OTP (One True Poll)

[gabrielleabelle]

* Check out the follow-up poll for this post. It's much more comprehensive. And longer (which means it's more fun).

I found this post (through metafandom, I believe) on OTPness to be interesting. Especially some of the ensuing discussion/disagreement. I was struck by what I saw as a huge definitional gap between some of the participants as to what having an

Comments

[streussal]

The first one doesn't really make sense to me for many canon, considering how characters often go through two or more relationships in the course of the series (especially in the Buffyverse). It also is odd to me, since it's not unusual for me to ship pairings that aren't canon and are extremely unlikely to ever get together in canon.

I assume you mean "exclusive preference" as "I only ship these two characters with each other" as opposed to "THIS IS THE ONLY THING I SHIP IN THE ENTIRE CANON". Because that's pretty rare for me.

I've seen people use OTP to mean that it's just their favourite pairing, not the only one they ship those characters in. I do that sometimes too, if asked about my OTP, since I have multi-shipping tendencies.

[eowyn_315]

The first one doesn't really make sense to me for many canon, considering how characters often go through two or more relationships in the course of the series (especially in the Buffyverse).

Yeah, exactly. I read that option and went, "Whaaaa? How is that even possible in most fandoms?"

I've seen people use OTP to mean that it's just their favourite pairing, not the only one they ship those characters in.

I'd say this is closest to me, because I do like other pairings (as well as Spike and Buffy in other pairings), but Spuffy is by far the majority of what I read and write.

[gabrielleabelle]

I thought the first one was odd, too, but it came up multiple times in the post I linked to. Though that's for Who fandom, which has significantly fewer canon ships than BtVS.

On the other hand, I can picture some of the more strident shippers only accepting their ship. Thing of Bangel vs Spuffy. You'll have a handful of hardline OTPers on either side who deny or attempt to invalidate the "enemy" ship.

The second poll option is a lot more broad and allows for a lot of variations like you described. For me, OTP is just a preference. A strong preference. One comment in the linked post described it like falling in love. I recognize that the Buffyverse has oodles of couples, but I fell in love with Buffy/Spike. They're my OTP. :)

[elisi]

Though that's for Who fandom, which has significantly fewer canon ships than BtVS.
*coughs* 47 years worth of history. 'Bout twenty million ships... (Defining a ship is a lot trickier though, hence all the hullaballoo.)

[gabrielleabelle]

Eh, I wouldn't consider many/any of them canon. Subtext-y sometimes, sure. But BtVS has masses more overtly canon ships.