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cujoyUPDATED 7.25.18
I have finally gotten around to starting my series on 1D Shipping, which I've been wanting to do for awhile. Fan culture really fascinates me, and there is so much going on with 1D fandom, on a huge scale. Certainly bigger than anything that I've been interested in before. And so, really, this is more an essay on shipping and ship wars in general. It will be a series, because I have a lot to say...
This is part 1, which is basically an introduction to Tin Hatting in 1D fandom. Parts 2 will discuss the particulars of 1D fandom's Great Management Conspiracy Theory. Part 3 will move into the Larry vs. Elounor narratives and conflicts, and Part 4 will get into the Larry vs. Ziam conflict. Part 5 will discuss the fans reactions to Girlfriends and also touch on the minor ships.
So I'm just going to dive right in with some housekeeping on terminology. There are a lot of ship names being thrown around, and you will probably want to know who Larry, Elounor and Ziam are...
***
Ship Names and Other Important Terms:
The five members of One Direction, and their ages circa Summer 2014 are:
Niall Horan (20)
Liam Payne (20)
Zayn Malik (21)
Harry Styles (20)
Louis Tomlinson (22)
With five members, this means that there are ten possible combinations of ship pairings among them. Each pairing has an officially endorsed fandom nickname.
The ten ship names are:
Larry = Louis/Harry
Lirry = Liam/Harry
Zarry = Zayn/Harry
Narry = Niall/Harry
Lilo = Liam/Louis
Zouis = Zayn/Louis
Nouis = Niall/Louis
Ziam = Zayn/Liam
Niam = Niall/Liam
Ziall = Zayn/Niall
The two red highlighted ships are the two that will go under particular scrutiny, as they are the two that are the subject of intense Tin Hatting.
What is Tinhatting, you ask?
Tin Hatting is the practice of believing that the subjects of the pairing are REALLY in a secret relationship. And this belief is wrapped around with a run of the mill conspiracy theory that this secret relationship is being hidden by malevolent Powers That Be, and enforced by an evil Contract of some kind, This approach to fandom shipped became an established pattern in 1D fandom almost from it's inception. Unfortunately, the fandom was very young, and there were no "fandom elders" who could apply their fandom wisdom and experience and police the practice for the new young fans. By 2014, most of the fandom elders who arrived, were the kind who came FOR the Tinhatting and many ended up encouraging it.
A Brief Intro to Larry, Ziam and Elounor
Larry (also sometimes known as Larry Stylinson) is by far the largest and most established ship in the 1D fandom, and it is the Elephant in the room when discussing 1D Ships. Ziam is the second largest, but is also very popular, and, like Larry, dominated by Tin Hatting. Larry and Ziam are in many ways complimentary, as no individual crosses over to create a rivalry. Harry and Louis ought to be safe making out in one corner, in a fanfic, while Zayn and Liam make out in the other... However, the two ships have very different narratives, and as we shall see in Part 3, those narratives place the ships at odds in a "there can be only one" kind of way.
<---Larry (Louis Tomlinson and Harry Styles)
<---Ziam (Zayn Malik and Liam Payne)
Meanwhile, the various band members have had real life girlfriends. All these actually real, and confirmed relationships have official names as well amongst the fans
*The list below is circa 2014, these and other ships have come and gone since then, along with two babies. As of Summer 2018, two of the members of 1D are fathers.*
Elounor = Louis Tomlinson/Eleanor Calder (2011 - Present)
Payzer = Liam Payne/Danielle Peazer (2010-2013)
Sophiam = Liam Payne/Sophia Smith (2013 - 2015)
Zerrie = Zayn Malik/Perrie Edwards (2011 - 2015.)
Haylor = Harry Styles/Taylor Swift (2012 ended)
Hendall = Harry Styles/Kendall Jenner (2013-2014 ended)
Narbara = Niall Horan and Barbara Palvin (2013-2014 ended?)
Elounor will be another main topic as this relationship poses a direct threat to the Larry shippers fantasy. For this reason, the primary ship war in the 1D fandom is Larry vs. Elounor.
