Shenny 5x18
So I’m a huge Shenny shipper, and next week’s episode made me realise everything happening in there will be the opening to huge, huge theories. All of them plausible if the writers ever go the SP way. Now mind you, I love them, but I’m trying really hard for me to lower my expectations about the outcomes of the ships if I ever plan to enjoy the show and not absorb myself into a mere illusion.
Even with that, I can’t stop but analyse the shit out of the episode
Now, we all know the dynamics in shipping discussions, especially the ones leaned towards the “losing side” (us). There are the usual steps towards a discussion:
1. SP shippers deconstruct the episode to state their opinions about moments and dialogue and implications.
2. Opposing side will try to shut down theories while implementing their own views to enhance their ship of choosing.
3. SP give counterarguments.
4. Opposing side says “You are over thinking it” or “This is supposed to be a fun light show”. Then as contradiction, they go around make their own fairly complex theories but it’s acceptable because?
It’s canon.
I’m going to jump over various of these steps to go to the point. The reasons against any ships are usually the same. If someone it’s against Lenny they will say something like “He just likes the sex” or “He is a jerk”, if someone is against SP they will say “He thinks she is stupid”, “He doesn’t appreciate her as a human” “She cannot live without Leonard” and the ones that don’t want to come off as “negative” will say “She is like a mother to him”. If they are against SA they will say something like “She is creepy”, or “She is fucking ugly, Sheldon needs a super hot girl to make everyone realise he doesn’t care about appearance” or in the fewer cases like mine “Amy deserves a prince” and “their relationship is going nowhere because Amy wants to get laid NAO”.
Because of this, I can just smell arguments against the SP right on the corner. Before I do that, I want to leave something clear; shooting down theories is not something that “winning ships” (because they are canon, not because it’s a competition) exclusively have. Just as I’ve seen many LP or SA fans shooting down SP theories, I have also seen SP fans shooting down SA or LP theories. Alas, and I’m not really sure here so I would appreciate someone filling me in, the Shenny fans shooting down theories happen in very constricted, private messages or boards. I really don’t think that out of all shipping fans we are the minority, but I do believe we are the most constricted ones. Not because everyone kicked us out or anything, but because we are not canon. Canon ship fans have the liberty to be open about what they think, see and hear because the simple state of the people they ships opens an opportunity to be as vocal about it as they can. They are in the absolute liberty to overthink and for them it won’t be considered as such whi? Because they are canon. Every theory they might have has the little possibility of being truth because their ships are actually happening, whereas ours can just be mere speculation.As plausible, fitting as they could be, they are considered as mere speculation and are easy target because? They are not canon.
So, before I hear all the reasons to shoot down our SP thoughts:
1. Penny mothers Sheldon with the haircut:
Doesn’t matter that I think cutting one’s hair doesn’t mean they will be your surrogate mother and thus will somehow physically, emotionally and mentally disable you to reach a romantic relationship with each other.
Fans. “Mothering” never was, is not and never will be the barrier from one relationship to another. You saying “it was mothering” won’t destroy the possibility of them being something else. Just because Penny could cut Sheldon’s hair and then go out with him doesn’t mean you will go “Eewww I mean did you see that? She cuts his hair and then they go out!! Incest!!!” How retarded that would be?
Hell, Jim said it himself: “Sheldon needs to get taken care of, so he tends to attract the mothering type”. With this, so let’s say she is mothering him. Then what? Just because she does things for him means they have to forcefully keep that dynamic instead of pursuing something else?
2. What he meant about the spot is in general. It could have been Howard and he still could have said the same:
But it wasn’t. It was Penny, as simple as that. We know what Sheldon thinks about his spot. The only solid thing in his life. 0000.
The writers could have as well make him say “My spot, someone’s else spot, who cares?” or “My spot, your spot, Leonard’s spot, who cares?” or “My spot, your spot, Spock’s spot, who cares?” “My spot? I don’t even know any more, what is that?” “My spot? Didn’t you know I’m a gypsy now. I’m going to travel across the land free. Who wants my spot?”
Anything, anything could have been possible. There could have been hilarious responses to that. Instead they went with “My spot, your spot…”
3. Kitten. It doesn’t mean anything:
It does mean something. Sheldon is not one to call everyone endearing pet names out of nowhere or for random reasons. Even in his chaos he is not spontaneous. A day of playing bongos doesn’t mean his words and his actions are going to be as random as the next person. Even then, whether the pet name was romantic or not, whether is some sort of hidden clue of his undying attraction to her (sarcasm) or not, that he calls her kitten means something. Sheldon is not one to do things lightly, so when he does them then it’s sure as hell going to mean something.
It might be romantic, it mightn’t be, but don’t say it’s meaningless. If you are a Sheldon fan you would know to appreciate the glimpses of something that in him, could be considered “weird” and you would appreciate the development.
4. Where did Sheldon go after all? To Amy, not to Penny:
Of course! He wouldn’t go to Raj or Howard and Penny’s home kind of beats the purpose of “wherever”. Doesn’t matter Penny herself was there when he said that.
Even then, that he considers Amy’s house doesn’t irrevocably stomp on anything SP. Oh look he went to her house, SP is never going to happen, suck it! Most of us SP fans can see why people would like SA and we know they do have meaningful moments, but the presence of one doesn’t eradicate the presence of the other.
-___- Amy doesn’t have to disappear for SP to happen and the same vice verse.
5. “Sheldon said he just looked at a breast and behind”. Which would clearly imply he peeked in some other moment to catch her front.
“Sheldon had to peek! I thought that was clear already.”
So? It was ultimately his decision. No one forced him to do so and there were many hero allegories he could have chosen from his fairy tale arsenal. He had to go with the one that allows him to peek. The writes themselves deliberately chose this little, tiny turn that could have well been replaced by something else. And still they chose that.
6. You are over thinking.
Tell me that when you don’t do the same.
7. Reader is truly not over thinking because he/she doesn’t need to/If thought well pairing shatters by logic.
Not to offend, but what the fuck do you care? Your ship is canon, ours is not. You don’t have to waste your time eluding to our self-delusion.
I don’t say this because I think, but because I know.
Every time a fan finds themselves having some sort of deep hostility towards another ship enough to try dismantle it under the guise of “it’s my own opinion” while recurring to derision, sarcasm and thin veiled insults or passive aggressiveness is because they feel it threatening OR because they are a bunch of jackasses that live to hate everything they don’t like. You don’t need to put down LP to make SP better nor you need to put down SP to make SA better.
When your ship is canon and it fills your expectations, you don’t have the need nor the feeling to go prove its worth shutting down an opposing view.
Mind you you have to know threatening doesn’t mean you consider it will happen, but that the premise of the opposing ship is competitive enough and good enough to make you doubt. There are obviously people who feel like this and people who can pretend to be like this, even if inside they might be boiling with anger. And don’t tell me you don’t, because you do and you know it.
Also, it’s not just about the ship happening or not like you want it to happen, but people thinking the same exact thing you do. When you shut down an opposing view is because you also expect people to see it like you do and agree with you. Note that I counter-replied, but I didn’t go shutting down anyone’s ship, rather tried to make my own stand beside them, not above them.
