Some Thoughts on RPS...

[kowaiyoukai]

You know, I was talking to jelost and I realized that there are still people who "don't get" RPS. I quoted that because it's an odd phrasing. It's saying that they don't understand why people would pair two guys togther in reality. Now, hey, let me start by saying that the idea of wondering if two famous people are dating is not a new one--celebrity magazines do it all the time. In fact, even lots of non-fandom people often keep up with who might be sleeping with who, and who might be gay, and who's breaking up, etc. So, obviously, talking about and imagining two real people getting together has a huge following of people, both in fandom and not.

Second point: I don't think a lot of people who ship RPS view the guys as "real people". In a sense, they're people who are portraying themselves in a certain manner to please their fans, and that's who you're dealing with when you're reading/writing RPS. You're fangirling over the characters the actors are in your mind, not who they actually are IRL, because of course there is no true way for you to ever know how they act when the cameras aren't rolling. That is the point of RPS, isn't it? To try and determine how the actors interact when they're alone. They become characters just as much as the fictional characters they portray are. If that makes sense.

Not to say that I think they're necessarily faking their emotions or close relationships to please fans. Some do, I think, but not everybody. And there's a certain sense you get from people--a chemistry that can't be faked or manufactured (as Zach is so fond of saying)--and it's that chemistry that people sense and flail over. I do think there's a reason certain RPS pairings are popular and others just don't have as many fans. It's the amount of chemistry two actors have, and depending on how obvious it is, the people who see it are the ones who ship it. There's also the interpretation factor. One interview, when viewed by several different people, can give off quite different vibes.

Specifically for RPS, I only ship three pairings: Chris/Zach, Bradley/Colin, and Jensen/Jared. I'm going to put the rest of this under a cut because it might get long. But here's why I ship them, and also why I think, regardless of whether or not they're atcually dating, they're fun to play with.



Chris/Zach

Okay, I'll start with Chris/Zach, a.k.a. Pinto which most of you probably already know. I've seen them range from incredibly slashy to zero chemistry, sometimes in the same interview. For instance, on the Insider interview with Chris and Zach, the following conversation occurs:

Interviewer: "So let's get details. Are you dating?"
Chris: "Yeah."
Zach: "No."
Chris: "Maybe?"
Zach: "No."
Chris: "I don't know."
Zach: "Yes."
Chris: "Sure."
Zach: "No."
Everyone starts to laugh.

Now, I picked this scene particularly because, although the conversation is obviously slashy, their interactions are more rehearsed than natural. And by that, I mean that they're simply having fun with the question, but their chemistry doesn't come across as much here as it does in other interviews, IMHO. You'll notice they're staring at the interviewer and not at each other, and answering in a way that leaves it intentionally vague. These are not stupid guys. In fact, both Chris and Zach are probably geniuses. They clearly have incredibly extensive vocabularies and are able to immediately play off of whatever is said. They also know when to speak and when to let the other one talk. That's what comes across to me as being great about this pairing, and this is actually a quality I absolutely require in my RPS ships. They need to bounce off each other verbally, to be able to banter, and to be able to hold their own against the interviewers who I often feel don't always make good use of the questions they're allowed.

Here's a scene I really think shows their chemistry from one interview:

Interviewer: "And now Kirk's got the reputation as the ladies man but we got to see the sexier side of Mr. Spock in this one. Were you a little jealous that he got a little..."
Chris: "Uh... yes."
Zach: "He remains jealous. He's barely speaking to me when we don't have to, when the camera's not..."
Chris: "It's really... it's been terrible."
Zach: "We're trying to work it out in therapy."
Chris: "It's been tough going."
Zach: "It's just not--"
Chris: "Spork therapy."
Zach: "Spork therapy. It's not--"
Chris: "Uh, yeah, I was a little, but I thought, you know, my God, being the, being the 'hero' I would get the girl and get to beat people up and of course he gets to beat me up and--"
Zach: "Did you ever stop and think that means that you're--"
Zach and Chris: "--not the hero?"
Zach: "That I beat people up and get the girl. I think we need to have a talk about the definition of hero."
Chris: "I think we should talk about your passive-agressiveness."
Zach: "All right. We'll talk about that."

Some notes on body language in this one: their bodies are angled towards each other, they look at each other when the other's not looking, and they seem to have an instinctive knowledge of how to react when the other's speaking--flat faces, looking straight ahead, which only serves to make the entire scene hysterical. Notice in this one, they're talking about Spock getting with a girl and Chris' jealousy over that. Also, they act like a couple in this one. They just come across to me as two people who've been together for a while and know how to react to each other without taking a moment's pause.

