#postpunkpoetcomrade

Hello! It's Richie time!

Richie Richard

Sexuality headcanon ~ I think Richie is the most explicitly queer of Rik's main characters. I see him as bisexual, although I don't know if he'd necessarily say so at the beginning of Bottom - if he knew what bisexuality was, that is. He seems to get gayer, for want of a better term, as the series and live shows go on. Whether this is him becoming more comfortable with parts of himself that he'd previously repressed or whether he's discovered new things about himself as time has passed is debatable, although I think I er towards the second explanation. Sexuality is fluid, after all.

OTP ~ Eddie, of course! They'll always be stuck together. 😂 They give off bickering married couple vibes. Plus, Richie has canonically had wet dreams about Eddie and is often referred to as Eddie's wife soooo...

BrOTP ~ Well, Richie doesn't really have any friends, does he? Rip. Richie and his left hand (his wanking hand) can be the BrOTP. 😂

NOTP ~ I can't really see anyone but Eddie putting up with Richie, to be honest. I guess Richie X Spudgun or Richie X Dave Hedgehog would seem a bit odd to me, since I'm not sure how you'd make that work... What with them being scared shitless of him and all.

First headcanon that pops into my head ~ He's Rick's embarrassing uncle, 100%. I just really like crossovers and trying to slot the various Riks and Ades together! I know there's also the headcanon where Rick and Vyvyan literally become Richie and Eddie, what with Bottom being the sort of shadow sequel to The Young Ones, but I think it's more interesting and less depressing if they're separate people. Richie being Rick's maternal or paternal uncle I'm less solid on, though I suppose with the different surnames and Richie canonically having a sister it makes more sense for him to be a maternal uncle.

Favourite line from this character ~ Tricky! In truth I could never pick a single favourite line from most characters buuut for the sake of the question I think I'll go with: "Don't you DARE call me overweight, young man!" The timing of the ferris wheel seat breaking is just priceless! 😂

One way in which I relate to this character ~ Hmm... I suppose Richie - and Eddie too - stand as sort of warnings about what it's possible to become if you just don't... Try. At anything. I'm not saying that's the point of their characters as first and foremost they exist to amuse and encapsulate the most exaggerated and perverted interpretation of low lives. But with Richie in particular there is a great sense of how shitty his circumstances are - probably because he doesn't fully accept their position at the bottom, unlike Eddie Richie still has delusions of grandeur and somehow being better than his contemporaries. Richie is so bored and lonely and, frankly, miserable. So much so that it's arguably led him to lose part of his sanity. And yet why is this? Why doesn't he ever work properly on bettering himself? Why does he seemingly never leave their flat most days? And hardly ever leave Hammersmith, even seeing this as a point of pride? Why has he ended up with Eddie, after apparently coming from a better off family? Because it's hard to fight back in life, especially with how long he's been stuck in the pattern of simply existing. Sure, life isn't simple or easy and I'm sure he would have had personal obstacles along the way... But Richie never sought to tackle them. He just let everything happen to him until he was stuck in this dirty, lonely existence. It's like he removed himself from life and society and just let himself fall, unintentionally though it must have been. And that makes him quite a tragic character, really. Laziness - and probably fear too, which is sad - have prevented him from ever trying for a slice of the good life he so clearly fantasises about, at least in any meaningful way.

So, anyway, the point of this waffle: I don't want that for myself. The monotony of lockdown during the pandemic has shown me how easy it is to fall into that, but I don't want it to be my long-term future. It's probably a slightly silly worry on my part, as I don't think I'd become exactly like Richie 😂... I can just see how scarily easy it is to slip into a life mirroring his in someway, because lots of people are in his situation. I'd just like to hope I'll have enough umph about me to make sure I don't let that happen to me if I can avoid it. Basically, I get why Richie is the way he is; there's a whole mix of possible factors I've not even mentioned, as they're not relevant. I also get how inclined I too am to living the "hermit life" when I can... So I want to push against that.

Thing that gives me second hand embarrassment about this character ~ Richie is so very bad at interacting with anyone who isn't Eddie. To be fair, he and Eddie hardly interact in usual ways either. It's Richie's overinflated sense of self importance that comes out around Spudgun and Dave Hedgehog or at his birthday party that really makes you wanna face palm. He really just can't help himself!

