relationshipper
English edit
Etymology edit
From relationship + -er. Emerged in early online fandom of the television series The X-Files as a term for fans who supported the possibility of a Mulder/Scully romance.[1][2] First attested on alt.tv.x-files in January 1996,[3] but it was seemingly already in use by then.[4]
Noun edit
relationshipper (plural relationshippers)
- (fandom slang) A person who supports a romantic or sexual relationship between fictional characters or real people.
- 1996, Paul Mitchell, The Duchovny Files: The Truth Is In Here, page 190:
- I don’t care what the relationshippers say, it’s just so OBVIOUS to try to get the two of them together and the X-Files has never been obvious.
- 2002, Tom Kessenich, EXaminations: An Unauthorized Look at Seasons 6-9 of The X-files, page 4:
- There were the relationshippers whose focus was on Mulder and Scully’s relationship, or the MSR as it was called (with a possible emphasis on romance).
- 2012, Lily Rothman, “'I'd Very Still': Anthropology of a Lapsed Fan”, in Joss Whedon: The Complete Companion, page 134:
- In media fan lingo, the idea of an OTP—the One True Pairing, a fan's absolute favorite fictional couple—can be tossed around rather casually. In terms of my history as a relationshipper, Willow and Oz will always be mine, but the real OTP in my fan identity is Buffy and me.
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References edit
- ^ Maggie Owens, "The Sweet Science of Shipping It", Fandom, 29 June 2008
- ^ Alyse Wax, "How The X-Files helped shape modern fandom — including shipping", Syfy, 20 March 2018. Archived from the original on March 6, 2021.
- ^ Lisa Graves (1996 January 6) “Re: Question on "Oubliette"/CLARIFICATION!”, in alt.tv.x-files[1] (Usenet)
- ^ LisdXPhile (1996 January 7) “Her *name* is *Bambi*?”, in alt.tv.x-files[2] (Usenet): “Mulder's flirtation with Bambi is both a direct challenge--and an oblique concession--to the fans who call themselves "relationshippers" (those who are convinced that, regardless of official claims to the contrary, Mulder and Scully belong together romantically).”