, this probably makes Jodi a stronger contender for the Mount Rushmore placement.
Ashley Mitchell also has a strong case for inclusion. She’s the third Real World female to win two Challenge seasons, and she did it significantly faster than the other two (Paula and Sarah). When Ashley won Invasion, it was notable because she outperformed many champions, but her game-changing move was her Final Reckoning victory. That season, she took home $1 million, the largest haul on a single season. At one point, Ashley was the Challenger who had earn the most money from the show, and she remains the female with the most money.
Jonna also has a unique spot in Challenge history. She doesn’t have a strong record on the main series, but she shines on the spin offs. Particularly, she won two back-to-back All Stars seasons. She also tied Kellyanne as the best-performing female on the first All Stars, though Yes was the sole winner of that season.
Camila is also worthy of being discussed, being the oddball representative from the Spring Break Challenge. She managed to make a big impression on her first season, Cutthroat, and she won Battle of the Exes. However, her defining moments on the show are usually when she goes “Camilinator.” She was also the first girl to win a share of a million-dollar season, Dirty Thirty, which was definitely a tough season to win. But, other competitors have won more than her, and she’s kind of tarnished her legacy.
What about Tori? Well, she seems self-aware enough to know that she’s not quite Rushmore material yet. She’s been dominating Battle of the Eras, so if she wins this milestone season she’d be a strong contender.
Who Should Be on the Female Mount Rushmore?
Evelyn deserves a spot for her Challenge dominance, and Cara Maria should remain because she won the first individual season. That accomplishment has aged well because we’ve seen more seasons with just one winner since Vendettas aired.
I’d also argue Laurel deserves to be there. She only has two wins, but both of them are individual. However, I think Emily is a premature pick on MTV’s part. Ashley should probably get her legacy preserved for her million-dollar, single-season haul. It seems MTV is trying to distance itself from drama, therefore Final Reckoning gets less attention, but true fans know Ashley has a record that will likely be unbroken. But, if you’d rather put a trailblazer on your Mount Rushmore, Veronica is the most suitable addition.
Battle of the Eras could change things. If Cara Maria wins, her position will be harder to dethrone. If Rachel, Tori, or Jenny wins, they’re all great contenders to earn a spot. Winning season 40 probably wouldn’t make Michele worthy of being on Mount Rushmore just yet, but it would certainly be a step in the right direction, and it would totally change her Challenge reputation.
Stop Being Polite 