They are not fans of the original work, they are fans of the derived content. This is the root of the conflict between shippers and non-shippers. [...] See, other fans are not interested in your own personal narrative because they are fans of the original work, not your personal derived content. Kirk/Spock was possibly not the best example. Yes, many shippers take characters that are not couples in canon and run away and write curtain fic (or PWP or whatever) and that's fine, no matter whether the writers are deliberately adding UST with a trowel, or whether the characters have barely met. However, many many ships are canon, and are indeed the backbone of the show/narrative in question. Take Doctor Who for example - when the show returned (in 2005) it was deliberately based around the Ninth Doctor/Rose relationship. The Eleventh Doctor goes on to marry River Song, and their story is at the heart of S6. Tony Stark/Pepper Potts is an ongoing storyline of the Iron Man movies. This is not 'personal derived content', it's show canon. You might prefer to focus your enjoyment of Doctor Who or Iron Man in different areas to the romantic entanglements, but that does not somehow invalidate those who prefer the latter. (Heck, how many years of UST did X Files get out of Mulder and Scully's will-they-won't-they? Is Mulder/Scully 'personal derived content'? Or how about Niles/Daphne on Frasier? Their relationship was aeons of longing looks, and then they ended up getting their own show.)
No, I would not. I do not identify with my favorite characters. Neither do I. I like to analyse them. And their relationships. I'm very canon-based. But many people *do* identify, and that's a perfectly valid way to watch TV. Heck, Rose on Doctor Who was designed to be a walking, talking avatar for the viewers. As are most Doctor Who companions - just listen to the complaints about Amy or Clara not being 'normal' or 'relatable' enough), and all the 'ordinary people' who are so often the heroes of movies. Personally I find them boring - I like the weird psychopathic aliens.
(Heck, how many years of UST did X Files get out of Mulder and Scully's will-they-won't-they?
I believe it was 8, but even the 'confirmation' was so oblique that there was another year of in-fighting before it was confirmed. And then it was basically the only thing the last film was about. :)
Is Mulder/Scully 'personal derived content'?
For years and years of fandom wars it was considered to be so. But... whahahahahaha! Shippers won.:D
Or how about Niles/Daphne on Frasier? Peter and Olivia (Fringe), Aeryn and Crichton (Farscape), Mitchell and Annie (Being Human. Never shipped them, personally, but there were those who did). Apollo/Starbuck (Battlestar Galactica. Actually I HATED that ship but there were people who loved it), Hook/Emma shippers OUAT, etc.
I just get peeved over the concept that "shippers ruin fandom." There are plenty of angry fanboys/girls to ruin fandom over all sorts of crazified personal nitpicks. Fandom = fan wars. It's always something.
Kirk/Spock was possibly not the best example. Yes, many shippers take characters that are not couples in canon and run away and write curtain fic (or PWP or whatever) and that's fine, no matter whether the writers are deliberately adding UST with a trowel, or whether the characters have barely met. However, many many ships are canon, and are indeed the backbone of the show/narrative in question. Take Doctor Who for example - when the show returned (in 2005) it was deliberately based around the Ninth Doctor/Rose relationship. The Eleventh Doctor goes on to marry River Song, and their story is at the heart of S6. Tony Stark/Pepper Potts is an ongoing storyline of the Iron Man movies. This is not 'personal derived content', it's show canon. You might prefer to focus your enjoyment of Doctor Who or Iron Man in different areas to the romantic entanglements, but that does not somehow invalidate those who prefer the latter. (Heck, how many years of UST did X Files get out of Mulder and Scully's will-they-won't-they? Is Mulder/Scully 'personal derived content'? Or how about Niles/Daphne on Frasier? Their relationship was aeons of longing looks, and then they ended up getting their own show.)
No, I would not. I do not identify with my favorite characters.
Neither do I. I like to analyse them. And their relationships. I'm very canon-based. But many people *do* identify, and that's a perfectly valid way to watch TV. Heck, Rose on Doctor Who was designed to be a walking, talking avatar for the viewers. As are most Doctor Who companions - just listen to the complaints about Amy or Clara not being 'normal' or 'relatable' enough), and all the 'ordinary people' who are so often the heroes of movies. Personally I find them boring - I like the weird psychopathic aliens.
(Just my two cents, hope you don't mind.)
ETA: Your Friends Are Not Watching the Same Show You Are (And That's Okay). (Not about shipping per se, but about how everyone sees something different, even when they look at the same thing.)
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I believe it was 8, but even the 'confirmation' was so oblique that there was another year of in-fighting before it was confirmed. And then it was basically the only thing the last film was about. :)
Is Mulder/Scully 'personal derived content'?
For years and years of fandom wars it was considered to be so. But... whahahahahaha! Shippers won.:D
Or how about Niles/Daphne on Frasier?
Peter and Olivia (Fringe), Aeryn and Crichton (Farscape), Mitchell and Annie (Being Human. Never shipped them, personally, but there were those who did). Apollo/Starbuck (Battlestar Galactica. Actually I HATED that ship but there were people who loved it), Hook/Emma shippers OUAT, etc.
I just get peeved over the concept that "shippers ruin fandom." There are plenty of angry fanboys/girls to ruin fandom over all sorts of crazified personal nitpicks. Fandom = fan wars. It's always something.
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