History Main / ShippIng

"Shippers" is the universally accepted name for those fans who invest themselves in romantic plotlines -- both canonical and hypothetical. Shippers' level of investment can range from [[CrackShip "It's all jolly good fun,"]] to "This seriously impacts my enjoyment of the work," to [[ShipToShipCombat "Prepare for war."]]

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There's a whole nomenclature dedicated to Quick, Easy and IdiosyncraticShipNaming, often varying from fandom to fandom. The most basic tool of communication here is the slash -- if you wanted Alice and Bob to get together you could always say you shipped Alice/Bob[[note]]An x is also often used, so AlicexBob[[/note]]. However, for most fandoms that's just not exotic enough. They will not be content with anything less than a short, sweet and catchy brand name -- the more Incredibly Lame the {{Pun}}, the better (''Franchise/HarryPotter'' fandom actually named ships the "HMS this-and-that"). Shipping culture has also imported the PortmanteauCoupleName from Japanese {{Anime}} fandom; apart from its infamous usage in the gossip industry ([[Creator/BradPitt "Bra]][[Creator/AngelinaJolie ngelina"]], [[Creator/BenAffleck "Ben]][[Creator/JenniferLopez nifer"]], [[Creator/TomCruise "Tom]][[Creator/KatieHolmes Kat"]]) you can find people online declaring themselves fans of [[ComicBook/IronMan "Pepperony"]], [[Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer "Wuffara"]], [[Manga/{{Naruto}} "NaruHina"]], [[VideoGame/TalesOfSymphonia "Sheelos"]], [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic "Applepie"]], and [[Series/TheOfficeUS "Jam"]]. Yes, Jam. Needless to say, if some series has ThemeNaming shippers ''will'' exploit it JustForPun -- In RealLife, 3/4 is just a rational number greater than one half and lesser than one. [[YouAreNumberSix Not so]] in ''WesternAnimation/CodenameKidsNextDoor'' fandom and ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamWing'' fandom)[[note]] Though not everybody necessary likes 3/4 and may want to ship them with other numbers[[/note]].

The term "Shipping" -- which ostensibly derives from "Relationship" (though it might as well be "Worship"; in some fandoms, it's SeriousBusiness) -- was originally coined by fans of ''Series/TheXFiles'', who were divided between "relationshippers" pushing for romance and "noromos" who would rather have [[NoHuggingNoKissing No Hugging and No Kissing]]. The phenomenon itself, however, was ubiquitous in practically every fandom long before. The source of the term's popularity is shrouded in myth, but Geek Mythology has it that you can blame people in the ''[[{{Anime/Pokemon}} Pokémon]]'' anime's fandom who rooted for Jessie and James (of Team Rocket) to get together and decided to call themselves [[{{Pun}} "Rocketshippers"]]. This got the term to catch on in that fandom, then people brought it with them to other fandoms. Today, Wiki/{{Wikipedia}} has a tiny Shipping disambiguation note at the top of [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freight_transport its freight-transport article]][[note]]to which http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shipping redirects[[/note]], and has its own article on [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shipping_(fandom) fandom shipping]][[note]]linking back to this TVtropes page[[/note]].

The term "Shipping" -- which ostensibly derives from "Relationship" (though it might as well be "Worship"; in some fandoms, it's SeriousBusiness) -- was originally coined by fans of ''Series/TheXFiles'', who were divided between "relationshippers" pushing for romance and "noromos" who would rather have [[NoHuggingNoKissing No Hugging and No Kissing]]. The phenomenon itself, however, was ubiquitous in practically every fandom long before. The source of the term's popularity is shrouded in myth, but Geek Mythology has it that you can blame people in the ''[[{{Anime/Pokemon}} Pokémon]]'' anime's fandom who rooted for Jessie and James (of Team Rocket) to get together and decided to call themselves [[{{Pun}} "Rocketshippers"]]. This got the term to catch on in that fandom, then people brought it with them to other fandoms, and today Wiki/{{Wikipedia}} needs a tiny disambiguation note at the top of [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shipping its article on maritime delivery of goods]].

