tbh i can kind of see the logic here

you can dislike romantic subplots without necessarily disliking romance itself. often non-romance movies have forced, half-assed romance subplots that distract from the main plot. people who don't like romance get less of the non-romance stuff they came for, and people who do like romance only get a shoehorned-in subplot. everyone comes out dissatisfied.

shipping, meanwhile, avoids this. shipfics focus on the romance itself, allowing it to develop more naturally and work a lot better in general (at least in competent hands).