There has been a lot of discourse lately regarding shipping so I figured I'd lay out my thoughts on the matter.
What is Shipping (for me)?
My definition of shipping comes in two flavors. For canon ships it is enjoying the canon romantic relationship and wanting it to continue. I may also enjoy fan works of the ship but this isn't 100% necessary. For non-canon ships this is enjoying the canon relationship for what it is and actively seeking out fanworks where they are a couple (or at least want to be). Shipping is always romantic and almost always sexual (although I do enjoy ships where they can't/do not wish to have a sexual relationship.)
Please note: shipping is always romantic and/or sexual for me. I'm aware other people talk of platonic ships but I will never do so myself.
Do I want my ships to become canon?
Nope!!! I've been monkey pawed in the past with ships I loved becoming canon (and destroying the already lovely relationship they have in the process). So unless it's a romance where I know they are canon or are going to be be canon from the start (ie: romance shoujo or bl) I'd really prefer it stays subtext. I am however annoyed that it is much more likely for my het ships to become canon than my queer ships (although this is getting better).
What causes me to ship something?
It really depends. For works with fighting they are almost always battle couples. Codependency is always nice and, while I am able to ship healthy ships, most of my favorites are hot messes for various reasons. I'm especially fond of large age differences and teacher/student ships. And, of course, good chemistry is always a must.
Why do I ship?
It's fun for me?!?! It's a part of how I choose to interact with canon (how big a part really depends) and with fandom. It's almost never the only way I interact with canon but, because my IRL friends aren't shippers, it can often seem that way in online fandom spaces.
How do I feel about people who ship problematic ships?
Y'all, I am a person who ships problematic ships... And while I certainly have my squicks I don't give a fuck that other people may ship something I find squicky. I'm a card holding member of SALS (ship and let ship) and Kink Tomato (your kink is not my kink and that's ok aka YKINMK).
Why do I ship problematic ships?
Usually it's a "I love drama" thing but sometimes it's also a kink thing. I like my romance stories good and melodramatic... but in a way that's realistic. Frankly, there aren't that many non problematic ways to do that that don't hit too close to home.
How do I feel about people who like to bitch about shippers?
"Where's my block button?" With a side of "I find it fascinating that y'all only act this way about m/m and f/f shippers..." and I say this as someone who has as many het ships as queer ships. No but seriously people need to get far more comfortable ignoring shit they don't like. Social media (for all its faults) almost always has these tools called muting, blacklists, and block buttons to help you with that.
How do I feel about phrases like "It's clearly canon" or "There is no Heterosexual reason for X"?
OMFG it's one part shippers being silly and one part commentary that (assuming the ship is queer) that if it were a dude and a chick acting like that they'd have fucked already (or at least admitted they want to). Anyone who bitches about this shit is getting a block cause y'all annoy me. I'm also really fucking tempted to make a post mocking those people using shippy but not overt scenes from my fave obscure BL and GL manga...
I don't use these phrases too often myself (again canon romance isn't necessary for me to ship something) but sometimes I do like to bring them out for the lols.
How do I feel about phrases like "let them be friends?"
Again I find it fascinating that this tired phrase is almost only brought out for queer ships... Look folks, as someone who has been monkey-pawed and as a result I rarely want my ships to become canon, I hate this shit. And yeah anyone who uses it is going on a one way trip to my block list.
Well ok I'll make one exception: if you are talking about 1 a het ship and 2 you're bitching about it going canon then we're good. Bonus points if the way the writers are handling this change annoys you and/or you actually ship the ship.
Do I get involved in ship wars?
Never anymore and even back in the day it was pretty fucking rare. It's the one part of shipping culture that bores me to tears. If I don't like a ship (pretty fucking rare but it happens) I use the previously mentioned tools provided to me to hide it from my sight.
How do I feel about antis
blocks with extreme prejudice everywhere I see them. I mock them with other proshippers sometimes but for the most part I just ignore their asses. Like they are not the only reason I'm not on large social media sites but they are a reason.