Furthermore, a lot of ships attract fans on account of [[DestructiveRomance the destructive or twisted]] dynamic between characters. The mature fan can distinguish between what they enjoy reading, and what makes a healthy relationship in real life. The immature fan... well, let's hope they grow up soon.

The term "Shipping" -- which ostensibly derives from "Relationship" (though it might as well be "Worship"; in some fandoms, it's SeriousBusiness) -- was originally coined by fans of ''Series/TheXFiles'', who were divided between "relationshippers" pushing for romance and "noromos" who would rather have [[NoHuggingNoKissing No Hugging and No Kissing]]. The phenomenon itself, however, was ubiquitous in practically every fandom long before. The source of the term's popularity is shrouded in myth, but Geek Mythology has it that you can blame people in the ''[[{{Anime/Pokemon}} Pokémon]]'' anime's fandom who rooted for Jessie and James (of Team Rocket) to get together and decided to call themselves [[{{Pun}} "Rocketshippers"]]. This got the term to catch on in that fandom, then people brought it with them to other fandoms, and today Website/{{Wikipedia}} needs a tiny disambiguation note at the top of [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shipping its article on maritime delivery of goods]].

The term "shipping" is often invoked even with on-screen relationships. For example, "Olicity", or the relationship between Oliver Queen and Felicity Smoak in ''Series/{{Arrow}}'' which is a on-screen relationship. This muddies the waters somewhat as you end up with discussions of on-screen pairings alongside those that are canonical in the show's source material, such as Oliver Queen and other female vigilante characters on ''Arrow'', most notably Laurel Lance, Dinah Drake, or Helena Bertinelli. The Laurel Lance - Oliver Queen 'relationship', or 'Laurviver' while canon in the comics was handicapped onscreen by a distinct lack of chemistry between the 2 actors, the limitations of Ms Cassidy's 'acting' abilities and a truly toxic backstory involving serial cheating and the fact that Oliver , in the canon of the show, wanted to get together with Laurel's sister Sara first. Add the fact that he disappeared while on a sex cruise with Sara and it doesn't exactly lay out the path of true love.

The term "shipping" is often invoked even with on-screen relationships. For example, "Olicity", or the relationship between Oliver Queen and Felicity Smoak in ''Series/{{Arrow}}'' which is a on-screen relationship. This muddies the waters somewhat as you end up with discussions of on-screen pairings alongside those that are canonical in the show's source material, such as Oliver Queen and other female vigilante characters on ''Arrow'', most notably Laurel Lance, Dinah Drake, or Helena Bertinelli.

The term "shipping" is often invoked even with on-screen relationships. For example, "Olicity", or the relationship between Oliver Queen and Felicity Smoak in ''Series/{{Arrow}}'' which is a on-screen relationship. This muddies the waters somewhat as you end up with discussions of on-screen pairings alongside those that are canonical in the show's source material, such as Oliver Queen and other female vigilante characters on ''Arrow'', most notably Laurel Lance, Dinah Drake, or Helena Bertinelli. The Laurel Lance - Oliver Queen 'relationship', or 'Laurviver' while canon in the comics was handicapped onscreen by a distinct lack of chemistry between the 2 actors, the limitations of Ms Cassidy's 'acting' abilities and a truly toxic backstory involving serial cheating and the fact that Oliver , in the canon of the show, wanted to get together with Laurel's sister Sara first. Add the fact that he disappeared while on a sex cruise with Sara and it doesn't exactly lay out the path of true love.

The term "shipping" is often invoked even with on-screen relationships. For example, "Olicity", or the relationship between Oliver Queen and Felicity Smoak in ''Series/{{Arrow}}'' which is a on-screen relationship. This muddies the waters somewhat as you end up with discussions of on-screen pairings alongside those that are canonical in the show's source material, such as Oliver Queen and other female vigilante characters on ''Arrow'', most notably Laurel Lance, Dinah Drake, or Helena Bertinelli.