Cinnamon roll or problematic fave? ~ It's going to have to be problematic fave, isn't it? It would be for most of the bastards I love. 😂

Richie Rich

Sexuality headcanon ~ I've not really thought as much about Rich - as the Discord server has affectionately taken to calling him ❤️ - as other characters, perhaps. I think he assumes himself to be straight and has probably never questioned otherwise. After all, being a right wing has-been comedian and wannabe gameshow host, he's not exactly the most enlightened person on the planet. 😂 I'm not gonna say he isn't attracted to women... However, I do think there's something not strictly heterosexual about him.

OTP ~ That something is Edward Catflap, who I'm easily pairing Richie with since everyone else hates him and the two are a duo whichever way you look at it. I mean, the first episode opens with them sharing a bed and they spend almost all of their time in each others' company. Even though they find the other unfashionable and annoying, it still doesn't ever seen to occur to either of them that they could just... Part ways. Richie never looks for another minder and Eddie never looks for another job. Now, laziness likely has something to do with this (and the fact that no one else can stand Richie) but it is interesting, is it not? I don't know, if not anything approaching boyfriends, at least queerplatonic partners? Even if they don't have the language or depth of thought to think of it in that way.

BrOTP ~ In Richie's mind, this is Tarby and his other great showbiz mates. Back in the real world, Richie doesn't seem to have any friends. I'd argue Eddie too fills this spot, simply because they do friend-like things together sometimes (lager frenzy, anyone?) and, as I attempted to articulate in the previous answer, I don't think shipping them is entirely straightforward.

NOTP ~ Richie and Ralph, to be honest. Don't get me wrong, I love Ralph Filthy. He's hilarious and he has some of the best lines. One of the most morally bankrupt characters of the set, being topped only by the likes of Alan B'Stard, how could we not love him? However, should anyone date this man? I'd recommend against it. Especially someone like Richie, who is already involved with him in a professional sense and has been shown to be easy for Ralph to take advantage of. If someone wants to ship Richie and Ralph, that's completely fine! No one needs the permission of anyone else to ship! In fact, as I believe I mentioned some time ago in regards to CoolPoet (Mike X Rick), a dark fic with this ship could be interesting and I'd read it because, damn, there's hardly any FR&C fic as it is! I just wouldn't count myself as a shipper of Richie X Ralph, that's all.

First headcanon that pops into my head ~ Huh... Do I have any headcanons about Richie Rich? Apart from that he too is in someway related to Rick as well - perhaps as a cousin of some sort - I'm not sure. I know some people headcanon him as trans because of the letter from his mother where she reveals his "real name" is Gertrude. As for a headcanon from me... Sorry, I'm drawing a blank on this for the moment. Like I said, I probably don't think about him as much as I do some of the other characters.

Favourite line from this character ~ Changes but for the moment: "Look, I've had just about enough left wing soapbox rhetoric for one week! If you don't like the police, the next time you get beaten up try calling an alternative comedian!"

One way in which I relate to this character ~ Hmm... I've had to think about this. I guess I relate to his desire to be artistic and creative.

Thing that gives me second hand embarrassment about this character ~ Without a doubt, his hair. I'm sorry, it's just so awful from the back!

Cinnamon roll or problematic fave? ~ I'd say problematic fave. 😂

DANGEROUS BROTHERS!!! 💥 I was going to try to do them separately but realised quickly that it would make more sense to do them together ooer.

The Dangerous Brothers

Sexuality headcanon ~ Bisexual... I'm probably being influenced a little by the purple costumes but I'm gonna go with bi. We know that both of them are utter perverts in a whole host of ways so the easier question would probably be "who/what aren't they attracted to?" 😂 Richard gets jealous when Jen's character agrees to sleep with Adrian and he then wants to watch them have sex. They're also both interested in female prostitutes. Plus, both of them make a lot of suggestive comments to each other, the subtext being that they do the deed offscreen. 👀

OTP ~ Each other, they live together and do all their weird shit together. They have matching outfits even when in their "house". Whether you interpret their, uh, connection as purely familial or... Something else... Is up to you. "The Dangerous Brothers" is most likely just a stage name.

