Rick & Steve, The Happiest Gay Couple In All The World






I will admit right off the bat that I am a huge fan of this show. I never really paid much attention to Logo until I saw Rick & Steve, and have since watched several shows on their network, and many of them are actually quite good. None of them, however, is as funny and as sharp as Rick & Steve.

The premise is simple, there is a mythical town in California called West Lahunga Beach where nothing but gay people seem to live. There are, of course, exceptions, but the straights are the minority here, and when they do appear, they are usually amazingly funny and often illustrate some of our own prejudices against straight people. The gay characters on the show are precious pieces of stereotypes that are so cleverly plaid out that one can not feel offended, rather, one immediately feels one is being told a story that illustrates our own foibles, with such wit that you simply have to laugh. After all, we all know someone who is a dumb but lovable gym bunny, or the intellectual geek who is just a little snobby, or the dyke with the mullet or the lipstick lesbian with the heart of gold, or the old troll living with the young hottie.

Yup, they are all there in glorious plastic, because Rick & Steve are animated toys, a fact that is not lost on the characters themselves, who make references to size in millimeters or who sleep under rigid plastic sheets, because in a plastic toy world, there is no fabric. At no time is the toy paradigm broken in the show, and it adds to the wit and charm of this show, because you just can't believe these cute little toys are saying and doing some of the things they do.

But don't let the crass humour and jabbing at our foibles fool you, this show is full of heart, and one of the things that often comes through is the reality of feeling that is part of every gay person's life. Rick and Steve really love each other, and Evan loves Chuck, even when he is desperately trying to safe guard his inheritance, and Dana and Kristin are simply adorable in all their dykey glory.

If you have not seen it, you really must. But if you are easily offended by satire that pokes fun at the gay community, you may want to take a drink or two ahead of time.