The term "shipping" is often invoked even with on-screen relationships. For example, "Olicity", or the relationship between Oliver Queen and Felicity Smoak in ''Series/{{Arrow}}'' which is a on-screen relationship. This muddies the waters somewhat as you end up with discussions of on-screen pairings alongside those that are canonical in the show's source material, such as Oliver Queen and other female vigilante characters on ''Arrow'', most notably Laurel Lance, Dinah Drake, or Helena Bertinelli. The Laurel Lance - Oliver Queen 'relationship', or 'Laurviver' while canon in the comics was handicapped onscreen by a distinct lack of chemistry between the 2 actors, the limitations of Ms Cassidy's 'acting' abilities and a truly toxic backstory involving serial cheating and the fact that Oliver , in the canon of the show, wanted to get together with Laurel's sister Sara first. Add the fact that he disappeared while on a sex cruise with Sara and it doesn't exactly lay out the path of true love.

The term "shipping" is often invoked even with on-screen relationships. For example, "Olicity", or the relationship between Oliver Queen and Felicity Smoak in ''Series/{{Arrow}}'' which is a on-screen relationship. This muddies the waters somewhat as you end up with discussions of on-screen pairings alongside those that are canonical in the show's source material, such as Oliver Queen and other female vigilante characters on ''Arrow'', most notably Laurel Lance, Dinah Drake, or Helena Bertinelli.

The term "shipping" is often invoked even with on-screen relationships. For example, "Olicity", or the relationship between Oliver Queen and Felicity Smoak in ''Series/{{Arrow}}'' which is a on-screen relationship. This muddies the waters somewhat as you end up with discussions of on-screen pairings alongside those that are canonical in the show's source material, such as Oliver Queen and other female vigilante characters on ''Arrow'', most notably Laurel Lance, Dinah Drake, or Helena Bertinelli. The Laurel Lance - Oliver Queen 'relationship', or 'Laurviver' while canon in the comics was handicapped onscreen by a distinct lack of chemistry between the 2 actors, the limitations of Ms Cassidy's 'acting' abilities and a truly toxic backstory involving serial cheating and the fact that Oliver , in the canon of the show, wanted to get together with Laurel's sister Sara first. Add the fact that he disappeared while on a sex cruise with Sara and it doesn't exactly lay out the path of true love.

The term "shipping" is often invoked even with on-screen relationships. For example, "Olicity", or the relationship between Oliver Queen and Felicity Smoak in ''Series/{{Arrow}}'' which is a on-screen relationship. This muddies the waters somewhat as you end up with discussions of on-screen pairings alongside those that are canonical in the show's source material, such as Oliver Queen and other female vigilante characters on ''Arrow'', most notably Laurel Lance, Dinah Drake, or Helena Bertinelli.

The term "shipping" is often invoked even with on-screen relationships. For example, "Olicity", or the relationship between Oliver Queen and Felicity Smoak in ''Series/{{Arrow}}'' which is a on-screen relationship. This muddies the waters somewhat as you end up with discussions of on-screen pairings alongside those that are canonical in the show's source material, such as Oliver Queen and other female vigilante characters on ''Arrow'', most notably Laurel Lance, Dinah Drake, or Helena Bertinelli. The Laurel Lance - Oliver Queen 'relationship', or 'Laurviver' while canon in the comics was handicapped onscreen by a distinct lack of chemistry between the 2 actors, the limitations of Ms Cassidy's 'acting' abilities and a truly toxic backstory involving serial cheating and the fact that Oliver
, in the canon of the show, wanted to get together with Laurel's sister Sara first. Add the fact that he disappeared while on a sex cruise with Sara and it doesn't exactly lay out the path of true love.

