openingyourselfuptojoy | Meta Wednesday

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Meta Wednesday - Mike Chang

It's meta time! Post all your questions, parallels, song meta, color theory, visual and dialog references here!

You are not limited as to who you can talk about, but as inspiration, let's talk about Mike Chang. Family, dance, bromances, his name... Check out the Mike thread inside.

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- How long was it in season one before he ever spoke?
- What does it mean that his relationship with Tina started offscreen? And that she broke up with Artie to be with him, also offscreen?
- His mom wasn't always supportive of his dancing, because she had to lie to his dad about it. Was West Side Story the turning point?
- His dad took longer to come around. He never even saw West Side Story. He used to want to be a tennis player but wasn't good enough to be professional, and he assumed Mike wasn't a good enough dancer either. What does this say about his faith in Mike?
- We learned during the graduation ceremony that Mike's name is Michael Chang Jr. He and his dad have the same name!
- Who are Mike's bests friends in Glee? Puck? Artie? Blaine? Did he wear suspenders and hats and things before he started hanging out with Blaine?

- How long was it in season one before he ever spoke?

Mike hesitantly volunteers his skills at pop 'n' locking in Throwdown when Schuester is attempting to curry favour with the kids. When Finn asks him, Matt, Brittany and Santana to throw together choreography for sectionals, Mike gravely says "It's gonna be choppy" but goes right ahead with planning. He has an inconsequential line in Theatricality about doing research for the KISS number and then, in Journey, we get "[At the beginning of this year] I was afraid to dance outside my room" and he looks like he's going to cry.

So, Mike doesn't talk much. Dialogue later on makes it clear that this is an important element about his characterization. Of the two secondary jocks introduced in Preggers, Mike is given more scripted characterization and development than Matt, who is the one to be written out in Ballad when Rachel needs to duet with Schuester. Just from season 1, we can see and deduce that Kurt changed peoples' lives earlier than he realized. Mike is afraid to dance outside his room until Kurt makes it OK to dance to Single Ladies on the football field. Mike wants to contribute his unique talents to New Directions and, as we first see in Vitamin D, really enjoys dancing. In fact, when that episode first aired, some reviewer pointed out that the look of pure joy on Mike's face during the dance break in It's My Life/Confessions, Part II is the same "opening yourself up to joy" face we'd already seen when people like Rachel, Mercedes or Finn sing their hearts out.

Other than when people specifically request Mike to dance with them (Rachel during Gives You Hell, Tina during Dream A Little Dream), Mike is content to harmonize--an integral part of any choir that I don't think a lot of viewers appreciate despite the fact that it's been spelled out in-show.

Mike speaks a lot more in season 2, when he becomes confident enough to request a dance solo for the Night of Neglect concert. He stands up for Kurt in Never Been Kissed (but the girls have to give him permission, otherwise he just nervously observes). He and Tina act as the comedy couple that nevertheless has their shit together (the characters on this show who are only occasionally ridiculous are the ones who are shoved into the background). This leads into learning about his pride for his heritage and subsequent confusion when Tina doesn't exhibit the same. Of course, all of the above results in season 3, when Mike is compelled to step out of the background and get major plot lines and dream sequences.

- What does it mean that his relationship with Tina started offscreen? And that she broke up with Artie to be with him, also offscreen?

It means that the three characters who are routinely sidelined by others in the first two seasons--Mercedes, Tina and Mike--are the three who experience a bunch of important stuff over the summers... which is when the cameras aren't rolling. This is part of the whole stylized discrimination thing the show does, where the neglected characters are literally neglected in terms of screen time compared to everyone else. Otherwise, stuff like Mike's passionate speech in Night of Neglect has no meaning.

The other part of it is that Asian Fusion in season 2 is the invincible comedy couple who aren't going anywhere. Brittany is convinced that they're going to get married. If the theme of the season is "What We Did For Love", then Asian Fusion is what happens when the relationship is actually healthy and a normal teen romance. Of course, there are some hiccups, like in Duets and Special Education, but at the end of the day, it's all cool on the Mike and Tina front.

About Artie... he and Tina already break up musically in Journey, during To Sir With Love. Tina is a shallow teenage girl and Artie is a shallow teenage boy (who isn't a *crime* like so many unforgiving fans would have you believe), so Artie ignores his girlfriend and Tina responds by making out with a really hot and nice boy (yes, Dream On foreshadowed this development).

- His mom wasn't always supportive of his dancing, because she had to lie to his dad about it. Was West Side Story the turning point?

