Ok as a huge yellowjackets fan and as an even bigger jackieshauna fan who has seen stranger things, likes byler, and is involved in aforementioned fandoms on tumblr + loves to analyze and cornplate here's what I've been noticing:
I've noticed that biggest source of conflict is how “canon” the ships are. With Byler, Will’s feelings for Mike are canon. The show makes it clear that Will is in love with him.
With Jackieshauna, most of the interpretation comes from subtext. I've noticed a small amount of people posting that Byler is 'better' than Jackieshauna because it is more canonical.
The two fandoms often approach queer themes differently.
Many Byler fans treat the relationship as a potentially wholesome coming-of-age romance that could become canon. Pre-S5, the discussion was often about representation and whether the show would allow Will to have a happy ending.
Representation is never a question in Yellowjackets, since there are multiple developed and canon queer pairings (Ben/Paul, Tai/Van, Tai/Simone, Shauna/Melissa, to name a few). Yellowjackets fans tend to analyze Jackieshauna as a tragic or psychologically complex bond. People who see romantic tension between the two usually accept that the story is meant to be messy, unhealthy, or unresolved. It has few to none of the coming-of-age elements of Stranger Things and Byler.
Discourse culture on Tumblr and Twitter.
Apparently, Twitter posts comparing the ships went viral, and once the comparison started spreading, people began arguing about which dynamic was written “better,” which ship had stronger evidence, or which fandom understood the shows more accurately. I don't have Twitter, so I can't 100% confirm or deny how influential this is, but I've seen some screenshots reposted to Tumblr.
Tone differences between the fandoms
The fandoms also have very different vibes. Byler spaces are often centered around hope, comfort, and the idea that the relationship could eventually work out. Yellowjackets/Jackieshauna spaces are usually much darker, and are centered around aspects like jealousy, toxic relationships, and cannibalism. The relationship can never work out, because Jackie is dead. Even when Jackie and Shauna was alive, it was never a 'real' relationship. Now, I'm NOT saying that these themes or topics don't exist in Byler/Stranger Things communities, but they're much more common in Yellowjackets ones.
This is just my take on this and what I've noticed as someone involved in both spaces. Please don't start any fights in my comments, you will swiftly be blocked. Everyone is welcome to discuss what they've noticed since it's more than likely that there are things I haven't seen. Please just remain respectful of both fandoms.
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