Particularly relevant to the latest slash kerfluffle. stakebait, take notice.
My friend Hugh is a slasher (dosetsu). He likes anime, mostly.
Me: So there's this whole thing on my friendslist. This one chick is pitching a bitch, saying how slash trivializes gay men and all that. Me? I think it's partly so popular among women because it deals with gender and sexuality issues, plus straight out wish-fulfillment.