Shipping and Other HP4GU Debates (long as usual)

[Penny & Bryce Linsenmayer]

No: HPFGUIDX 11040

Hi --

Ebony Elizabeth Thomas wrote:

> I'm really beginning to think that firm ship preferences are directly related to the way we read the books in general.  Everyone on list knows that I'm loudly, obnoxiously, and
> unashamedly H/H.  I think I basically agree with Penny on almost every issue in the fandom except that I think Lily and James married young, and I still think Harry's a nickname.
> :::grins at the listmom and H/H captain:::

Oh, I think James & Lily married "young," but my definition of "young" may be older than what others perceive.  I think they married at maybe 19-21, but didn't have Harry right
away.  That's where I disagree with popular opinion most.  I think they had these "secret careers" for awhile before a baby arrived.  My guess is that Lily was 25-27 when she had
Harry.  We know Voldemort was in power for 10 yrs prior to Harry's birth ("we've had precious little to celebrate for 11 years").  I don't necessarily think he'd been in power the
entire time that the Marauder generation was in Hogwarts.

But, I do *not* think Harry's a nickname.  <grins at Ebony>

(1) I too am a SuperHarry advocate; (2) I believe Draco and Snape are redeemable characters (and I think we're bound to see some decent Slytherins soon -- they're just ambitious
after all); (3) I identify very strongly with Percy and think that he will not succumb to the Dark Side (though it will be a struggle for him); (4) obviously I agree that there's
alot more to my favorite character (Hermione) than brains; (5) I agree with Eb's perceptions about Ron (he's made me increasingly uneasy and I agree that he needs to "get a grip");
(6) I believe JKR was *wrong* when she said there were 1000 students at Hogwarts -- <g> -- internal evidence tilts more toward the 300 level in my mind; and (8) I love (and write)
post-Hogwarts fanfics.

> 7)  I have always thought the Wand Order issue was much ado about nothing.
> Nice that it got our e-group the media recognition, though.

This is, I guess, our only point of disagreement.  I've considered this to be an issue, and it still rankles with me that the revision doesn't read right (and that the publishers
didn't bother to alert the media that they were making a fairly significant correction).

> So there's a bit more to shipping than just drawing a queen and a king from a deck of cards.  I'd say it reveals a lot about our personalities.

I think so too, and I think there are lots of other differences in canonical interpretation among the various "shipper" groups (including the 'no-shippers' even perhaps).

Charmain asked:

> This is interesting, but I'm not sure (not flaming here, just looking
> for clarification) what these points have to do with the shipping
> debates... Slytherin reform seems to be entirely extraneous, as do
> small-world and wand-order. Post-Hogwarts fanfic, Superharry, and
> Percy-identification could possibly be related, but I'm not sure how.
> Ron needing character development and more-than-meets-the-eye
> Hermione (Transformers!) obviously do have relevance, but I would
> guess that people on both sides of the HH/RH debate could hold them.
>
Ebony was making the point that our "shipping" positions (or non-positions as the case may be) may very well affect how we view other aspects of the HP series.  She used the 8 above
as examples of positions taken by H/H types, noting that the R/H types on the whole seem to take the opposite approach with respect to her 8 examples.  Her thesis is that our
personalities & world view come into play & influence not only how we view the "shipper" debates but virtually all other aspects of the books.  I think she's possibly onto something
here.  The 8 examples are not exclusive.  I'm sure we could come up with lots of other areas.  There will, of course, be exceptions to the rule, but the general premise that
shipping positions may be but one component of an overall approach to this series is intriguing I think.

Penny


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