Addicted to the Shipper thing?

You start off as a Mulder/Scully shipper (insert as appropriate), although you don’t really know what it means. Then you begin to get more interested in other couples and pairings on TV. It’s all relatively harmless, you think, as long as it’s something you keep to yourself and don’t go over the top with it…

And then you find yourself connected to this thing called the Internet and meet up with like-minded people... And your preoccupation with this thing called Shipperdom becomes even bigger and bigger…And now, now you’re at the stage where being a ’shipper is more than a hobby – it’s a job and consumes all your spare time!

That’s the story of one shipper, anyway. One who admits to having an addiction although many of you out there probably won’t agree. But hey, just because it’s called an addiction, it doesn’t mean it’s a bad thing or that we want curing!

It can be fulfilling and gratifying – especially when you get one of those rare but cherished moments when something unexpectedly develops between two of the characters you’re shipping for! Maybe it’s something small, like the brush of fingers across the others hand… Or the brushing of a lock of hair from a face… Or maybe even a kiss or an invite to do something that isn’t linked with work! The smallest of tender looks or actions can give a shipper a high that lasts days. It’s not harmful but damn, it makes you feel good!

I was in an e-mail conversations the other day, half paying attention to the conversation, half paying attention to ‘Boomerang’ – a JAG two-parter set in Australia. After the scene – spoiler warning - where Harm and Mac are on the boat and he admits “Just you, Sarah.” (I won’t go into too much detail, some won’t want spoiling and others didn’t see it the same way I did.) Anyway, I wrote something strange in my reply – can’t remember what – but it was the result of one hyper mind in a shippy-daze. The reply I got back was – and I remember this – “What are you smoking and where can I get some?!”

The answer is, of course, this thing called being a shipper. And you can get a regular dose from practically any TV show with male and female leads who have a wonderful thing called chemistry. JAG, Stargate SG-1, Voyager, The X-Files, Buffy, Angel…or any other I’ve missed. Watch them with an open mind and the ability to project and you’re almost guaranteed to be left with a shippy high for a couple of days at least.

This ‘high’ can inspire you or could simply leave you with a vague contentment but it’s still something to enjoy and take readily.

There are down sides to this addiction – health warnings should be put on episodes that feature an outsider as a romantic interest for one half of your ideal pairing. These such episodes can be distressing – unless there’s a health dose of character jealousy – but a healthy bout of verbal character bashing will help you make it through to the next episode. Either bashing or fanfiction, you chose.

So, there you have it. This shipper thing is safe and so much more than a hobby, it’s almost a way of life. And in my opinion, it’s very addictive so I guess these programs should have some kind of health warning if there is a potential shipper pairing within:

Warning: Character relationship ahead,

maybe addictive to those with shipper

tendencies or who are romantic at heart.