SHIP: Muddying the pool

[raolin.rm]

No: HPFGUIDX 31464

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., "viola_1895" <viola_1895 at y...> wrote:
> Seriously though, ship debates are interesting in that they're 
quite 
> often about who _Hermione_ should end up with rather than who Harry 
> should. ^_^ Which I find quite intriguing. Is it because most of 
the 
> active fans are female and find something identifiable in Hermione? 
> Or is there something else going on there? As someone with almost 
no 
> ship preference, I'm obviously unqualified to answer that question. 
> *shrugs* If this question has been asked before, I apologize in 
> advance... but are there any theories why as to why the debates 
> develop from that perspective?


Yes.  It's because there is only one girl and two guys.  The general 
assumption seems to be that out of the trio will come one couple.  
Since both of the options available (barring slash options, which are 
pretty much not serious options, IMO) involve Hermione, she's 
naturally the key part of any discussion.

Certainly, *I* don't fit the profile of a Hermione identifier -- I 
can identify at various points with each of the three characters, but 
I think the debates must naturally take that perspective given the 
cast of characters we have to work with.  If it were Harry somehow 
had two girlfriends (instead of Ron and Hermione) I think it would 
naturally fall to what Harry thought, because he would be the key 
decision maker in making any choice between them.  As it is, that 
role falls to Hermione.

Joshua Dyal