"Will they or won't they?"
It's an everpresent phrase in the TV world, and it's been asked of soap opera supercouples and alien-investigating FBI agents almost since TV was born. But these days, the excitement that has to do with romantic tension between couples is being bounded less and less by the constraints of what the creators intended and more and more only by the limits of our imagination.
And when we see a chemistry between two characters that might, in some universe, blossom into romance... when we see a possible relation"ship"... ah, yes, it's that beautiful moment when a ship has been born!
Shippers are an increasingly vocal and influential part of the TV online fandom world. Some folks like shipping, some folks hate it, but the concept has joined the modern lexicon, and it's here to stay. So hi, I'm Tiptoe39, and I'm pleased to join the SpoilerTV team to present a weekly column on all things shipping - not just the latest news from various shows but also a forum and exploration of the phenomenon and its place in the world of TV and fandom.
Here are a number of issues I hope we can discuss going forward--
- Why do we ship? What makes a potential couple catch our eye? What are the elements of a good pairing, and why do some canon pairings fall flat where pairings the writers don't seem to see spark the fans' imaginations?
- Where does shipping come from? Has this emphasis on romantic entanglements always been around? What elements are new, and what are older than we might imagine? Is it just the word "shipping" that makes it new, or is it a modern phenomenon?
- How does shipping affect character development and analysis? Love is a powerful motivator, but does it lessen a character's choices and actions to say they were done out of love or attraction, rather than personal conviction or courage? Or does the presence of an unspoken love relationship make a character more well-rounded?
- Where are the boundaries for interacting with a show's creators? As the Internet continues to connect us all, and popular TV shows' creators and actors reach out through conventions and interviews, what's the proper role of the shipping fandom? Should there be an outright push for couples to become canon? How should the activities of the fannish world be represented in a respectful way? Is there room in the world for a dialogue between fans and creators that actually affects the content of shows? Why is talking to creators about shipping different than talking to creators about any other aspect of their show?
- What's the role of gender and sexual orientation in shipping? Contrary to popular opinion, not all ships are gay. There are a lot of male-female pairings that become very popular in the shipping world. Are they less taboo to talk about? Why, and should that be the way it is? Is it still shipping to want Elena to be with Damon rather than Stefan? What about wanting BSG's Boomer and Gaius together, though they were never romantically linked on the show? What makes it a ship? And why are same-sex ships so popular, anyway?
- Are shippers a "different kind of fan"? Do they have a place at the table when it comes to general show discussion? Does their expression of how they'd like to see a show go have less validity, or make show discussion less pleasant for fans who don't ship? Are they "watching the show wrong"? How do shippers and other fans coexist in this wild, interactive world of TV fandom?
- What about "ship wars"? It's often the case that different ships will find themselves at odds, even within the same fandom. Is there a utility to that discussion? Does the popularity of a ship you don't approve of make you uncomfortable? Why? In a segment of fandom in which freedom of expression and imagination is so important, why do rivalries and jealousies seem to come to the fore so often? Or is that the case with fandom writ large, and not just shipping?
If some of these issues got you hot under the collar, then we need you in the conversation. My personal goal is to effect a kind of communication where we all can feel welcome in the same community without feeling like we're being attacked for the way we enjoy TV or express ourselves. To that end, I'm going to do my best to make sure we have a respectful dialogue and no ships (or non-ships) are made to feel unwelcome. I will need you all to be honest with me, too, and tell me how to best moderate the conversation. So please, chime in below! It's a big conversation, but it is going to be a fascinating one!
What shipping-related topics would you like to see explored? Sound off in the comments!
