BTS Shipping Culture: Canon Absence, Cultural Misreading, and the Ethics of Identity Projection

This independent critical media and fan studies essay examines BTS shipping culture through the concepts of canon absence, cultural misreading, and the ethics of identity projection. It considers how fans interpret ambiguity, performance, intimacy, translation, and cultural difference, and how speculative readings can become harmful when applied to real people's identities, relationships, or sexualities. The essay argues for a distinction between transformative fan creativity and non-consensual identity projection, with attention to media literacy, platform culture, and ethical fandom practice.