The Term Beard
According to Larry Tin Hatters, Elounor is a “bearding” arrangement. The term Beard originated in gossip magazines and websites to refer to the girlfriend or wife of a male celebrity rumored to be gay. Tinhats use this inherently misogynistic term to describe any girlfriend that gets in the way of their ship fantasy. They further insist that the girlfriend is hired as part of the aforementioned great conspiracy by Management to force the band members into an unwanted closet.
Of course, the term Beard was applied to Eleanor Calder from the first time she was seen with Louis. But there also evolved a small group of Elounor shippers who rose to defend Eleanor, from the beginning. They were the original heroes of 1D fandom ship wars because they were the first people in the fandom to say plainly that what the Tinhatters were doing was disrespectful. The Elounor Shippers were there to insist that Elounor was real, and that Larry was not. And furthermore, they argued that ignoring Louis and Eleanor's own words and actions in favor of their preferred ship was insulting to Louis, and therefore, a terrible way to treat a man that the Tinhats claimed to love.
Much more on Larry vs. Elounor in Part 2 when we get into the specific Ship Narratives. Louis and Eleanor are also frequently sighted together in public together and with each others family members. (And that is TO THIS DAY CIRCA 2018).
<-- Elounor (Eleanor Calder and Louis Tomlinson. They were Maid of Honor and Best Man at a 2014 family wedding)
The Ziam Girlfriends
Sophiam and Zerrie were also current ships in 2014, and they are significant because they were both road blocks to Ziam shippers fantasy. Therefore both young women, Sophia Smith and Perrie Edwards, are targeted by Ziam fandom as “beards” in the same way that Eleanor Calder is. The Ziams claimed these were fake relationships created by management to hide Liam and Zayn's "secret relationship" . In this regard, they are no different than the Larries, though they are fewer in number.
<-- Sophiam (Sophia Smith and Liam Payne attending a wedding in 2014)
<-- Zerrie (Perrie Edwards and Zayn Malik. They were engaged to be married at the time.)
Haylor and Hendall are both regarded as short term “for publicity”, contracted relationships, but Harry and Taylor have both had a lot to say about this relationship, and I think it unlikely that they were fake.
Note that Niall Horan and Harry Styles are most often believed to be single. And recently, Narry has been growing in popularity...
Other terms:
1D = One Direction
Larries or LS = Larry Shippers
Elounors or ES = Elounor Shippers
Ziams or ZS = Ziam Shippers
MM! = Modest Managements, (The Great Satan… the former Management company of 1D)
Tinhatting - A kind of conspiracy theory that insists that two celebrities are in a real relationship despite denials
Beard/Bearding - A fake girlfriend hired by "management" to hide that a celebrity is gay.
Note in 2014 Larry Shippers were known as "LS". More recently, they have adopted the nickname "Larries". Similarly, the Ziams once known as ZS, have adopted the nickname "Ziams".
****
In the interest of full disclosure, (if it isn't obvious already) I personally take the boys at their word regarding their relationships. If they say they are straight, then it isn't my job to contradict them. If they say they have a girlfriend, who am I to say they are lying? It is quite frankly none of my business.
I think Tin Hatting is a very bad idea. And I do not ship Larry, except as a Bromance. I do think Ziam is hot, so I kind of ship it. But my favorite is Lirry. Narry and Niam are also OK with me. ;) I do not think they are real.
Also, this means, that by the standards of 1D Fandom, I ship Elounor, Zerrie and Sophiam. Because in this fandom "To Ship" is synonymous with "To Accept The Reality Of" a pairing. Kind of scary, isn't it? Much more on this below.
Larry shippers used to recite a mantra- Real Eyes Realize Real Lies. But forgive me, I'll trust my EARS. f ;) Also, my nose smells a conspiracy theory lying at the heart of Larry, as is always the case with Tin Hatted shipping. Sorry... :(
Please note, that though it will appear that I am coming down pretty hard on Larry and Ziam shippers, I have no quarrel with the ships themselves. As I say above, I'm pretty sure I'd qualify as a Ziam shipper in a the conventional sense.