There are plenty of interviews that show their chemistry, perhaps the best one being the Artist on Artist since there's no interviewer to get in the way of their banter. Also, I must point out that I picked three interviews where they're sitting farther apart from each other than they usually do. In almost every other interview I've seen, their sides are pressed together even though they've got space to move apart.

I also strongly think that, of all three ships, Pinto is where the intelligence lies. They also are well aware of fandom and state Spork a few times, and they know people want them to be dating, so they play with that. The fact that they're cool about it is awesome.

And a side note on a rumor I've heard that I can't confirm or deny. Apparently, ZQ is out among Hollywood stars as being gay, but he's yet to state it to the public. I also heard he used to take his boyfriend to this gay club, but they broke up a while ago, and then he started taking Chris there. So if anyone has any information that can confirm or deny this, that would be super fantastic for me.

LOL, I'm only quoting from Pinto interviews. OH WELL SUCK IT UP. XP


Bradley/Colin

You know, Bracoli is the only RPS ship that I feel is definitely going to happen, no chance they won't get together, it's coming and we'd better be prepared for it. They're so cute and flirty, and young enough that I seriously doubt they understand how to play the industry the way Pinto and J2 do. Also, they're the only ones I'd want to hang out with. Pinto and J2, I'd be too nervous to actually talk to them. But Bradley and Colin come across as being really easy to hang out with, as well as being incredibly normal people. The video diaries really show this the most, and I have to say I wish EVERY cast did video diaries. When comparing how Bradley and Colin act in the interviews vs. the video diaries, well, there's really just no comparison. The level of affection and closeness and personal interaction comes across so much more clearly in the video diaries, and I must say that even watching where the camera moves is telling.

You should really watch the video diaries if you haven't yet. They're fantastic.

Okay, my main point about Bradley and Colin is that, not only do they flirt ridiculously with each other, but they do it in a way that clearly shows they don't know they're doing it. This makes for awesome fic and UST. I really don't have much to say here because it's so obvious to me they're going to get together. I think Pinto has the second most chance, J2 third. *shrugs*

Oh, and BTW, the episode commentaries are great for Merlin. The girls point out how close Bradley and Colin are a few times, and actually it comes up quite a bit in other interviews, articles, and press releases.


Jensen/Jared

Okay, sorry people, but I see J2 as having the least chance of getting together, even though I do ship them and think there's plenty of evidence for it. I mean, come on, buying a house together in Canada? That's pretty gay. But seriously, J2 equally strikes me as being two best friends or lovers, depending on the interview/day. I think J2, out of the three ships, really know how to play fandom up. They know people want them to be dating, and they're using that to their advantage.

Specifically, I think Jared really plays with people's heads. Jensen seems more shy to me, sort of like Colin, but not as awkward!cute. Jared, though, you know he's got it all worked out. A guy his age acting like he does? He knows his fans want him to be adorable. He's built a successful career around being cute and sexy, and he does them both remarkably well. I think he plays his cards right. He's more manipulative than people assume he is, I'm positive of it. That's not really a bad thing--I mean, to be that successful, you've got to be manipulative to some extent. It's a cutthroat field, after all. But I think Jared's the kind of guy who wouldn't mind playing up the gay assumption if it gets him attention, which it does. Plus, he's touchy-feely anyway, so that only adds to the gay vibe he gives off.

It's clear from everything I've ever seen that Jensen and Jared are incredibly close. There's no real need to go over all of that again, is there? The text messaging, the eye contact, the pranking, etc. But I do think that a lot of that, while cute and slashable, could happen between very close friends as well. I ship them, for sure, but that doesn't mean I can't see them as being straight best friends, either. Or even gay best friends, really. *shrugs*


For all of the pairings, what matters the most is the possibilities. It's the exact same for any fandom pairing. When people ship sasunaru or wincest or Batman/Joker or Arthur/Merlin or Kirk/Spock, what they're shipping is the subtext. People are gathering evidence of a realtionship that is closer than it at first appears to be, and they're putting it together to form their own versions of what's going on. Now, sometimes I think it can get ridiculous and unreasonable, but that doesn't mean I'm going to say I don't get it or I look down on people who ship RPS. If you're the type of person who looks for subtext, you're looking for it all the time--in TV shows, movies, books, commercials, songs, magazines, advertisements, newspapers, conversations, physical movements, etc. I should know because I look for subtext EVERYWHERE. So either you see it or you don't, but either way I think RPS is so incredibly similar to fictional character pairings that it's impossible for me to understand why people can't see it or ship it. *shrugs*

LOL, so random rant, but it was on my mind so it just happened. Oh, well. :D

EDIT: I forgot to put the links in. *headdesk* BETTER NOW!