The term "shipping" is often invoked even with on-screen relationships. For example, "Olicity", or the relationship between Oliver Queen and Felicity Smoak in ''Series/{{Arrow}}'' which is a on-screen relationship. This muddies the waters somewhat as you end up with discussions of on-screen pairings alongside those that are canonical in the show's source material, such as Oliver Queen and other female vigilante characters on ''Arrow'', most notably Laurel Lance, Dinah Drake, or Helena Bertinelli.

The term "shipping" is often invoked even with verified, canonical, on-screen relationships, for example, "Olicity", or the relationship between Oliver Queen and Felicity Smoak in ''Series/{{Arrow}}'' which is a verifiable on-screen relationship. This muddies the waters somewhat as you end up with discussions of established pairings alongside those that are mere wishful thinking (such as Oliver and any of the various "Canary" characters on ''Arrow'' or Barry Allen and Felicity).

The term "Shipping" -- which ostensibly derives from "Relationship" (though it might as well be "Worship"; in some fandoms, it's SeriousBusiness) -- was originally coined by fans of ''Series/TheXFiles'', who were divided between "relationshippers" pushing for romance and "noromos" who would rather have [[NoHuggingNoKissing No Hugging and No Kissing]]. The phenomenon itself, however, was ubiquitous in practically every fandom long before. The source of the term's popularity is shrouded in myth, but Geek Mythology has it that you can blame people in the ''[[{{Anime/Pokemon}} Pokémon]]'' anime's fandom who rooted for Jessie and James (of Team Rocket) to get together and decided to call themselves [[{{Pun}} "Rocketshippers"]]. This got the term to catch on in that fandom, then people brought it with them to other fandoms, and today [[Website/{{Wikipedia}} The Other Wiki]] needs a tiny disambiguation note at the top of [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shipping its article on maritime delivery of goods]].

The term "Shipping" -- which ostensibly derives from "Relationship" (though it might as well be "Worship"; in some fandoms, it's SeriousBusiness) -- was originally coined by fans of ''Series/TheXFiles'', who were divided between "relationshippers" pushing for romance and "noromos" who would rather have [[NoHuggingNoKissing No Hugging and No Kissing]]. The phenomenon itself, however, was ubiquitous in practically every fandom long before. The source of the term's popularity is shrouded in myth, but Geek Mythology has it that you can blame people in the ''[[{{Anime/Pokemon}} Pokémon]]'' anime's fandom who rooted for Jessie and James (of Team Rocket) to get together and decided to call themselves "[[{{Pun}} Rocketshippers]]". This got the term to catch on in that fandom, then people brought it with them to other fandoms, and today [[Website/{{Wikipedia}} The Other Wiki]] needs a tiny disambiguation note at the top of [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shipping its article on maritime delivery of goods]].

"Shippers" is the universally accepted name for those fans who invest themselves in romantic plotlines - both canonical and hypothetical. Shippers' level of investment can range from "[[CrackShip It's all jolly good fun]]" to "This seriously impacts my enjoyment of the work" to "[[ShipToShipCombat Prepare for war.]]"

It's tempting to assume that shippers are so invested in romance because they are reading themselves into the place of one of the characters, and living the romance vicariously through them. This [[PossessionSue does]] [[AudienceSurrogate happen]] - not surprising, because most fiction relies on at least a little empathy. That said, beware of the old "pathetic nerd living out fantasies through fiction" stereotype. Why one prefers a given ship (that is, a fictional couple) can be based on any number of things, from liking the general "type" of relationship (such as BroodingBoyGentleGirl), to thinking they have [[UnresolvedSexualTension hot chemistry]], or [[TheyDo great long-term compatibility]] -- or maybe they just look cute together!

Somehow, this leads to vitriolic forum threads with a hundred times the activity of all the other threads in the forum combined, titled something like "[[ShipToShipCombat will Bob get together with Alice or Eve? Round 997!]]" [[note]]For all we know, this very well may have actually been a thread title in a Cryptography forum.[[/note]] Which in hindsight is understandable, given that when a lot of fans are projecting themselves into one character, it's bound to get very crowded in there. Really, put just ''two'' fans in a room and give them five minutes or so, and they'll get into an argument to the death about [[FanDumb some incredibly fundamental fandom issue]]; having hundreds of fans in the same internet is just asking for trouble. And when you ask for trouble, what you get is, in the words of Creator/JKRowling, scary and vehement cyber gang warfare.