However, as stated above, the majority of Larries and Ziams are Tin Hats. And Larries, in particular know that there are some among them who have crossed lines that should not be crossed, including the harassment of under aged siblings. And a lot of really shameless hate has been piled on all the girlfriends in a pretty horrible manner. Larry and Ziam shippers, know in their heart of hearts why their ships have the reputations that they do. :(
So, though I'm not going to pull any punches, please know that I fully respect everyone who can ship in such a way that they aren't hurling hate around, and harassing innocent people.
Please also note, my criticism is NOT to be misconstrued as itself hateful. It is not intended that way. Criticism and hate are NOT THE SAME THING.
<-- Honestly what's wrong with a little Lirry?
***
One last thing to do before diving in to the specific is to expand the definition of exactly what Tin Hatting is.
This article from Daily Dot is from August of 2012. The article includes a helpful complete rundown of the specifics of ALL Tinhat Conspiracy theories
Tinhatting in 5 Easy Steps:
1. The management is conspiring to keep your OTP from coming out of the closet and promote the idea that they’re REALLY STRAIGHT!
2. The girlfriend is a beard. (Bonus: the girlfriend is a beard hired by the management to perpetuate the idea that your OTP is straight!)
3. Management has locked the band/actors/whoever into a NO-GAY contract until their term of work ends.
4. As soon as the show/movie/tour/awards season is over, THEY’LL DECLARE THEIR LOVE AND THEN EVERYONE WHO DOUBTED YOU WILL BE SORRY!
5. Meanwhile, your OTP is slipping secret messages to each other / the public, and/or otherwise acting out against management to show that their true love can withstand anything, even the Great Managerial Closet Conspiracy.
Read this article. It is fascinating, and unfortunately, still relevant. If you read the comments, very little has changed in two years within the fandom. (OMG, those poor innocents didn't seem to realize almost every comment served to prove the point the article was making...)
We will see that all five of these components continue to be relevant to 1D Shipping, even two years later. This, even though the relationships between the 1D Members have gone through tremendous changes in the intervening two years.
Take special note regarding the Management Conspiracy Item... Because that is the crucial to everything. Larry, especially could not exist as a ship as it currently stands without it.
And also the "secret messages" are hilariously entertaining too.
***
So, Part II will be all about that Management Conspiracy thingy, and Everyone Hates Modest!
***
I have finally gotten around to starting my series on 1D Shipping, which I've been wanting to do for awhile. Fan culture really fascinates me, and there is so much going on with 1D fandom, on a huge scale. Certainly bigger than anything that I've been interested in before. And so, really, this is more an essay on shipping and ship wars in general. It will be a series, because I have a lot to say...
This is part 1, which is basically an introduction to Tin Hatting in 1D fandom. Parts 2 will discuss the particulars of 1D fandom's Great Management Conspiracy Theory. Part 3 will move into the Larry vs. Elounor narratives and conflicts, and Part 4 will get into the Larry vs. Ziam conflict. Part 5 will discuss the fans reactions to Girlfriends and also touch on the minor ships.
So I'm just going to dive right in with some housekeeping on terminology. There are a lot of ship names being thrown around, and you will probably want to know who Larry, Elounor and Ziam are...
***
Ship Names and Other Important Terms:
The five members of One Direction, and their ages circa Summer 2014 are:
Niall Horan (20)
Liam Payne (20)
Zayn Malik (21)
Harry Styles (20)
Louis Tomlinson (22)
With five members, this means that there are ten possible combinations of ship pairings among them. Each pairing has an officially endorsed fandom nickname.
The ten ship names are:
Larry = Louis/Harry
Lirry = Liam/Harry
Zarry = Zayn/Harry
Narry = Niall/Harry
Lilo = Liam/Louis
Zouis = Zayn/Louis
Nouis = Niall/Louis
Ziam = Zayn/Liam
Niam = Niall/Liam
Ziall = Zayn/Niall
The two red highlighted ships are the two that will go under particular scrutiny, as they are the two that are the subject of intense Tin Hatting.
What is Tinhatting, you ask?
Tin Hatting is the practice of believing that the subjects of the pairing are REALLY in a secret relationship. And this belief is wrapped around with a run of the mill conspiracy theory that this secret relationship is being hidden by malevolent Powers That Be, and enforced by an evil Contract of some kind, This approach to fandom shipped became an established pattern in 1D fandom almost from it's inception. Unfortunately, the fandom was very young, and there were no "fandom elders" who could apply their fandom wisdom and experience and police the practice for the new young fans. By 2014, most of the fandom elders who arrived, were the kind who came FOR the Tinhatting and many ended up encouraging it.
