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So you want to be (or are) a shipper? When you watch TV (or movies or read books/comics), you tend to start pairing people up in your head? When you watch TV one of the things you automatically look at are the couples that are highlighted? Welcome to the club!!! Here are some things you might need to know if you're going to be-or are-a shipper.
Where does the word "shipper" come from and what does it mean? "Shipper" is derived from the word "relationshipper." A "relationshipper" has come to mean someone who is interested in and focused on a coupling of two specific TV characters on one show (it has come to include the worlds of movies, comics, and books). Somehow, the word "relationshipper" was condensed to "shipper," and that became the nom de plume for all of us TV watching romantics. If you like to watch TV couples in a romantic (or hopefully romantic) relationship, you are a "shipper." If you "ship" two
characters, that means you want them to be romantically involved. You get the
idea As to where exactly it came from, I'm not sure. I always thought it came from the "X-Files" fandom, where people who wanted Mulder and Scully romantically involved were called "shippers." But then I saw someone else state that it first started with another fandom. Either way, I believe it started with a TV couple and has become commonplace for internet savvy romantics.
What is a "conventional" couple? A conventional couple is a couple that is established in some way on the show. If the show makes it obvious that these two characters are together, will be together, should be together, or might be together, they are a conventional couple. Scully and Mulder ("The X-Files"), even though they weren't together romantically until the end of the series, were considered a "conventional" couple. Jason and Robin ("General Hospital"), because they did get together on the show, are considered a "conventional" couple. However, this doesn't mean that a conventional couple will actually get together, or even stay together. Josh and Donna ("The West Wing"), even though they haven't actually gotten together yet (dang nab it!), are considered "conventional," because there is enough evidence of a potential romantic pairing between them. Toby and Donna ("The West Wing"), despite some fans liking them as a couple, would not be considered a "conventional" couple. Which leads us to...
What is an "unconventional" couple? An unconventional couple is a couple that is NOT established in some way on the show. It's the opposite of "conventional" couple. Most slash couples are considered "unconventional." Some people enjoyed the idea of pairing Max and Maria from "Roswell" as a romantic pair, but they were considered "unconventional" because there was no romantic evidence for them given on the show. The pairing of Angel and Willow ("Buffy the Vampire Slayer") is also unconventional. Some couples can go from "unconventional" to "conventional," such as Jackie and Hyde ("That 70's Show"). Before Jackie started her "I'm in love with Steven Hyde" phase back in season 3, they were considered an "unconventional" couple. But when that happened onscreen, they actually moved to the ranks of "conventional," despite the fact that she was with someone else and they didn't actually get together until just recently (2002). So just like a conventional couple doesn't always get together, an unconventional couple doesn't always NOT get together. Note, there is a lot of gray in the designation of "conventional" and "unconventional" though, as it can be argued that any close friendship between characters automatically places them in the "conventional" phase. So just use your best guess on those that might fall into both definitions.
Slash is a pairing between two characters of the same sex.
"Slash" shippers are not as uncommon as you may think. However, since most shows do not generally give any concrete canon evidence of slash pairings, these couples are usually considered "unconventional" pairings. And while "slash" can mean either a male/male pairing or a female/female pairing, the word "femslash" has also been used for female/female pairings. In my experience, slash seems to be more prevalent between male characters then female, especially in the fanfic world. I'm not totally sure why, but it may have something to do with the fact that there are more male characters out there then there are females. It also seems that slash is more prevalent in the worlds of science fiction & fantasy shows, as well as cop & detective shows. Although again, this may have something to do with the fact that these shows tend to have more male characters than female, and tend to focus more on the friendships between the male characters. Examples: Kirk & Spock in "Star Trek," Jack & Daniel in "Stargate: SG1," Blair & Jim in "The Sentinel."
"Canon" means anything that has actually happened (or was said to have happened) on the show. Anything that did not happen on the show, even though it may have been adopted by a particular shipper or fan group, is not canon. This means the bad stuff as well as the good stuff. Although with TV shows, especially soaps, canon can be changed at the whim of the show.
"Fanon" is something that has been established in the fan world of a couple (or a show), but has not been established on the show itself via an episode. For example, it is "canon" that Donna lied to
Congress about her diary ("The West Wing"), but it has become "fanon" that she lied
about her diary to protect Josh (because she had written in it about his PTSD,
which-if anyone knew about it-could be damaging to his career). Since we were
never told WHY she lied about her Diary, any reason the fan base comes up with
is "fanon," even if it is a pretty darn good explanation So it if happened on the show or the show stated that it happened, it's canon. If it didn't, it's fanon.
"UST" stands for
"unresolved sexual tension." Aka, the hot stuff that happens
between two characters who just need to get it on, already!
"RST" stands for
"resolved sexual tension." In other words, what is happening
between two characters who finally have gotten it on
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Thanks to Sue, I now know the name "slash" was derived from the
"/" between the initials of the couples name. Ie. Kirk &
Spock = K/S = Slash!
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