Fanculture: Shipping - the hottakes

These are some conversations I had with other fanfic readers and writers. Not disclosing names for privacy. Also, take them all with grains of salt, these are opinions not facts.

Someone once told me fanculture is inherently gay. This person was a closeted teen that, in a classic way, read a lot of fanfic. I asked them why because that's such a funny but also bold claim. Here's what I remember from that long conversation:

• It's inherently gay and for the gays but isn't necessarily exclusive to the gays.
• A lot of the yearning and pining and imagining (aka "delusion") of a not real scenario and situation is part of being a closeted teen.
• People engaging and playing around with their imagination in a detached way, as in "shipping" but not really is more gay than straight. This is because as per our shared experienced, when friends or people that are quite heteronormative "ship" friends or whatever, they kind of go full on until it happens. That's the times of being a teen at least. It's compared to "jokingly" shipping two friends of the same gender because they hang out too much.
• And for the people that are... very heteronormative or don't know enough about fanculture and shipping, they see it (especially real people shipping) as very dangerous, icky or outright wrong. I was one of these people despite being gay and I kinda learned that it's really not to be taken seriously.
• Then we understood the fanculture of "shipping," at least when gay people do it, it's a lot less serious and just either for the lols or because it's fun to imagine. Same idea of being a closeted teen wishing your best friend was gay. Also that "jokingly" shipping two irl besties that hang out too much. It's unserious and since the gays are apparently experts at this, it makes it inherently gay

After hearing their points, it got me thinking if it is indeed true. If it were all true, then what would that mean for heterouals that engage in fanculture? It's definitely a hottake, albeit not fully sold and agreeing on it, I do find it interesting.

Another person also told me why they "limit" themselves when they joke and imagine the "shipping" and "delusions." And I think this goes as a good next point after thinking it's inherently gay. This is from someone who is gay and closeted so yeah:

• They limit their jokes and "delusions" because people outside of the fanculture and gay stuff don't really take it well. It's either seen as childish or outright weird, so they were used to just limiting themselves.
• I countered this belief by saying who gives a ? Just be you, that way those not worthwhile people will take themselves out and you're just with genuine and understanding people. To which was countered with, it's not easy especially if you also have to learn to detach yourself from heteronormativity and hiding.
• It was a fair point, we are quite different and I respected that and asked their take on "shipping" and they, funnily enough, say they don't trust everyone that ships but those they know are gay, they just trust and joke along since they know they aren't serious.
• Last thing I remember from the conversations is it's very hard to find people that aren't judge-y when it comes to fanculture of shipping, so they're more used to limitting themselves until they learn it's safe to open up about it.

This kind of backs up how fanculture is inherently gay. There's just a lot of wishful thinking and "delusions" in being a gay teen that is different in the culture of being a hetero teen. The latter has more instigation and actions taken in real life while the former is just that gay yearning. And having met and talked to people that are really serious and borderline concerning people with how they aren't joking in liking someone to the point of wanting to outright date them irl and will turn toxic otherwise... it kind of solidifies that disjunction.

I think it's pretty obvious we all know the toxic type of people (btw it isn't just the straights, some gays are like that too) that ship and go above and beyond in real life to be creepy about it. I mean, this is kind of why fanculture has a bad representation in media as stalkerish and delusional.

But I also had another conversation, about putting something from fanfic into mass media. The hottake was that fanculture of shipping should remain niche and away from mass media. The topic was about the stories that were from fanfic culture turned into original characters in a published book then turned into a movie.  

• It was part of a long conversation but I do remember some points of gatekeeping fanfic stories and the like because putting them in mass media makes a lot of fanfic writers the but off the joke, being blamed and ridiculed for their ideas that were originally in a safeplace for unserious ideas
• Mass media (especially during the times today) are now free content for reaction and/or critiquing people that even if they are doing it to get paid, still are rectifying the first point of making fanfic the but off the joke and in a worse way, fanfic writers usually don't get paid for their works.
• Even if these reactions and critiques are not really as well known as the mass media, this does not take away the harm it instills on fanfic as a culture and safe place to be unserious and a bit detached from reality. The critique and reactions no matter how they are can still harm a person, consciously or unconsciously.
• The previous bullet, I actually agreed on. Saying even if I'm the type to be unbothered by other people's opinion, it does make me a lot more insecure and defensive on my works and privacy in an indirect way. At first I was thinking it was just me being secretive, and in time I learned it was because I consume critique media, unconsciously applying their opinion to me as well.

Speaking of opinions, I'll be ending this "closed-discussion" with a reminder. Our times today does promote individuality, self-acceptance, and having a voice for our opinions. Albeit well intentioned, we need to remember that these are opinions and there is no virtue in blind obedience and just agreeing to anyone without our own discretion. We respect ourselves and promote individuality better if we discern what we hear before we think the same as we believe. In this culture of individuality, caring for others becomes less important but when we embrace individuality within a society, these are vital. We must know the time and place for everything as well as accept that we aren't made to always and immediately know the full picture, we still need other people for that.

PS: Idk how this became very morally charged excuse me and my philosophies in life... haha