#he looks at Despereaux the way I look at Alan and Dick and Al and Teemu

[enter-the-phantom]

So as long as we’re discussing queer readings of Psych can we please discuss the fact that this show had one of the greatest (and only) canonical portrayals of a squish in media history?

Like I’m all for the interpretations of Shawn/Despereaux as Bi Disaster Shawn, but as an Ace person the canon portrayal of Shawn’s obsession with Despereaux as a platonic squish is so important to me. I’ve always loved how Psych as a show is centered more around the platonic relationships between characters (even the romantic subplots are heavily rooted in and affected by platonic affection). It’s one of the reasons it’s such a special show to me and so many other Ace/Aro people; I love how so many of my relationship experiences as an AroAce are mirrored in this show and how validating it feels to see them treated seriously.

Even if Shawn himself isn’t ace, seeing an essential part of the Ace experience for so many of us openly portrayed is really cool and always made me so happy. Ace interpretations are queer interpretations and I don’t think it downplays the inherent queerness of this relationship at all to talk about it as a squish rather than a crush. I mean, obviously, interpret it in whatever way makes you feel seen, but I just think it’s really cool that the show went out of its way to portray a dude’s adorable wholesome obsession with the pure coolness of another dude in a way that spoke to so many Ace folks.