[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"doc-detail-133099-en":3,"doc-seo-133099-105":30,"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":96},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"success",{"doc_id":7,"user_id":8,"nickname":9,"user_avatar":10,"doc_module":4,"category_id":11,"category_name":12,"doc_title":13,"doc_description":14,"doc_content":15,"file_id":16,"file_url":17,"file_type":18,"file_size":19,"view_count":20,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":20,"is_downloadable":20,"audit_status":20,"page_count":21,"language":22,"language_code":23,"site_id":24,"html_lang":23,"table_of_contents":25,"faqs":26,"seo_title":27,"seo_description":14,"update_tm":28,"read_time":29},133099,549768064778,"Felix Montgomery","https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_6f874abed73319feea01a86fa6f0fab8",8,"Research & Report","Fans Like Us - Anti-shipping, Othering, and the Reauthoring of Fandom - Master’s Thesis","MADISON BRADBURN. Fans Like Us: Anti-shipping, Othering, and the Reauthoring of Fandom. The thesis examines Anti- and Pro-shipping debates, focusing on their rhetorical behaviors and effects within fandom spaces. Centered on “shipping”—romantic pairing of media characters in fan productions—these conflicts often hinge on whether shipping aligns with fans’ moral values. Using inductive coding and triangulation, the study analyzes discussions on Twitter (X) and argues that Antishippers shift behavioral standards by pushing out creative contributors through vitriolic, criminal-labeling rhetoric.","FANS LIKE US: ANTI-SHIPPING, OTHERING, AND THE REAUTHORING OF FANDOM  \nby  \nMadison Bradburn  \nA master’s thesis submitted to the faculty of  \nThe University of North Carolina at Charlotte  \nin partial fulfillment of the requirements  \nfor the degree of Master of Arts in  \nEnglish  \nCharlotte  \n2023  \nApproved by:  \n\n| Dr. Aaron A. Toscano |\n| --- |\n| Dr. Balaka Basu |\n\nDr. Elizabeth Gargano  \n© 2023  \nMadison Bradburn ALL RIGHTS RESERVED  \nABSTRACT  \nMADISON BRADBURN. Fans Like Us: Anti-shipping, Othering, and the Reauthoring of Fandom. (Under the direction of DR. AARON A. TOSCANO)  \nThe following thesis focuses on Anti-and Pro-shipping debates, their rhetorical behaviors, and their impacts on fandom spaces. These debates center around “shipping,” the act of romantically pairing characters from media in fan productions such as fanart and fanfiction. Tensions have manifested between Anti-and Pro-shippers who disagree on aspects of shipping, namely if shipping reflects a fan’s moral values. As a result, arguments have broken out online and in fan spaces regarding what is and is not appropriate for fan production. Through inductive coding and triangulation, this thesis analyzes the rhetorical strategies employed by both groups as they engage in discussions regarding shipping on Twitter (X) . This thesis posits that Antishippers alter media fandom behavioral standards by going against previously agreed-upon notions of fandom openness. This new practice is most prevalent when Anti-shippers attempt to push out creative members using vitriolic messages that label Pro-shippers as sexual criminals. These messages demonstrate a fandom paradigm shift where Anti-shippers sanction fellow fans who produce erotic content by rhetorically constructing them as immoral and inappropriate for wider public audiences. Further, by representing fictional characters as real, Anti-shipping challenges conceptions of authorship, the role of the audience, and fiction’s place within the world.  \nACKNOWLEDGEMENTS  \nI would like to extend thanks to the following individuals, as without their help, this project would not have been possible: My Committee Chair, Dr Aaron Toscano, who helped me remain levelheaded throughout this project; my committee members, Dr. Balaka Basu and Dr. Elizabeth Gargano, who provided feedback, recommendations, and opportunities to talk through my thought process; Dr. Lara Vetter who guided me through the administrative aspects of this project; and of course The University of North Carolina at Charlotte’s English Department which I have been glad to call home during both my undergraduate and graduate studies.  \nDEDICATION  \nI would like to dedicate this work to the following individuals:  \nTo my family—to answer your question, Mom, yes, I am alive. To my friends: Sarah, who encouraged me to study English and a subject close to my heart; Liam, whose constant pride in me has held me up even during the most stressful days; Helen, who sends me endless messages about fandom discussions, and Eden, who should write a book about how to put up with graduate students.  \nMost importantly, this thesis is dedicated to my fellow fans and our conversations over the years in online chat forums and private messages, in cars, on convention hall floors, and at dining room tables. Without those late-night talks and gossip sessions, I would not have come to wonder if there was anyone as curious about fandom as I was. Thank you for making me part of your communities.  \nTABLE OF CONTENTS  \nList of figures ................................................................................................................................. ix  \nList of Abbreviations....................................................................................................................... x  \nChapter 2: Literature Review .......................................................................................................... 