pro-shipper

English

Etymology

From pro- +‎ shipper (“one who supports a romantic or sexual relationship between characters”). Some posit that the second sense originated as a blend of problematic + shipper.

Pronunciation

• Audio (US):

  (file)

Noun

pro-shipper (plural pro-shippers)

1. (fandom slang) One who supports a specific ship or shipping in general. [since 1996]

   Synonym: shipper

   Antonyms: anti-shipper, non-shipper

   • 1996 July 9, Chris Byler, “Re: 'PUSHER was a 'Shipper!! *gak*!”, in alt.tv.x-files‎^[1] (Usenet):

     I think this whole thing is a semantic misunderstanding.. the anti-shippers and the pro-shippers are putting entirely different meanings into the phrase 'in love'.

   • 1997 April 25, Terry Luck, “Re: 'SHIPPERS SUCK!!!!”, in alt.tv.x-files‎^[2] (Usenet):

     For all you pro-shippers and anti-shippers keep posting and debating. Someone is watching you.

   • 1997 November 24, Susan J. Daniell, “Re: Shippy parts lead into MOVIE!!”, in alt.tv.x-files‎^[3] (Usenet):

     As a pro-shipper, I think it's gonna be a long season. Will spring ever get here?

   • For more quotations using this term, see Citations:pro-shipper.
3. (fandom slang) One who supports a ship or shipping deemed problematic (e.g., due to incest, age differences, abusive dynamics, etc.), and/or believes in the freedom to create and consume fanworks with such elements. [since 2010s]

   Synonyms: anti-anti, comshipper, (derogatory, vulgar) pro-shitter

   Antonyms: anti, anti-shipper

   • 2020, Jessica Mason, "Hannibal’s Bryan Fuller Is Done With Your Anti-Ship BS", The Mary Sue, 13 October 2020:

     Things, let’s say, escalated very quickly, with pro-shippers and anti-shippers going at each other over all sorts of nonsense that was obviously a bit hard to follow.

   • 2021, Victor Larsen, "'It Makes Me, A Minor, Uncomfortable': Media and Morality In Anti-Shippers' Policing of Online Fandom", thesis submitted to Ghent University, page 16:

     Pro-shippers argued back that depiction was not endorsement, especially if creators tagged their works with the applicable warnings, such as “abuse” or “emotional blackmail”.

   • 2021, Allegra Rosenberg, "'Writing To Cope': Anti-Shipping Rhetoric in Media Fandom", paper presented at the Electronic Literature Organization 2021: Platform (Post?) Pandemic conference, page 7:

     What is seen by pro-shippers as simply the desire for everyone to be able to write, draw, and publish what they want, even if it offends or “squicks,” is viewed by anti-shippers as unforgivably harmful.

   • For more quotations using this term, see Citations:pro-shipper.

See also

• ship and let ship

Further reading

• pro-shipper, proshipper at the Google Books Ngram Viewer.