Shipper School

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Fanfiction
Title: Shipper School
Author(s): Laura Capozzola
Date(s): 1997
Length:
Genre(s): RPF
Fandom(s): X-Files RPF
Relationship(s):
External Links:

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Shipper School, by Laura Capozzola, is an X-Files story. It is an early, and rare, example of X-Files RPF.

This story won a Morley Award for best humor in 1997.

For other examples of similar fic, see Some Examples of Early X-Files RPF.

Reactions and Reviews

1997

Laura Capozzola takes Carter and shippers to task in "Shipper School." It's an old theme, trying to convince Carter of his show's inherent shippiness, but Capozzola does it with flair. John Shiban also still suffers. Kinda. [1]

I LOVED "Shipper Story"; and I can't see CC pointing the Rottweiler Lawyers down on that writer for making jokes about the writers... unless it was done in a nasty way - ie. pain, torture... something that was obviously a bit mentally disturbing and a bit more than just making fun... [2]

Laura, You have done it again! I was laughing so hard my husband came running downstairs to see what the hell all the fuss was about! Now, from your post to the God's (and I don't mean the religious deity either ;->) ears..... Talk about wanting a miracle.... Hey Laura, can I make **this** my one and only one wish?? [3]

I was laughing so hard while reading this my mother decided to see what was going on and when she had finished she told me to write to you on her behalf as well. She does watch the XFiles so she knew basically what was happening but some of the stuff she didn't understand, being only a fan, not an X-Phile. [4]

Excellent story! Highly recommended! I laughed out loud...this was rad! I loved the bounty hunter guy hanging out and reading R&J, that was so perfect! I loved the entire concept...can we do this? How much work would it take, send him a note, pretend we're in charge...  ;) Although personally I think Shiban would be the worst pupil...I thought what you did with him was great. I firmly believe that Carter really is a shipper, he's just a little confused. Like the ditch thing! Which was also brilliant! :D [5]

AAaaaahhhhhh!!!! Laura, this was wonderful! I haven't laughed soooooooo hard in ages! I truly *lurved* this story!! You thought of doing a sequel?....SLASH SCHOOL ;D I loved it, I loved it, I lurved it!! [6]

1999

I love humor, and Laura does it well. I don't remember how I first came upon FanFiction. It was one of the best things to ever happen to me though, and I appreciate *every* single person out there who contributes. [7]

...this is to everyone who has issued a blanket rejection of David/Gillian stories, I just want to feel clear on what exactly people say they find offensive, whether it is that the stories deal with real people, or the content of the stories, specifically anything libellious, or mature (or immature depending on how you see it :) content. I don't know if anyone here ever read 'Shipper School'? and I'm sorry I don't remember the authors of that particular work, but it was a very funny parody involving txf writers, and it certainly didn't go beyond the bounds of good taste in it's humour.... The Shipper School story was a bit of harmless fun, that basically idolised Vince Gilligan, and poked fun at the 1013 writers/directors for the lack of romance in Mulder and Scully's lives. [8]

2000

Maybe we should request (not bully, not demand) that writers simply add an "actors used without permission" or "actors parodied without permission" warning to these types of stories. Then those of us who enjoy the clever pieces that crop up from time to time can continue to enjoy them, and those who find them unacceptable can skip them.

As always, I get very leery when folks begin to suggest that stories I've enjoyed in the past should not have been written or are not considered "decent." I'm perfectly clear on what is morally acceptable to me, and I have pretty rigorous standards for the stories I read. I wouldn't choose to read a piece where David was falling in love with someone other than Tea any more than I would choose to buy the "Weekly World News," mainly because I would find it gossipy and incredibly boring. But "Shipper School" was a joy and a delight, and continues to be so, and it absolutely, absolutely belongs on this forum - as a parody of *us* more than anything else.

This is just like any of a handful of other arguments (the songfic debate, the rape debate, the 'character dies' debate) that have been held in here over the years, and my take is exactly the same: telling people that storytype X should not be written because storytype X may be badly and hurtfully written means that the greatest X story in the world doesn't get told, either. I'd rather leave open the possibility of a really great X story showing up on the newsgroup someday than banish storytype X. In the meantime, I'm bright enough to know when an X story is a piece of trash, and my fingers are nimble enough to click the "delete" key.

(My apologies to the author of "Shipper School" for my continued use of her story in this debate; it's just such a perfect illustration of a *rightly*-done parody that I can't help but hold it up to the light.) [9]

References

  1. ^ REVIEW: Fan Fic, Summer '97 3/4, Archived version , also see REVIEW: Fan Fic, Summer '97 for the controversy reviews on this post caused in fandom
  2. ^ Writing about the actors as oppossed to characters, August 1, 1997
  3. ^ NEW: SHIPPER SCHOOL (1/1), Susan, July 16, 1997
  4. ^ NEW: SHIPPER SCHOOL (1/1), RedCrow and Her Mum, July 16, 1997
  5. ^ NEW: SHIPPER SCHOOL (1/1), Megan, July 16, 1997
  6. ^ NEW: SHIPPER SCHOOL (1/1), RedCrow, July 16, 1997
  7. ^ comment by BethLynn First fan fiction you ever read and thoughts, March 1999
  8. ^ comment by tuatha Earth to Hattie: Reality vs Fantasy, Archived version (August 8, 1999)
  9. ^ Decency Question, Kipler, March 26, 2000