I was responding initially to your comment on "I hate seeing some male character I fancy in a clinch with some hussy", which doesn't really apply in my case (though it made me grin.) :) The comment on sexual desire etc was intended as a separate point, more in reference to the original post (I was too lazy to make two separate ones as I was running out of the door -- sorry!)

I certainly agree with you on the angst. One of my other comments at Redemption and elsewhere was that I see slash and H/C as pretty much the same genre. I think of it as 'emotiporn', and feel I get the same thing from a slash story and an angsty suffering fic -- it's about escalating the level of emotion/expression. This ties in with slash motivations, as my lack of desire for actual physical suffering is somewhat comparable to my lack of desire for hot man action. Most people do not consider masochism a relevant qualification for H/C, and equally I don't feel that desire for the male is the most useful starting point for analysing slash. :)

The above is not aimed at refuting anyone's argument particularly. It's just me thinking 'aloud' on the topic. I find the fact that we slash pretty fascinating, but also mysterious.