At least three versions of QAF

With thanks to Bec, because all this came to me while I was answering an email from her.

....

Sometimes I think there are at least three completely different shows. 

There's the one I watch, where Brian is damaged, and in some ways limited in his ability to express himself emotionally, but a good and, in the ways that count, loving person.  In this show, Justin is strong, brave and smart.  But he's also young, and he's real, and he makes mistakes - some of them very silly ones (the name "Sap" comes to mind).  However, he faces up to them, learns from them and does his best not to repeat them.  Michael, in this show, is a manipulative parasite who uses Brian's limitations to further his own ambition to be Brian's "best friend" and have exclusive access to those emotions.   (It hardly ever seems to be the case that anyone who really "gets" Brian  - ie sees and interprets the character in the way that I believe it should be seen and interpreted - sees Michael as at all a sympathetic character.  At best, they tend to see him as a whiny pest, an irritatingly immature mother's boy who refuses to grow up.  At worst, they have much darker views of his actions and motivations, and especially resent the fact that he is never held accountable for anything he does.)  

Then there's the other show, where Brian's a real asshole and Mikey is a truly loving and supportive best friend.   (In that show Justin is usually either completely deluded about Brian or a total user who's just interested in Brian for his money/status, etc.)  Viewers of this show often tend to the belief that, despite Brian's assholeness, he and Michael will inevitably wind up together.

Then there's the third, where Brian is the stunted and unappreciative asshole whom an unselfish Justin works tirelessly to "reclaim" and rehabilitate.  Brian shows glimpses of being human and lovable, but if there are mistakes made in the BJ relationship, he's principally to blame in every instance.  (I swear if I read one more comment about how Brian took poor little Sunshine for granted I shall be propelled towards violence - Brian may have done many things, and handled some things about "poor little Sunshine" badly, but he never ever took him for granted - Justin got far too close, and was far too much under his skin to ever be taken for granted - no matter what the Kinney image machine may have suggested to the contrary.)  Strangely, in that show, Michael is usually seen as a supportive friend, and often a far more sympathetic character than Brian. 

I find it quite interesting who sees which.  And have a strong suspicion that people who see Mikey as a purely sympathetic character have very real self-esteem issues.  I suspect that they identify with someone who is socially inept and immature, not to mention hopelessly in love with the godlike figure of Brian Kinney, but at the same time really resent the brilliance and success of the Brian character, so they need to denigrate him.  I have no other way to explain the numbers of BM fans who clearly loathe Brian, and yet want to see Michael with him.  Because of course, they also go into major wish fulfillment mode and want to see Michael have the Cinderella story line where the handsome prince eventually realises who he's truly loved all along. 

Even among BJ fans,  there seem to be a strong preponderance of those who see the third show.  Which, to me, means that they have a very simplistic reading of the characters generally.  They seem to take them all at face value - sweet little Sunshine, kind, childlike Michael, and asshole Brian.   

Which is fine, I guess, but it certainly isn't the show I see.   I think what keeps me watching is that, thanks to two very talented actors, what's laid down in the dialogue really is only the tip of the iceberg of what they reveal non-verbally about their characters, and both characters come across as quite complex and intriguing individuals.  

And it's that complexity which, for me, throws the character of Michael into strong relief.  Because if you don't accept Brian as simply an asshole then you have to question much of how his "best friend" treats him and talks of him.  And if you observe Justin struggling with his growth to manhood, making mistakes, but taking responsibility for himself and for his actions, then you have to contrast that with Michael's total refusal to do the same thing.

You have to contrast Justin's being willing to sacrifice his own happiness, his dreams of being an artist, to try to secure his parents' happiness, with the tanty that Michael threw when Deb started going out with Horvath.  You  must draw comparisons between Brian giving up his rights to Gus to get the girls back together and give his son a stable home with Michael's insistence on maintaining his status as "father" regardless of the problems that it might cause Lindz and Mel (there were REASONS that Mel wanted to be named as Gus' legally recognised parent - it wasn't solely to exclude Brian).  You have to contrast Brian being prepared to sacrifice his friendship with Michael to give him a chance with David with with Michael's consistent attempts to elbow Justin out of Brian's life.  You even have to contrast Brian not only taking on the challenge of rescuing the girls' wedding, but even offering Lindz his tickets to the White Party, and Justin's giving up the trip with Brian to attend the wedding with Michael's sole focus being on his own little ruckus with Ted over the present.  On the one hand you have examples of unselfishness and real love and on the other you have someone who simply wants what he wants and be damned to how anyone else feels about things, or the impact that his actions and demands might have on their lives.  

Most especially, if you don't consider Brian as a complete asshole, then you start to listen to the things that Michael actually says about him, and, even more, the things that he doesn't say.

After you've watched Brian agonising over his relationship to Gus, and over whether to sign over his rights, Michael's dismissive little "I don't want to be just a drop in Dad like you" comes across as both shallow and vicious.

After scene upon scene of Brian's pain at the loss of Justin in his life, the snarkiness of the "he fell off the roof" comment when he finally has his Sunshine back in his arms, comes across as astonishingly petty and selfish.

And Michael's silence on what motivated Brian to punch him in the mouth is only one example of the deafening silence of any real attempt to defend him during the four seasons of the show.  He never really takes up the cudgels in Brian's defense at any stage.  Often, he quite deliberately makes Brian look even worse.  Like in 101 when he outright lies to Em about Brian begging him to come to the hospital when what Brian had actually told him was to stay and get laid.  He was the one who simply couldn't miss out on the opportunity to be at Brian's side, and then got miffed when Brian not only brought Justin along with him, but then, clearly captivated by his new toy, insisted on taking him home with him.

His "Brian loved him" when Deb is spouting off about the split was outright pathetic.  How about, "It's not all Brian's fault.  He turned his whole fucking life around for Justin, took him in, helped him after the bashing.  You saw him in the hospital.  Saw how devastated he was.  How can you say Brian didn't love him?"

That may have given Deb pause for thought.

How about not entering into the betting frenzy over how long the relationship was going to last?

How about reminding Mel occasionally about how much Brian has given and sacrificed for her and Lindz?

But Michael does and says none of these things.

All he ever does is position himself as Brian's "best friend", presenting the image that he is prepared to put up with all Brian's evil ways because he himself is such a good, kind person and loyal friend.

As the stomach turns ...

There are times I want to slap him so hard his teeth would rattle.