A Brief Intro to Larry, Ziam and Elounor
Larry (also sometimes known as Larry Stylinson) is by far the largest and most established ship in the 1D fandom, and it is the Elephant in the room when discussing 1D Ships. Ziam is the second largest, but is also very popular, and, like Larry, dominated by Tin Hatting. Larry and Ziam are in many ways complimentary, as no individual crosses over to create a rivalry. Harry and Louis ought to be safe making out in one corner, in a fanfic, while Zayn and Liam make out in the other... However, the two ships have very different narratives, and as we shall see in Part 3, those narratives place the ships at odds in a "there can be only one" kind of way.
<---Larry (Louis Tomlinson and Harry Styles) <---Ziam (Zayn Malik and Liam Payne)Meanwhile, the various band members have had real life girlfriends. All these actually real, and confirmed relationships have official names as well amongst the fans
*The list below is circa 2014, these and other ships have come and gone since then, along with two babies. As of Summer 2018, two of the members of 1D are fathers.*
Elounor = Louis Tomlinson/Eleanor Calder (2011 - Present)
Payzer = Liam Payne/Danielle Peazer (2010-2013)
Sophiam = Liam Payne/Sophia Smith (2013 - 2015)
Zerrie = Zayn Malik/Perrie Edwards (2011 - 2015.)
Haylor = Harry Styles/Taylor Swift (2012 ended)
Hendall = Harry Styles/Kendall Jenner (2013-2014 ended)
Narbara = Niall Horan and Barbara Palvin (2013-2014 ended?)
Elounor will be another main topic as this relationship poses a direct threat to the Larry shippers fantasy. For this reason, the primary ship war in the 1D fandom is Larry vs. Elounor.
The Term Beard
According to Larry Tin Hatters, Elounor is a “bearding” arrangement. The term Beard originated in gossip magazines and websites to refer to the girlfriend or wife of a male celebrity rumored to be gay. Tinhats use this inherently misogynistic term to describe any girlfriend that gets in the way of their ship fantasy. They further insist that the girlfriend is hired as part of the aforementioned great conspiracy by Management to force the band members into an unwanted closet.
Of course, the term Beard was applied to Eleanor Calder from the first time she was seen with Louis. But there also evolved a small group of Elounor shippers who rose to defend Eleanor, from the beginning. They were the original heroes of 1D fandom ship wars because they were the first people in the fandom to say plainly that what the Tinhatters were doing was disrespectful. The Elounor Shippers were there to insist that Elounor was real, and that Larry was not. And furthermore, they argued that ignoring Louis and Eleanor's own words and actions in favor of their preferred ship was insulting to Louis, and therefore, a terrible way to treat a man that the Tinhats claimed to love.
Much more on Larry vs. Elounor in Part 2 when we get into the specific Ship Narratives. Louis and Eleanor are also frequently sighted together in public together and with each others family members. (And that is TO THIS DAY CIRCA 2018).
<-- Elounor (Eleanor Calder and Louis Tomlinson. They were Maid of Honor and Best Man at a 2014 family wedding)The Ziam Girlfriends
Sophiam and Zerrie were also current ships in 2014, and they are significant because they were both road blocks to Ziam shippers fantasy. Therefore both young women, Sophia Smith and Perrie Edwards, are targeted by Ziam fandom as “beards” in the same way that Eleanor Calder is. The Ziams claimed these were fake relationships created by management to hide Liam and Zayn's "secret relationship" . In this regard, they are no different than the Larries, though they are fewer in number.
<-- Sophiam (Sophia Smith and Liam Payne attending a wedding in 2014) <-- Zerrie (Perrie Edwards and Zayn Malik. They were engaged to be married at the time.)Haylor and Hendall are both regarded as short term “for publicity”, contracted relationships, but Harry and Taylor have both had a lot to say about this relationship, and I think it unlikely that they were fake.
Note that Niall Horan and Harry Styles are most often believed to be single. And recently, Narry has been growing in popularity...
