The Problem with PJSK Shippers

Summary

In this critique, the creator addresses the often toxic side of fandoms, particularly focusing on the obsession with ships and how it consumes fan discussions. The video highlights issues like delusional ship theories, rare pair elitism, smut fanfiction, and the harassment of people with differing opinions. The creator also calls out the tendency to make everything about ships, even when it’s irrelevant to the content. Ultimately, they stress the importance of stepping back, gaining self-awareness, and respecting others’ opinions while rejecting the toxic behaviors rampant in online fandoms.

Takeaways

• 😀 Shipping is fine, but making everything about ships can be overwhelming and detracts from other important topics like character arcs and events.
• 😀 Fans often take casual interactions between characters and try to push them into shipping, which distorts the meaning of those moments.
• 😀 Shipping wars can get out of hand, with people arguing over small, insignificant details like the color of a character’s bow to support their ship theory.
• 😀 Some fans are delusional and overly entitled about their ships, using weak or baseless arguments to claim a ship is canon, even when it's unsupported by the story.
• 😀 Rare pair shippers sometimes act elitist, thinking they have superior taste because their ship is less popular, while also criticizing mainstream ships unfairly.
• 😀 It's frustrating when rare pair shippers criticize popular ships as lacking chemistry when their own ship often has minimal interactions to back it up.
• 😀 Some fans try to justify writing inappropriate or explicit content about teenagers, hiding behind the argument that 'it's just fiction,' which is problematic.
• 😀 Aging up characters in fanfic doesn't erase the issue of creating inappropriate content about underage characters; it only makes it more disturbing.
• 😀 Harassing people for not liking or supporting your ship, especially labeling them as homophobic for preferring a straight ship, is toxic and unacceptable.
• 😀 The behavior of chronically online fans, particularly those who engage in shipping wars, harassment, and delusions, is a nightmare for many.
• 😀 Ultimately, most people outside the online fandom don't even care about ships, and stepping outside and disconnecting can provide perspective and peace of mind.

Q & A

What is the main critique presented in the video script?

The main critique in the video focuses on toxic behaviors in fandom shipping culture, such as obsessive shipping, entitlement over 'canon' ships, elitism in rare pair fandoms, inappropriate fanfiction content, and harassment of people with different shipping preferences.

How does the speaker differentiate between opinion and rage bait in the video?

The speaker clarifies that expressing dislike for certain ships or characters is an opinion, not rage bait. They emphasize that if someone feels personally attacked by a critique, that’s their issue, not the speaker’s.

What is the issue with making everything about ships, according to the speaker?

The speaker criticizes how fandom discussions often shift from discussing characters or story events to focusing solely on ships, even in unrelated contexts, like fan art or videos of characters simply existing together.

What is the problem with shipping wars in fandoms?

Shipping wars are described as a waste of time and incredibly annoying. The speaker references an incident where a shipping conflict occurred over Anna’s bow color, which was edited and presented as proof of a ship’s canonicity, even though it was based on misinformation.

How does the speaker address the delusional nature of some fandom members regarding ships?

The speaker calls out fans who break down story events into overly complex arguments to prove that their ship is canon, despite evidence not supporting their claims. They stress the importance of using actual, romantic-coded events and not baseless interpretations.

What is the speaker's view on rare pair elitism?

The speaker criticizes some rare pair shippers who act like their obscure ships have superior taste, often belittling popular ships for lacking chemistry, even though their own ships often have minimal interaction or depth.

How does the speaker feel about smut fanfics involving underage characters?

The speaker strongly condemns writing explicit fanfiction about underage characters, particularly when people justify it with the argument that '17 is the new 18.' They argue that such content is inappropriate, and no amount of fictionalizing or 'aging up' makes it acceptable.

What does the speaker say about harassment of people who prefer different ships?

The speaker denounces the harassment of individuals who prefer different ships, especially those who like straight ships. They argue that such behavior is toxic and goes beyond the bounds of fandom fun.

What is the speaker’s general conclusion about the behaviors they criticize?

The speaker concludes by describing these toxic behaviors as chronically online, annoying, delusional, and elitist, but notes that they are mostly confined to online spaces, where people often forget that in real life, few people care about these ship conflicts.

What advice does the speaker give at the end of the video?

The speaker advises people to 'touch grass,' meaning to take a break from obsessive online behavior and spend time in the real world, where these issues are not as significant. They also encourage viewers to enjoy fandoms without bullying or harassing others.