4  \n2.1 Fandoms ..........................","cbCaidcYSOXvDWft","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaidcYSOXvDWft","pdf",5306404,1,197,"English","en",105,"# Chapter 2: Literature Review\n## 2.1 Fandoms\n## 2.2 Shipping\n## 2.3 Anti-shipping\n## 2.4 N/ethnographies\n## 2.5 Sociological Rhetoric\n# Chapter 3: Methods\n# Chapter 4: Results\n## 4.1 Main Code One: [DIS]\n## 4.1.1 Subcode [DISa]\n## 4.1.2 Subcode [DISb]\n## 4.1.3 Subcode [DISc]\n## 4.1.4 Subcode [DISd]\n## 4.1.5 Main Code [DIS] Discussion\n## 4.2 Main Code Two: [CAS]\n## 4.2.1 Subcode [CASa]","[{\"question\":\"What problem does the thesis investigate about anti- and pro-shipping?\",\"answer\":\"It analyzes how Anti- and Pro-shippers debate “shipping” and how those rhetorical behaviors shape norms and interactions within fandom spaces.\"},{\"question\":\"How does the thesis define “shipping” in fan productions?\",\"answer\":\"Shipping refers to romantically pairing characters from media in fan-made works such as fanart and fanfiction.\"},{\"question\":\"What methods does the thesis use to study discussions about shipping?\",\"answer\":\"It uses inductive coding and triangulation to analyze rhetorical strategies employed by both groups in discussions on Twitter (X).\"},{\"question\":\"What impact does the thesis attribute to Anti-shippers in fandom communities?\",\"answer\":\"It argues that Antishippers alter fandom behavioral standards by restricting “openness,” including attempts to exclude creative members through harsh messages that frame pro-shippers as immoral or inappropriate.\"}]","Fans Like Us - Anti-shipping, Othering, and the Reauthoring of Fandom - Master’s Thesis | PDF",1787213677,496,{"code":4,"msg":31,"data":32},"ok",{"site_id":24,"language":23,"slug":33,"title":13,"keywords":34,"description":14,"schema_data":35,"social_meta":91,"head_meta":93,"extra_data":95,"updated_unix":28},"fans-like-us-anti-shipping-othering-and-the-reauthoring-of-fandom-masters-thesis","",{"@graph":36,"@context":90},[37,54,69],{"@type":38,"itemListElement":39},"BreadcrumbList",[40,44,48,51],{"item":41,"name":42,"@type":43,"position":20},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":45,"name":46,"@type":43,"position":47},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/","Document",2,{"item":49,"name":12,"@type":43,"position":50},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/research-report/",3,{"item":52,"name":13,"@type":43,"position":53},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/fans-like-us-anti-shipping-othering-and-the-reauthoring-of-fandom-masters-thesis/133099/",4,{"url":52,"name":13,"@type":55,"author":56,"headline":13,"publisher":58,"fileFormat":61,"inLanguage":23,"description":14,"dateModified":62,"datePublished":63,"encodingFormat":61,"isAccessibleForFree":64,"interactionStatistic":65},"DigitalDocument",{"name":9,"@type":57},"Person",{"url":41,"name":59,"@type":60},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-08-22","2026-08-20",true,{"@type":66,"interactionType":67,"userInteractionCount":20},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":68},"ViewAction",{"@type":70,"mainEntity":71},"FAQPage",[72,78,82,86],{"name":73,"@type":74,"acceptedAnswer":75},"What problem does the thesis investigate about anti- and pro-shipping?","Question",{"text":76,"@type":77},"It analyzes how Anti- and Pro-shippers debate “shipping” and how those rhetorical behaviors shape norms and interactions within fandom spaces.","Answer",{"name":79,"@type":74,"acceptedAnswer":80},"How does the thesis define “shipping” in fan productions?",{"text":81,"@type":77},"Shipping refers to romantically pairing characters from media in fan-made works such as fanart and fanfiction.",{"name":83,"@type":74,"acceptedAnswer":84},"What methods does the thesis use to study discussions about shipping?",{"text":85,"@type":77},"It uses inductive coding and triangulation to analyze rhetorical strategies employed by both groups in discussions on Twitter (X).",{"name":87,"@type":74,"acceptedAnswer":88},"What impact does the thesis attribute to Anti-shippers in fandom communities?",{"text":89,"@type":77},"It argues that Antishippers alter fandom behavioral standards by restricting “openness,” including attempts to exclude creative members through harsh messages that frame pro-shippers as immoral or inappropriate.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":52,"og:type":92,"og:title":13,"og:site_name":59,"og:description":14},"article",{"robots":94,"canonical":52},"index,follow",{"doc_id":7,"site_id":24},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":97},[98,102,106,110,115,120,125,128,133,136,140],{"id":20,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":99,"show_sort_weight":100,"slug":101},"Story & Novel",90,"story-novel",{"id":47,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":103,"show_sort_weight":104,"slug":105},"Literature",80,"literature",{"id":53,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":107,"show_sort_weight":108,"slug":109},"Exam",70,"exam",{"id":111,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":112,"show_sort_weight":113,"slug":114},5,"Comic",60,"comic",{"id":116,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":117,"show_sort_weight":118,"slug":119},6,"Technology",50,"technology",{"id":121,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":122,"show_sort_weight":123,"slug":124},7,"Healthcare",40,"healthcare",{"id":11,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":12,"show_sort_weight":126,"slug":127},30,"research-report",{"id":129,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":130,"show_sort_weight":131,"slug":132},9,"Religion & Spirituality",20,"religion-spirituality",{"id":131,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":134,"show_sort_weight":131,"slug":135},"World Cup","world-cup",{"id":137,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":138,"show_sort_weight":137,"slug":139},10,"Lifestyle","lifestyle",{"id":141,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":142,"show_sort_weight":111,"slug":143},19,"General","general"]