Well, the dance studio scene was the turning point, wasn't it? Mike's mom interests me because of the fact that she chaperoned all of Mike and Tina's dates through at least the beginning of season 2. Wow, Asian Fusion have pretty restrictive parents, don't they? (Tina is forbidden to watch or read Twilight? I mean, I don't blame her mom, but seriously?)

- His dad took longer to come around. He never even saw West Side Story. He used to want to be a tennis player but wasn't good enough to be professional, and he assumed Mike wasn't a good enough dancer either. What does this say about his faith in Mike?

It says that he ultimately has all the faith in Mike and is qualified to join the rapidly expanding Awesome Parents Club. Whenever I think of Mike Sr, I remember Tina's conversation with him in Hold On To Sixteen, when the implications of being an Asian performer become explicit.

Actually, this might just be my experience living in Toronto, but would Mike as a dancer really meet obstacles due to his race? As opposed to Tina, I mean, because I can see her point of maybe not getting all the roles she wants and deserves.

- We learned during the graduation ceremony that Mike's name is Michael Chang Jr. He and his dad have the same name!

We knew this since Asian F. This reminds me: Mike feels the pressure of being the grand-son of a woman whose English consists of little else beyond the words "Harvard University". Consider what Mike feels and then imagine being his dad and that woman's *son*.

- Who are Mike's bests friends in Glee? Puck? Artie? Blaine? Did he wear suspenders and hats and things before he started hanging out with Blaine?

Matt is Mike's "important relationship" in the final scene of season 1, when he bumps fists with him. Other important season 1 friendships include Puck, who he hangs with all the time and apparently texts frequently and Brittany, the other Dancer, whom he hugs in Mash-Up after choosing glee club over football. He and Matt back Mercedes up in Sectionals and give her a standing ovation. Mike also TOTALLY has crushes on Tina and Kurt from Day One, I refuse to consider otherwise. Really, though, Mike doesn't seem to dislike anyone except when Rachel/Schuester/Santana/whoever says something particularly rude. Usually, though, it's when the other person's words are actually hurtful... like, Santana mocking Kurt's sexuality or Tina calling him "Other Asian".

There are also sad moments like when Emotionally Destroyed Rachel tries to bring everyone else down with her in Audition and calls Mike and Tina's contributions meaningless. Tina glares at her disbelievingly and Mike sadly crosses his arms when only a minute ago he was joining Tina in bitching at Rachel. On the other hand, Mike wants Schuester to die when the latter tries to make a Very Special Lesson about Tina being heckled.

Woah, off-topic. Anyway, Mike wants to be bros with Artie in season 2 and doesn't succeed for a while because Artie is still bitter about Tina. BUT THEN they become the best of bros and form the Brainiacs with Tina and Brittany. Mike doesn't seem to be close to Puck anymore, but he does start supporting Rachel along with Tina, and at some point he becomes besties with Sam. And then Blaine comes to McKinley!

Mike's aesthetic definitely changes over time. I think the major turning point from plaid to suspenders and more formal shirts is somewhere around the Night of Neglect? I could be wrong.

OMG You win at meta! This is awesome!

I love that Kurt is the one that makes it ok for Mike to dance. ♥ Now I'm having Mike&Kurt friendship feels. Great points about Mike not talking very much being an important part of his characterization, and about the look of joy on his face when he dances in Vitamin D.

I actually didn't think of it as Mike's mom chaperoning all his dates with Tina so much as Mike wanting to include Tina in an important family tradition of weekly meals together. Although it may have been chaperoned dates from Mike's mom's point of view. Mike seemed kind of baffled that Tina was so frustrated about it. Heh.

It actually went right over my head that Mike's dad saying he wouldn't have enough opportunities as a dancer might be race related. Was that explicitly stated? I was seeing it as "Only so many people can be a rock star/dancer/astronaut/whatever and you're not likely to be one of them." That it might be because he's asian is an interesting new perspective.

I have the worst memory. I totally forgot that Mike's dad had a name before!

I'm going to rewatch season 1 some time with an eye open for Mike's crushes on Tina and Kurt. :D I didn't notice the Kurt crush until he talked about Kurt's dancing being super distracting. :D

Yay Mike and Artie in the Brainiacs together! It didn't occur to me that that could have been awkward, what with Mike dating Artie's ex. I'm glad they made up!

Oh, I can think of someone Mike doesn't like! Channing Tatum. LOL.