There's a whole nomenclature dedicated to Quick, Easy and IdiosyncraticShipNaming, often varying from fandom to fandom. The most basic tool of communication here is the slash -- if you wanted Alice and Bob to get together you could always say you shipped Alice/Bob[[note]]An x is also often used, so AlicexBob[[/note]]. However, for most fandoms that's just not exotic enough. They will not be content with anything less than a short, sweet and catchy brand name -- the more Incredibly Lame the {{Pun}}, the better (''Franchise/HarryPotter'' fandom actually named ships the "HMS this-and-that"). Shipping culture has also imported the PortmanteauCoupleName from Japanese {{Anime}} fandom; apart from its infamous usage in the gossip industry ("[[Creator/BradPitt Bra]][[Creator/AngelinaJolie ngelina]]", "[[Creator/BenAffleck Ben]][[Creator/JenniferLopez nifer]]", "[[Creator/TomCruise Tom]][[Creator/KatieHolmes Kat]]") you can find people online declaring themselves fans of "[[ComicBook/IronMan Pepperony]]", "[[Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer Wuffara]]", "[[Manga/{{Naruto}} NaruHina]]", "[[VideoGame/TalesOfSymphonia Sheelos]]", "[[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic Applepie]]", and "[[Series/TheOfficeUS Jam]]". Yes, Jam. Needless to say, if some series has ThemeNaming shippers ''will'' exploit it JustForPun -- In RealLife, 3/4 is just a rational number greater than one half and lesser than one. [[YouAreNumberSix Not so]] in ''WesternAnimation/CodenameKidsNextDoor'' fandom and ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamWing'' fandom)[[note]] Though not everybody necessary likes 3/4 and may want to ship them with other numbers[[/note]].

[[quoteright:350:[[Webcomic/{{Sinfest}} http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/shipping_scream.jpg]]]]

The term "Shipping" -- which ostensibly derives from "Relationship" (though it might as well be "Worship"; in some fandoms, it's SeriousBusiness) -- was originally coined by fans of ''Series/TheXFiles'', who were divided between "relationshippers" pushing for romance and "noromos" who would rather have [[NoHuggingNoKissing No Hugging and No Kissing]]. The phenomenon itself, however, was ubiquitous in practically every fandom long before. The source of the term's popularity is shrouded in myth, but Geek Mythology has it that you can blame people in the ''[[{{Anime/Pokemon}} Pokémon]]'' anime's fandom who rooted for Jessie and James (of Team Rocket) to get together and decided to call themselves "[[AWorldWidePunomenon Rocketshippers]]". This got the term to catch on in that fandom, then people brought it with them to other fandoms, and today [[Website/{{Wikipedia}} The Other Wiki]] needs a tiny disambiguation note at the top of [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shipping its article on maritime delivery of goods]].

{{Canon}} and authorial intent do not dictate people's shipping preference. You'd be hard-pressed to find ''anything'' that honestly puts any sort of restraint on shipping preference. Characters may be shipped despite being [[ToyShip still in grade school]], [[HetIsEw of the wrong sexuality]], [[BrotherSisterIncest siblings]] or [[{{Twincest}} twins]], JustFriends, [[FoeYay mortal enemies]] [[SlapSlapKiss or just generally the bane of each other's existence]], separated by an age gap of [[MayDecemberRomance decades]] or [[MayflyDecemberRomance centuries]], [[CrossoverShip not of the same narrative continuum]], [[NoHuggingNoKissing part of a story where romance just isn't an issue]], [[CargoShip inanimate objects]], [[ShipsThatPassInTheNight nigh total strangers]], [[PairTheSpares considered as a possible couple at all only because they're both left single after you're done pairing everybody else]], [[AngelDevilShipping polar opposites in terms of morality]], [[CrackPairing extremely implausible as a couple by design]] or even [[ShipSinking outright denied to ever possibly get together]] by WordOfGod. Even when the source material goes as far as to have an OfficialCouple, sometimes [[RelationshipWritingFumble fumbling]] [[StrangledByTheRedString execution]] or ValuesDissonance will drive fans towards emotional investments [[FanPreferredCouple diametric to those the author intended]]. TheILoveYouStigma, occasionally invoked by some productions, further complicates matters, even if the characters [[LoveConfession express the sentiment]] [[ActOfTrueLove in other ways]].

