I know shipping is popular, it's even fun to make fun of. But it's serious stuff, folks. This is sad because it's something I can't even control or help. Yes this is funny, yes this is pathetic, but sad too because it's actually true. I don't even "like" shipping half the time because more often than not, something goes wrong, and when something goes wrong my heart freaks out. It's ridiculous, it's fiction characters, but apparently that doesn't matter to my uncontrollable shipper brain.
I make it even worse though, because not only do I ship couples, I ship unpopular couples. I could care less about the big ones. Meh. And the 'big ones' are the ones who get the most dedication and page time from their authors and fans. They're the ones who get most of the good turnouts.
Take, as an example, one of my favorite series - The Hollows. People shipped Trent for most of the series but I could care less. I didn't like him for her then, I don't like him for her now, but I didn't care much either way and so "tried" to ignore it. Because of the constant shipping of the fans, both of the groups I belong to on Goodreads can't stop talking about them. Most reviews I read can't stop talking about them (and little else like actual plot). And then sadly the author made the last two books basically ALL about them as a couple. It wouldn't end. My favorite series suddenly focusing on a couple that I didn't care about as a couple and minimizing the things I loved about the series, putting it to the side. Egads!
Take the Mortal Instruments too. I could care less about Jace and Clary, their mooning gets on my nerves. I DO ship and absolutely fall head over heels about a secondary couple, Magnus and Alec. I'm at the fourth book now and I have to say the first three we got so little page time, so little, with them. None of the magic and first moments were shown on screen with them like the other characters. And now more heartbreak that's going to put me in a majorly bad mood. Even if there's a pleasant turnabout in the LAST book, it's the last book. Sure, I can be happy about a future I won't read about (it actually does make me happy...) but why can't I see my favorite ships together for books? Argh, not fair, for some reason I keep shipping characters the authors and fans just don't care as much about. Irony much?
There are exceptions, of course. I loved the relationship in a recent trilogy. All three books focused on the characters being together. Unfortunately the books were so short, and the trilogy is done. So when I finally do get shipping time, it's so brief.
It doesn't get better with TV shows either. I'm a mega shipper for Rumbelle - Rumplestiltskin and Belle in Once upon a time. Last season when it ended with their wedding, I was in fangirl heaven. Seriously. I was twittering away with my saved Rumbelle hashtags. I waited all summer for....well, one great dance in the first episode and NO MORE. No more screen time together except one second or so for next six to seven episodes. What the bloody hell? How can this be? All that buildup and then no screen time? Every week other twitter fans commiserated with me. Finally when we get some sweet moments, it all ends horribly on the mid-season finale. I apparently just cannot care about couples that get plenty of screen and page time. It's such a random roll of the dice where I roll unlucky.
Sadly, I am writing this and realizing I have started watching Buffy the Vampire slayer on Netflix. Oh no. I have a feeling I'm going to ship a couple but I know it doesn't work out from spoilers. Again, it starts.....
Sigh, at least I was a Barrons fan....