BrOTP ~ I mean, it's in their name, innit? 😂

NOTP ~ That poor dog from The Comic Strip 1981. 😅

First headcanon that pops into my head ~ I have this whole headcanon that they were raised in a seedy little orphanage in Soho what is it with me and orphanage headcanons. I also think they know... Some kind of versions of the other alternative comedians (like, their stage personas) and Richard always starts sweating and getting very smarmy around Ben Elton, because he wants to impress him. Adrian is probably similarly awkward around Jennifer Saunders, although for a different reason.

Favourite line from this character ~ I can't explain why exactly Richard Dangerous saying, "Well, we’ve all got something in common, haven’t we? That’s right, it’s Saturday night! But it’s not only Saturday night, it’s also Wednesday night!" tickled me so much but it did. 😂 As for Adrian, it's got to be: *nervous laughter* "Now, viewers - can you spot what went wrong?"

One way in which I relate to this character ~ I relate to their desire for excitement, even if we go about it in different ways. That's a very vague point of relatability but it's difficult since I'm a pretty quiet person. 😂

One thing that gives me second hand embarrassment about this character ~ I don't think anything does. They're so zany and cartoon-like that the normal rules don't apply. Even Richard's hair doesn't make my skin crawl in the same way Richie Rich's does. 😂 I know that doesn't make sense but tis the truth!

Cinnamon roll or problematic fave? ~ The characters who are some of the building blocks of Rick and Vyvyan, what are they? Adrian is a cinnamon roll by a very liberal interpretation of the phrase (this man still punched a baby, after all) but I think I'm gonna have to assign Richard problematic fave. I've said before that I like him (and Adrian too, to be honest) out of spite; unsurprisingly I am always drawn to fictional bastards. 😈

Hello again!

Rick Pratt

Sexuality headcanon ~ This boy is very, very gay. I think we all agree on that. 😂

OTP ~ Vyvyan. As I've said before, I love Rivyan. I think Vyv's the only person who could deal with Rick, anyway. 😂 He knows how Rick works, he knows how to get him to give in when he's being annoying. Rick could do with hanging around Vyvyan anyway - someone's got to stop him becoming the middle class Tory voter he was destined to end up as.

BrOTP ~ Rick has no friends, next ques- I'm joking, I'm joking! 😂 Though they get very little screen time and Rick isn't particularly nice to them, Sue and that other guy from his sociology course seem the people he should have some kind of rapport with. Maybe all the sociology students go out for drinks now and then. Rick's obviously the hanger on of the group - the one no one really wants there - but maybe Sue and that guy have more patience?

NOTP ~ I don't really ship CoolPoet. Rick sucks up to Mike far too much for him to end up anything but heartbroken and I don't want that for this little shit, this bastard for whom I hold affection. 😂 That said, I'm not anti-CoolPoet and you lot should know by now that Rick and angst are my favourite ingredients to combine.

First headcanon that pops into my head ~ My first thought was the headcanon about Rick liking The Smiths but I'm far from the first person to headcanon that. There's also the extended family of Riks headcanon I have and the arguable subtext of Rick fancying Dr Morrison and Cliff Richard. But something fresh? I always, in the back of my mind, headcanon Rick's birthday as being in August. That's because August is the last month in the academic year in the UK and I need Rick to be the youngest of the four in every sense 😂 he just is. Astrologers amongst the scumbags might agree with me if it means Rick is a Leo.

Favourite line from this character ~ It's not possible for me to say definitively but this is a contender: "I HOPE YOU'RE SATISFIED, THATCHER!"

One way in which I relate to this character ~ I think... The desire to be a creative and a force for social progress rather than a hindrance to it, though I promise I don't just want to look cool like Rick does. And also I know, I'm cheating 😂 we both have an interest in sociology and politics. Actually, Rick being a sociology student was one of the first things that drew me to him and amused me. I will be arrogant now though and say I know more about both sociology and politics than our beloved prick.

Thing that gives me second hand embarrassment about this character ~ Rick is so attention seeking and antagonistic almost on principle. I mean, these two things are part of why I find him so funny and I wouldn't change them. I just think we should be allowed to reach through the screen and shake him every now and then. 😂 Thank Cliff for Vyvyan, eh?

Cinnamon roll or problematic fave? ~ Aha, I pose a third option: sinnamon roll. 😏

Graham Reaper (The scumbags gave Death from Maurice Dobbs Makes a Movie a name... Although since Death is actually just meant to be a man playing Death, I guess Graham has become his own entity?)