There's a whole nomenclature dedicated to Quick, Easy and IdiosyncraticShipNaming, often varying from fandom to fandom. The most basic tool of communication here is the slash -- if you wanted Alice and Bob to get together you could always say you shipped Alice/Bob. However, for most fandoms that's just not exotic enough. They will not be content with anything less than a short, sweet and catchy brand name -- the more Incredibly Lame the {{Pun}}, the better (''Franchise/HarryPotter'' fandom actually named ships the "HMS this-and-that"). Shipping culture has also imported the PortmanteauCoupleName from Japanese {{Anime}} fandom; apart from its infamous usage in the gossip industry ("[[Creator/BradPitt Bra]][[Creator/AngelinaJolie ngelina]]", "[[Creator/BenAffleck Ben]][[Creator/JenniferLopez nifer]]", "[[Creator/TomCruise Tom]][[Creator/KatieHolmes Kat]]") you can find people online declaring themselves fans of "[[ComicBook/IronMan Pepperony]]", "[[Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer Wuffara]]", "[[Manga/{{Naruto}} NaruHina]]", "[[VideoGame/TalesOfSymphonia Sheelos]]", "[[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic Applepie]]", and "[[Series/TheOfficeUS Jam]]". Yes, Jam. Needless to say, if some series has ThemeNaming shippers ''will'' exploit it JustForPun -- In RealLife, 3/4 is just a rational number greater than one half and lesser than one. [[YouAreNumberSix Not so]] in ''WesternAnimation/CodenameKidsNextDoor'' fandom and ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamWing'' fandom)[[note]] Though not everybody necessary likes 3/4 and may want to ship them with other numbers[[/note]].

There's a whole nomenclature dedicated to Quick, Easy and IdiosyncraticShipNaming, often varying from fandom to fandom. The most basic tool of communication here is the slash -- if you wanted Alice and Bob to get together you could always say you shipped Alice/Bob. However, for most fandoms that's just not exotic enough. They will not be content with anything less than a short, sweet and catchy brand name -- the more [[IncrediblyLamePun Incredibly Lame]] the Pun, the better (''Franchise/HarryPotter'' fandom actually named ships the "HMS this-and-that"). Shipping culture has also imported the PortmanteauCoupleName from Japanese {{Anime}} fandom; apart from its infamous usage in the gossip industry ("[[BradPitt Bra]][[AngelinaJolie ngelina]]", "[[Creator/BenAffleck Ben]][[JenniferLopez nifer]]", "[[TomCruise Tom]][[KatieHolmes Kat]]") you can find people online declaring themselves fans of "[[IronMan Pepperony]]", "[[Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer Wuffara]]", "[[{{Naruto}} [=NaruHina=]]]", "[[VideoGame/TalesOfSymphonia Sheelos]]", "[[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic Applepie]]", and "[[TheOffice Jam]]". Yes, Jam. Needless to say, if some series has ThemeNaming shippers ''will'' exploit it JustForPun -- In RealLife, 3/4 is just a rational number greater than one half and lesser than one. [[YouAreNumberSix Not so]] in ''WesternAnimation/CodenameKidsNextDoor'' fandom and ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamWing'' fandom)[[note]] Though not everybody necessary likes 3/4 and may want to ship them with other numbers[[/note]].

