My youngest is a thirteen year old fangirl. Translation- she is an avid reader and probably follows way too many youtubers. At this stage of the game it’s good – innocent and closely, yet strategically monitored.
Recently, she was rambling on – she is SO my daughter – about two love torn characters from The Mortal Instruments series. Apparently, they want to be together, but the girl, Clary, thinks they have the same father. Still, the chemistry between her a Jace is undeniable. Of course it is. These are fictional characters. If it was real life, Clary and Jace would be a reality television phenomenon and have a recording contract.
Thankfully, this IS literature.
During her monologue about this fictionally doomed couple, she kept mentioning the name Jary. Since I was actually listening, I politely interrupted, questioning who she kept referencing. “Clary and Jace, of course,” she replied with a heavy, impatient sigh. “Jary. That’s their shipped name, Dad.”
Instead of facing the additional wrath from my daughter for my ignorance, I researched what being ‘shipped’ actually meant to the layman.
Shipping, initially derived from the word relationship, is the desire by fans for two or more people, either real-life people or fictional characters (in film or literature) to be in a relationship, romantic or otherwise. It is considered a general term for fans’ emotional involvement with the ongoing development of a relationship in a work of fiction.
- A ship that has been confirmed by its series and is true is called a canon ship. Canon means “true to the series”.
- Shipping can involve any kind of romantic relationship between any character. A pairing between characters who are unlikely to be together, including those who come from different series, is called a crack pairing.
- A character paired with an inanimate object is called a cargo ship. (Hmm … .That sounds questionable. And, somewhat concerning?)
- OTP stands for one true pairing, and generally refers to an individual fan’s particularly heartfelt love for a pairing. Other variations occur, such a OT3 which usually applies to poly relationships (especially love triangles in canon), and NoTP, which refers to the fan’s least favorite pairing.
Since I am now an expert sailer, I searched some fictional character pairings and threw in one of my own. Oh, apparently there is no pattern when forming the name. Whatever combination sounds best AND is agreed upon in fandom. Good luck with that.
Katniss and Peeta (The Hunger Games trilogy) Peeniss why wouldn’t it be? This IS the Urban Dictionary
Sherlock and Watson – #Johnlock the # is optional, but these are middle school girls. So, … maybe not?
Julie and Gopher – Jopher total fail on my part – I should probs leave this shipping shit to middle school fangirls
Thankfully, my daughter hasn’t been ‘shipped’. Yet. Though she was recently quoted as saying, “some of the boys in my school have potential, but then they open their mouths and start talking.”
Life preserver available port side.