Sexuality headcanon ~ Asexual? I feel like supernatural immortal deities would probably either be sexless or sex mad.

OTP ~ His scythe.

BrOTP ~ The other three horsemen of the apocalypse, specifically the ones from the TYO episode Interesting.

NOTP ~ Maurice Dobbs. I'll admit, I only actually watched the last few minutes of the film featuring Rik but I got the impression that Maurice is a bit of a pillock.

First headcanon that pops into my head ~ I like the headcanon that he is somehow responsible for the existence of Alan B'Stard. 😂

Favourite line from this character ~ I only watched the clips once. From what I remember, he was a bit like Fred. I'll take the loophole and go with his hysterical laughing from the credits.

One way in which I relate to this character ~ I like Halloween. He seems like that would be his scene.

Thing that gives me second hand embarrassment about this character ~ Nothing really. He is originally a minor character in a niche film I haven't even watched in full yet. 😂 As for the fanon version, the fact he's responsible for Alan - that's got to be pretty #embarrassing. Rather him than me, ammarite?

Cinnamon roll or problematic fave? ~ That entirely hinges upon whether he is generally a benevolent or malevolent deity. Knowing Rik's characters' record, it's likely the latter so he's a problematic fave. The original guy seems like a cinnamon roll, though.

Hello!

I like it! I watched it a some point and thought it was funny. I mean, I am kinda biased because it's Rik but then it's Rik so of course it's funny. It was never renewed for another series but I think the early 2000s was a bit of a time for sitcoms not taking off - they say comedy has a change every 20 years and the previous change had been the alternative comedy boom about 20 years earlier... So I guess people were looking for something different. 🤷‍♀️ Either way, I still think it was funny.

I was aware that it was written by Marks and Gran, who are both obviously great writers. For anyone who's interested, I'll leave a snippet from Believe Nothing and The New Statesman. Enjoy!

Bloopers from Believe Nothing

A funny scene from The New Statesman

Hello!

For those who don't know who Gray is - because their fanon lore has been developed solely in the Scumbags Discord - they're based on the Grim Reaper character Rik plays briefly at the end of Maurice Dobbs Makes a Movie. The character is actually meant to be an ordinary guy playing the Grim Reaper, because the film is about making a movie.

I know, I know: ❤️

Gray then is an extrapolation of this character. They work for Death and all associated entities, reaping souls when it is their time to die. Gray was originally called Graham but didn't like this name so goes by Gray. Gray is meant to be part of a massive crossover AU between all of Rik's stuff and Alan B'Stard is his son. This works since Alan has all that anti-Christ stuff associated with him and the identity of his father is unknown.

However, Alan's canon father? In The B'Stard File his father is named as "Eddie" B'Stard, but we know from S3E4 that there is a shortlist as to who Alan's father is as his mother doesn't know. I don't think Alan's father, if he ever knew him, would be a person he'd get along with very well. Clearly Alan was the product of a one night stand or simply a quick bang, before the mysterious father left (the second scenario being similar to how Richie recounts being conceived in Bottom 😂). He's lower middle class (Alan's social class of origin) at the most, although likely working class or even unemployed. Since Alan seems to get his personality from his mother, what with being raised by her and whatever genetic factors are also at play, I don't know if there would be any obvious similarities between he and his father. Maybe something physical?

I don't think he'd be super like Piers, to be honest. Piers is a product of the upper classes and also very naïve. I'd assume Alan's father has led a rougher life. He was sly enough to never come forward as the father if he suspected Alan was his, or he left quickly enough that he never knew. Either way, hardly a sentimental soul looking for deep connections. More a guy looking for sex and leaving the consequences to the woman. Huh, maybe he does have something in common with Alan after all? 😂

So, which colour do I prefer in Alan's hair? Blonde. I associate him with blonde hair because of how his blonde hair and blue eyes pervert the fantasy that those attributes are "pure". Alan being blonde fits very well. Obviously though, he still looks rudely attractive with the other hair colours too.

And Ally - who is basically as if Alan was a drag queen. I don't really know how she'd be incorporated into an episode, really... Apart from if she was working in one of the clubs politicians like Alan frequent for whatever reason. If Alan had a secret second life as a drag queen that would probably make for a very different The New Statesman 😂 but it could be a funny crack AU.