The term "Shipping" -- which ostensibly derives from "Relationship" (though it might as well be "Worship"; in some fandoms, it's SeriousBusiness) -- was originally coined by fans of ''Series/TheXFiles'', who were divided between "relationshippers" pushing for romance and "noromos" who would rather have [[NoHuggingNoKissing No Hugging and No Kissing]]. The phenomenon itself, however, was ubiquitous in practically every fandom long before. The source of the term's popularity is shrouded in myth, but Geek Mythology has it that you can blame people in the ''[[{{Anime/Pokemon}} Pokémon]]'' anime's fandom who rooted for Jessie and James (of Team Rocket) to get together and decided to call themselves "[[AWorldWidePunomenon Rocketshippers]]". This got the term to catch on in that fandom, then people brought it with them to other fandoms, and today [[{{Wikipedia}} The Other Wiki]] needs a tiny disambiguation note at the top of [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shipping its article on maritime delivery of goods]].

Of all the obsessions that universally afflict fandom, {{Shipping}} is by far the most persistent, widespread and prone to be SeriousBusiness. It knows no boundaries of age, demographic and gender [[note]]contrary to expectations one might reasonably have involving Yaoi/Yuri-worshipping, fan fiction writing, squealing teenage girls[[/note]]. This might raise an eyebrow or two on first inspection, but honestly, shipping is just a consequence of plain old human nature. [[ThePowerOfLove Love]], [[SevenDeadlySins Lust]], Romance, Hormones - call it what you will, it is a huge part of the human experience. Just glance at our long list of LoveTropes to see all the ways romance weaves into fiction. And even if a story is not "romantic" by genre, a well-done love story can become its emotional anchor.

It's tempting to assume that shippers are so invested in romance because they are reading themselves into the place of one of the characters, and living the romance vicariously through them. This [[PossessionSue does]] [[AudienceSurrogate happen]] - not surprising, because most fiction relies on at least a little empathy. That said, beware of the old "pathetic nerd living out fantasies through fiction" stereotype. Why one prefers a given ship (that is, a fictional couple) can be based on any number of things, from liking the general "type" of relationship (such as BroodingBoyGentleGirl), to thinking they have [[UnresolvedSexualTension hot chemistry]], or [[TheyDo great long-term compatibility]] - or maybe they just look cute together!

Shipping is all about the anticipation. Paragraphs and essays and counter-essays, weighing megabytes and spanning dozens of pages, will be written about who ''will'' get together, who ''should'' get together, and what the disciplines of political science and feminism and probability theory have to say about the issue (the above is NotHyperbole). No ecstatic shipper has ever written a gigantic dissertation titled "Hurray!! AliceAndBob! FINALLY!!" or any fandom equivalent. People will argue endlessly about the romantic future of nearly any given ensemble, but if that point should actually be resolved, the discussions will basically go through a round of ranting and gloating and then unceremoniously run out of steam.

"Shippers" is the universally accepted name for those fans who invest themselves in romantic plotlines - both canonical and hypothetical. Shippers' level of investment can range from "[[CrackShip It's all jolly good fun]]" to "[[BaseBreaker This seriously impacts my enjoyment of the work]]" to "[[ShipToShipCombat Prepare for war.]]"

It's tempting to assume that shippers are so invested in romance because they are reading themselves into the place of one of the characters, and living the romance vicariously through them. This [[PossessionSue does]] [[AudienceSurrogate happen]], but beware of the old "pathetic nerd living out fantasies through fiction" stereotype. Beside, most shippers engage in fandom ''beyond'' just shipping - shipping is just one facet of fandom, alongside cosplay, fanfic, fanart, analysis, or collecting.

Furthermore, a lot of ships (that is, fictional couples) attract fans on account of [[DestructiveRomance the destructive or twisted]] dynamic between characters. The mature fan can distinguish between what they enjoy reading, and what makes a healthy relationship in real life. The immature fan... well, let's hope they grow up soon.