DISH-CUSSION TIME: THE RICHES

THE RICHES

from left to right:
cherien rich alter-ego dahlia malloy alter-ego minnie driver
doug rich alter-ego wayne malloy alter-ego eddie izzard
sam rich alter-ego sam malloy alter-ego aidan mitchell
cael rich alter-ego cael malloy alter-ego noel fisher
di di rich alter-ego di di alloy alter-ego shannon marie woodward

THE SYNOPSIS
(taken from the official fox website THE RICHES. i'm not trying to re-invent the wheel, okay!?! at least i re-typed it, you judgemental-author-writer-types!)

for wayne and dahlia malloy, the road is home. as a family of travelers, life is all about the money—other people’s money—and steering clear of the law. they’ve raised their three children, cael, di di and sam in their old, beat up rv, teaching them the tricks of the scamming trade, and to always take pride in conning greedy buffers (the traveler term for ordinary, law-abiding folk).

but one blind curve in the road and a swerve of the rv later, and the malloy family find themselves faced with the possibility of becoming buffers. doug and cherien rich are now dead, driven off the road by the swerving malloy rv. dahlia feels guilty over the tragic accident. wayne senses a golden opportunity.

wayne and his family help themselves to doug and cherien’s life. but this con is like no other the malloys have ever pulled. to survive in the buffer world, they must convince suspecting neighbors, classmates, co-workers, cleaning ladies and car-rental clerks that they really are the riches, that their children are fit for the top private schools, that wayne not only has a law degree but is the best lawyer around.

but the most daunting task: the malloys must convince themselves. their identity is turned upside down, and they must find the balance between gaining all the perks of bufferdom (the hot cars, the hot boyfriend, the tv) while losing the freedom of the road they’ve enjoyed their whole lives. can they really pull this off? and if they can, are they burying the malloy name for now, or for good?

with their hands tightly around the american dream, complete with a two-car garage and a garbage disposal, the malloys begin to question who they really are, if they can ever go back home again, and what home even means. somehow their cushy new mansion may not feel as much like a home as that old beat up rv.

THE RICHES, although still new to network tv programming, has proven to be bold and unconventional in its portrayal of a family trying to be fit into mainstream society. it definitely fits our ideal of campy. even the most mundane of tasks can only be accomplished under the most dramatic, like in drama queen, fashion. literally, too. cherien rich does get to wear some pretty fabulous fashion. in this way, the show already speaks in its own visual language of the experience we gays face as we try to conform to ideals that don't suit our true nature. i feel that THE RICHES is allegorical of the gay journey and the struggle we go through to be accepted into greater mainstream society.

what's really fabulous about the show is the way each malloy character is so complex. i guess, they have to be, right? just like us fabulous gay boys, they always put their best face forward regardless of the drama bubbling beneath the surface. of course, i'm only talking about when they are in the public eye. because you know when us ladies are in the polite and private company of other ladies, polite don't mean shit! pardonez-moi ma francaise...but it's true! and like the riches when they are amongst themselves or with the other travelers, there is no holding back. drama! DRAma! DRAMA!

so let's talk about the rich-malloys. that seems approriately p.c. doesn't it? rich[hyphen]malloys. oops! i digress, sorry...

doug rich: power lawyer, top of his game, ASSHOLE WITH A HEART OF GOLD
wayne malloy: semi-successful con-man, trying to get by, loving dad and husband
LOVE HIM!

cherien rich: dental hygenist turned exec assistant, TRIPLE THREAT: sexy, smart & beutiful
dahlia malloy: traveler royalty, pill-popper, loving mom and wife
LOVE HER!

cael rich-malloy: oldest son, high school senior, SEXY BADASS
WANT TO BE HIS GIRLFRIEND!

di di rich-malloy: middle daughter, high school sophomore, SEXY INGENUE
WANT TO BE HER BOYFRIEND!

sam rich-malloy: youngest son, fifth grader, ADORABLE CROSS DRESSER
WANT TO BE HIS MOMMY!

with characters like these the show just has to be fAAAABuLOOOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUSS! watch it, or else! it is one of the shows that will help guarantee you complete GAY CAMP and receive your certification.