Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous

"Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous" is a television series that ran from 1984 to 1995. The show featured the usually extravagant lifestyles of wealthy entertainers, athletes, and business moguls. It was hosted by Robin Leach; Leach was joined by Shari Belafonte in 1994, and the show was renamed "Lifestyles with Robin Leach and Shari Belafonte". Robin Leach ended each episode with his signature phrase "champagne wishes and caviar dreams".

"Lifestyles" was one of the first shows to capitalize specifically on Americans' interest in the lives of the wealthy. Later shows such as MTV's "Cribs" and VH1's "The Fabulous Life Of" continued this concept.

"Lifestyles"' was created by Al Masini, who also created Star Search.

Parodies/allusions

* "Lifestyles" was parodied on "Sesame Street" with "Lifestyles of the Big and Little", hosted by Dicky Tick.
* "Lifestyles" was also parodied on "Saturday Night Live" with "Lifestyles of the Relatives of the Rich & Famous", "Lifestyles of the Rich, Famous and Scary" and ""'Afterlifestyles of the Rich and Fam'.
* In the film "Shrek 2", Donkey says "champagne wishes and caviar dreams from now on" upon first seeing the kingdom of Far, Far Away–a reference to Leach's catchphrase.
*Rapper Big L's 1995 debut album was entitled "Lifestylez ov da Poor & Dangerous".
* In the "DuckTales" episode "Down and Out in Duckburg", Scrooge McDuck gives an interview to a version of this show.
* The "Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog" episode "Lifestyles of the Sick and Twisted" revolved around Dr. Robotnik's desire to be a featured guest on a program titled "Lifestyles of the Very Good". When he is rejected in favor of Sonic, Robotnik makes the host, Throbbin Screech, interview him by kidnapping his unnamed niece, after which he changes the show's title to that of the episode itself, and later to "Lifestyles of Robotnik Only". Also on the episode "Momma Robotnik's Birthday", Sonic refers to the old home as "I've seen this place in the Lifestyles of the Mean and Rotten."
* The "Earthworm Jim" episode "The Book of Doom" featured an intermission segment where Professor Monkey-For-A-Head is featured on "Lifestyles of the Rich and Villainous".
* An episode of the second season of "Garfield and Friends" titled "Lifestyles of the Fat and Furry" had Garfield winning the lottery and being featured on the titular program. At the end, though, Garfield loses his fortune because he was underage (he was 11 years old at the time the episode aired), and the winnings are given to the Robin Leach look-alike (played by Robin Leach himself), who is thrilled that he can now "stop hosting this stupid program and talking in this stupid voice!"
* The Circus Circus hotel in Las Vegas features "CTV" (Circus Television) on each TV in each room, with the same exact programming repeated every few hours. Among this programming is "Lifestyles of the Rich and Tasty" hosted by a clown named "Rubin Leach" and it promotes the various restaurants of the hotel, with Robin Leach's hosting techniques heavily parodied.
*The science oriented educational TV show "Newton's Apple" has a section called "Science of the Rich and Famous."
* An interlude on the Ice Cube album "Death Certificate" features a character named "Robin Lench" whose show "Lifestyles of the Poor and Unfortunate" takes listeners on a tour of one Los Angeles' poorer neighborhoods.
* On Fergie's single "Glamorous" featured rapper Ludacris uses the line "champagne wishes, caviar dreams" and slightly later on claims a "lifestyle so rich and famous" that it would make Robin Leach jealous.
* An episode of Alvin & the Chipmunks had Alvin renovating Dave's rustic cabin into the appearance of a luxury mansion when he learns Robin Leach has acquired a mansion nearby the cabin, and attempts to boost sagging interest in the Chipmunks band by getting himself on the show (by falsely identifying himself as an upscale British rock star). In typical Alvin thoughtlessness for others or for planning, a shoddily made indoor pool breaks, leaving Dave's cabin waterlogged, Leach telling Alvin he will be on the show "when pigs fly", and the Chipmunks being made to face an angry Dave for ruining his vacation cabin.
* World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) recently started their own broadband network channel on their website where you can watch exclusive videos of the WWE Superstars doing what they do outside the WWE ring. One of the shows they have on their new broadband network channel is called "Lifestyles of the Built and Dangerous". While the show's title is a parody of "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous", it has been said to have more of an "MTV Cribs" feel.
*Britney Spears in her single "Piece of Me" sings "I'm Mrs. Lifestyles of the rich and famous, You wanna piece of me?"
*Good Charlotte first single from there second album is called " Lifestyles Of The Rich And Famous ". It talks about how spoiled the rich and famous are and how they wouldn't last a week living a normal life.
*A recent "SpongeBob SquarePants" episode had a parody entitled "House Fancy".
*Sergio Aragones often parodied the show in his cartoon drawings, namely in MAD Magazine (other "MAD" artists and writers targeted Leach and the show as well), but Aragones, like Antonio Prohias, managed to do so without words. One such Aragones cartoon showed a live taping of "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous" suddenly interrupted by a homeless woman and children requesting food and clothing, much to the shocked cameramen.

External links

*imdb title|id=0086750|name=Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous
* [http://www.jumptheshark.com/topic/lifestyles-rich-famous-general-comments/1165 Jump The Shark - Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous]
* [http://www.superspenders.com Celebrity Super Spenders]
* [http://www.121mag.com/lifestyle-and-fashion Lifestyles Magazine]