Cowlip's intentions about Brian and Justin

[nightvision55.livejournal.com]

Hi, this is the first time I've posted here so please forgive any mistakes ...

I was just wondering; in the UK original, the focus of the series was the Brian/Michael relationship, and they were the ones who ended up together. So, did Cowlip originally intend that in the US version, and did they just go with the Brian/Justin pairing because they realised how hot the chemistry between Gale and Randy was?

Does anybody know?

Comments

[highd.livejournal.com]

QAF uk's story worked so well because Stuart's family wasn't the horror show that Brian's was. So he didn't need Vince the way that Brian needed Michael. It was quite clear that Stuart and Vince were pretty sewn up by the time we met them. Vince was entrenched in Stuart's life, in a very solid way. Not the way Brian and Michael where. Brian and Michael were brothers, not fated, waiting for the time to be right, lovers to be.

Cowlip had cameras and writers, if they wanted us to feel like Brian and Justin were still together they could have conveyed that instead of feeding us "it's only time" and fading Justin away like he never existed. I mean seriously how dumb do they think we are?

[delvalmom.livejournal.com]

Cowlip had cameras and writers, if they wanted us to feel like Brian and Justin were still together they could have conveyed that...

I don't have anything to add to the discussion because I basically agree that Cowlip fucked with the fans in a truly evil hissy-fit drama queen manner, but the way you worded this made me lol!!

[amelialourdes.livejournal.com]

I mean seriously how dumb do they think we are?

We're just idiots. What do we know?

[ryosato.livejournal.com]

<3

[natkinnat.livejournal.com]

I respect the decision Cowlip made as they are the authors. And I'm not that bitter about the ending in fact. It feels as real as the rest of the show.

[highd.livejournal.com]

The only decision they made right was to have Ted and Blake get the timing right. If you're happy with what Cowlip did then more power to you, but seriously they ruined something wonderful with pointless soap boxing, being petty, and by allowing the network president to dictate to them the focus of the show.

They lost every bit of credibility with me when they allowed the characters to harp on Brian for having Stockwell as a client for all of season 3, but still allowed Ben and Melanie to become the new Philip and Tannis at the GLC for seasons 4 and 5, the same GLC that endorsed Stockwell. The hypocrisy is mind numbing.

[natkinnat.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry if my comment provoked some anger. I never said I'm happy with the ending and (you might know it) I spent much time discussing ending on qaffictalk. But I'm not disappointed at all. The show is great and the ending is as intense as it might not be (the other way). And no matter what is the meaning of "It's only time" the true love remains.

[highd.livejournal.com]

No anger really not at you, it's just this whole thing is maddening really crazy. The ending made no sense for anyone other then Ted and Michael. OY. I love this stupid show so much, and to have it end the way it did was annoying :(

[ipitydaf00l.livejournal.com]

The hypocrisy is mind numbing.

Silly highd didn't you learn from the show that Brian = the Anti-Christ and everyone else = awesome? :)

I'm joking, please don't take that seriously.

[highd.livejournal.com]

IKR? Jesus.

[highd.livejournal.com]

HA! your icon totally predicted the future!

[ipitydaf00l.livejournal.com]

I tend to have icons for all occasions, sadly LJ doesn't let me have all of them uploaded at one time. :)

[bilby10.livejournal.com]

Highd,

I hope you don't mind this comment:

Groups like the GLC are really important in the gay community and in society in general. They might contain some bad eggs from time to time, but that doesn't mean they should be written off. The better the membership the better the organisation, so I have no problem with Mel and Ben becoming more prominent.

I don't even blame Philip and Tannis very much. They were just a bit dumb, naive and timid, and it was quite justified for the other characters to criticise Brian for supporting Stockwell. He was in the wrong, and didn't have stupidity, naivity and timidity as excuses.

[highd.livejournal.com]

The GLC on QAF has been shown over and over to only care about it's image and seems to only want to cater to a certain type of gay person in the community. I don't see them as being stupid, naive, or timid. I see them as people who believed in Stockwell's platform and decided that he was their guy. Because of what he wanted to do to the city of Pittsburgh and because he wanted to make Liberty Ave family friendly, and while that platform worked for the GLC and others, it didn't work for a majority of the gay community that called Liberty Ave home.

Brian took Stockwell on for profit, for his company, and for his future. While it wasn't the most ethical thing he could have done, he did it and it wasn't because he wanted what Stockwell was selling or the life that Stockwell was promising and that is the BIG difference between the two.

So Ben judging Brian in front of everyone at the diner, in front of his family, and questioning Brian's ethics, over Stockwell, while taking up the mantel for the same organization that endorsed him is hypocritical.

[bilby10.livejournal.com]

My point related to real life. Such organisations are more important than the individuals involved. Maybe Tannis and Phillip left a lot to be desired (I'm sure they did some good - it's not all about politics and Howard Bellweather, e.g. the GLC organised the art exhibition in S1), but others (Ben and Mel) will eventually come along to steer the ship on a better course.

IDK - maybe I have the wrong idea. Maybe volunteer organisations don't mean much in the U.S. I thought they did, and they certainly do where I come from.

I actually can't remember the Ben scene you refer to, but there is no doubt Brian was unethical initially with regards to Stockwell. Ben was generally pretty tolerant of Brian and Michael's sometimes unhealthy devotion to him. He mostly bit his tongue where Brian was concerned. If he slipped up occasionally, I don't blame him. I wouldn't have been anywhere near as tolerant (I'm a Brian lover BTW, but he is a seriously flawed character - that is part of his charm).