In modern fandom, storytellers must engage a crucial demographic to succeed: the shippers. From genre fare like The Flash to more "grounded" series like The Rookie, storytellers want their audiences to be invested in character relationships. However, modern fandom and shipping culture owe the majority of their existence to the inferred romantic relationship between Captain Kirk and Mister Spock on Star Trek: The Original Series. And a million "Spirk" ships were launched with a comedy backrub.
Source：https://www.cbr.com/star-trek-spock-kirk-shippers-backrub-explained/