Other terms:
1D = One Direction
Larries or LS = Larry Shippers
Elounors or ES = Elounor Shippers
Ziams or ZS = Ziam Shippers
MM! = Modest Managements, (The Great Satan… the former Management company of 1D)
Tinhatting - A kind of conspiracy theory that insists that two celebrities are in a real relationship despite denials
Beard/Bearding - A fake girlfriend hired by "management" to hide that a celebrity is gay.
Note in 2014 Larry Shippers were known as "LS". More recently, they have adopted the nickname "Larries". Similarly, the Ziams once known as ZS, have adopted the nickname "Ziams".
****
In the interest of full disclosure, (if it isn't obvious already) I personally take the boys at their word regarding their relationships. If they say they are straight, then it isn't my job to contradict them. If they say they have a girlfriend, who am I to say they are lying? It is quite frankly none of my business.
I think Tin Hatting is a very bad idea. And I do not ship Larry, except as a Bromance. I do think Ziam is hot, so I kind of ship it. But my favorite is Lirry. Narry and Niam are also OK with me. ;) I do not think they are real.
Also, this means, that by the standards of 1D Fandom, I ship Elounor, Zerrie and Sophiam. Because in this fandom "To Ship" is synonymous with "To Accept The Reality Of" a pairing. Kind of scary, isn't it? Much more on this below.
Larry shippers used to recite a mantra- Real Eyes Realize Real Lies. But forgive me, I'll trust my EARS. f ;) Also, my nose smells a conspiracy theory lying at the heart of Larry, as is always the case with Tin Hatted shipping. Sorry... :(
Please note, that though it will appear that I am coming down pretty hard on Larry and Ziam shippers, I have no quarrel with the ships themselves. As I say above, I'm pretty sure I'd qualify as a Ziam shipper in a the conventional sense.
However, as stated above, the majority of Larries and Ziams are Tin Hats. And Larries, in particular know that there are some among them who have crossed lines that should not be crossed, including the harassment of under aged siblings. And a lot of really shameless hate has been piled on all the girlfriends in a pretty horrible manner. Larry and Ziam shippers, know in their heart of hearts why their ships have the reputations that they do. :(
So, though I'm not going to pull any punches, please know that I fully respect everyone who can ship in such a way that they aren't hurling hate around, and harassing innocent people.
Please also note, my criticism is NOT to be misconstrued as itself hateful. It is not intended that way. Criticism and hate are NOT THE SAME THING.
<-- Honestly what's wrong with a little Lirry?***
One last thing to do before diving in to the specific is to expand the definition of exactly what Tin Hatting is.
This article from Daily Dot is from August of 2012. The article includes a helpful complete rundown of the specifics of ALL Tinhat Conspiracy theories
Tinhatting in 5 Easy Steps:
1. The management is conspiring to keep your OTP from coming out of the closet and promote the idea that they’re REALLY STRAIGHT!
2. The girlfriend is a beard. (Bonus: the girlfriend is a beard hired by the management to perpetuate the idea that your OTP is straight!)
3. Management has locked the band/actors/whoever into a NO-GAY contract until their term of work ends.
4. As soon as the show/movie/tour/awards season is over, THEY’LL DECLARE THEIR LOVE AND THEN EVERYONE WHO DOUBTED YOU WILL BE SORRY!
5. Meanwhile, your OTP is slipping secret messages to each other / the public, and/or otherwise acting out against management to show that their true love can withstand anything, even the Great Managerial Closet Conspiracy.
Read this article. It is fascinating, and unfortunately, still relevant. If you read the comments, very little has changed in two years within the fandom. (OMG, those poor innocents didn't seem to realize almost every comment served to prove the point the article was making...)
We will see that all five of these components continue to be relevant to 1D Shipping, even two years later. This, even though the relationships between the 1D Members have gone through tremendous changes in the intervening two years.
Take special note regarding the Management Conspiracy Item... Because that is the crucial to everything. Larry, especially could not exist as a ship as it currently stands without it.
And also the "secret messages" are hilariously entertaining too.
***
So, Part II will be all about that Management Conspiracy thingy, and Everyone Hates Modest!
***
