Moki's Fanfiction Blog

Are You a Supernatural Fanfiction “Shipper”?

Hey folks! Check out this awesome article by my good friend and writing partner, Kelly. She and I share the “Supernatural Thursdays” column over at TV Equals and each Thursday we discuss a new topic about our favorite show. Recently she did an article that I thought y’all might find interesting.

Supernatural Thursdays – Are You a “Shipper”?
by Kelly Michele

As a completely open minded and non judgmental Supernatural fan, I feel that we can talk about a very heated topic in the fandom without people flying off the handle or taking offense. Am I right? I hope so because this week is all about “ships”.

In a fandom (and according to Wikipedia) “Shipping” is defined as such:

Shipping, derived from the word relationship, is the belief that two fictional characters, typically from the same series, are in an intimate relationship, or have romantic feelings that could potentially lead to a relationship. It is considered a general term for fans’ emotional involvement with the ongoing development of romance in a work of fiction. Though technically applicable to any such involvement, it refers chiefly to various related social dynamics observable on the Internet, and is seldom used outside of that context.

Shipping can involve virtually any kind of relationship — from the well-known and established, to the ambiguous or those undergoing development, and even to the highly improbable and the blatantly impossible. People involved in shipping (called shippers) variously assert that the relationship does exist, will exist, or simply that they would like it to exist.

Okay. So we all know that there are various relationships that fans really enjoy on Supernatural. Sam/Ruby (apparently the use of a / while talking about two characters is the technical way of writing a “ship”), Dean/Jo, etc. etc. etc. And then… there are relationships that fans talk about that I find hard to understand. Yes, I’m going to go there in this article so if you’re offended easily or take things personally, I want to state for the record that this is a SAFE place where you can state your opinions without being judged. I am also not trying to offend anyone or belittle any thoughts; so please don’t take this topic in that way.

I’m open to every and all opinion and want to hear from you!

Like I said, I don’t “ship” any relationship on the show except for maybe a teeny bit of Sam/Ava. I prefer the boys single, without strings, and relying on each other to get through an episode. Hell, I don’t even like Sam/Jessica, so that should tell you something!

I’ve never been a “shipper” and I wanted to write this article as more of an outreach to the fandom to explain to me why there are such PASSIONATE feelings about specific pairings. I’ve seen more fights break out between fans that don’t agree on a character relationship than I think any other topic in the Supernatural fandom.

This article is coming from a comment that a reader left on last week’s article where I was accused of being a “shipper” of Dean and Cas. I really wanted to know why that was thought and just exactly how many people see that as a romantic relationship! I’m just downright curious about a lot of things having to do with “shipping” and I hope you guys, the fans, can make me understand.

So here are a few of the “ships” that I’d like you guys to weigh in on. Informational, negative (as long as they are respectful), and positive comments are all welcome! Let’s just make sure that we all play nice and don’t intentionally set out to hurt other people’s feelings. That said let’s begin!

Supernatural Fanfiction: Sam/Dean (aka Wincest)

Might as well get this one out of the way as the first topic of discussion. I’m on Tumblr and follow a lot (and I mean A LOT) of Supernatural blogs. I also am on message boards and various sites and this pairing ALWAYS comes up. It was even referenced in “The Monster at the End of this Book” when Sam discovers the underground world of the Supernatural novels.

Now. This is sort of a taboo topic, but since we’re all adults, we can be mature and non-judgmental.

Members of the fandom that don’t ship Sam/Dean seem to get hung up on one major issue: Sam and Dean are brothers. They were raised as brothers, and Dean has always had a girl around since he hit puberty. Where does the romantic relationship come in between these two? This is, followed by a close second with my next pair, seem to be a huge topic of debate among fans. And one that the most fights will break out around.

……Check out the rest of Kelly’s article at TV Equals.

In addition to writing for TV Equals, Kelly is also webmaster and writer for PopKelture. Kelly’s bio reads: “I’m a lover of pop culture, a hater of censorship, a proud fangirl, and a writer for several websites. I believe the Winchesters, Buffy, Dr. Horrible, and Malcolm Reynolds can solve all of the world’s problems. I’ll survive longer in Jurassic Park than you. I’m a believer of fairy tales and super heroes.”