*laughs* Yes, I very much enjoy looking at men and their bodies! Of course I also enjoy looking at women and their bodies. Very much bi, I am.
When I'm reading or writing slash I'm most interested in the characters, honestly; their personalities, how they interact, what they manage to or fail to accomplish. I will admit to being drawn to the fandoms with more attractive males but if those gorgeous men don't have good characters to go with their looks I'm gone. I need to have a powerful personality to connect to or all the good looks in the world make no difference to me.
It also helps a lot of the two (or more) males in that fandom have contrasting characters. For example, I love Smallville. (Well, I love the early seasons. After S5 I stopped watching.) Part of what drew me in was the dynamic between smart, snarky, unconventionally attractive Lex and honest, forthright, very conventionally attractive Clark. I slash them like whoa! *laughs* I also like SGA. Ronon Dex, John Sheppard and Rodney McKay all draw me in. They all have varying degrees of strong personalities, good looks (conventional and un) and powerful interactions with each other. Plus a fascinating world to play with, which helps a lot.
I'll read and write all ratings, from the mildest of G on up to the really kinkiest of NC-17, but if it's just sex for the purpose of sex, I lose interest immediately. The sex for me has to contribute to my understanding of the characters, move the plot along or help them grow together/apart in some way. I'm not a smut fanatic; I'm a story fanatic. I'll accept truly wild sex of some squicky varieties if the writer can convince me that it's in character and right for the story.
So lets see if I answered your questions.
In regards to slash, thinking about characters with an inner eye to their bodies (written slash), or true visuals (fan art or videos), would you say that your enjoyment is more about sensuality or sexuality?
I think that my enjoyment of slash tends more towards the sensual, rather than the sexual. It's far more about getting to know the characters than it is about the smut.
Does it vary depending on the fandom and/or pairing?
Not so much for me. Certain pairings tend to be less overtly sexual than others for me but it really doesn't change all that much.
And the key question: do you know why you're drawn to slash?
Yes! It's all about exploring different ways of living, different ways of interacting with the world and with each other. Slash is my way of imagining a better world, a different world, and sometimes of commenting on the world that we're in when I'm feeling pissed off and pedantic.
Are you someone who reads/looks at all ratings of slash, or only particular ones? If so, which?
I read 'em all. I also write them all, but only when it serves the story's plot or the character's development.
no subject
When I'm reading or writing slash I'm most interested in the characters, honestly; their personalities, how they interact, what they manage to or fail to accomplish. I will admit to being drawn to the fandoms with more attractive males but if those gorgeous men don't have good characters to go with their looks I'm gone. I need to have a powerful personality to connect to or all the good looks in the world make no difference to me.
It also helps a lot of the two (or more) males in that fandom have contrasting characters. For example, I love Smallville. (Well, I love the early seasons. After S5 I stopped watching.) Part of what drew me in was the dynamic between smart, snarky, unconventionally attractive Lex and honest, forthright, very conventionally attractive Clark. I slash them like whoa! *laughs* I also like SGA. Ronon Dex, John Sheppard and Rodney McKay all draw me in. They all have varying degrees of strong personalities, good looks (conventional and un) and powerful interactions with each other. Plus a fascinating world to play with, which helps a lot.
I'll read and write all ratings, from the mildest of G on up to the really kinkiest of NC-17, but if it's just sex for the purpose of sex, I lose interest immediately. The sex for me has to contribute to my understanding of the characters, move the plot along or help them grow together/apart in some way. I'm not a smut fanatic; I'm a story fanatic. I'll accept truly wild sex of some squicky varieties if the writer can convince me that it's in character and right for the story.
So lets see if I answered your questions.
In regards to slash, thinking about characters with an inner eye to their bodies (written slash), or true visuals (fan art or videos), would you say that your enjoyment is more about sensuality or sexuality?
I think that my enjoyment of slash tends more towards the sensual, rather than the sexual. It's far more about getting to know the characters than it is about the smut.
Does it vary depending on the fandom and/or pairing?
Not so much for me. Certain pairings tend to be less overtly sexual than others for me but it really doesn't change all that much.
And the key question: do you know why you're drawn to slash?
Yes! It's all about exploring different ways of living, different ways of interacting with the world and with each other. Slash is my way of imagining a better world, a different world, and sometimes of commenting on the world that we're in when I'm feeling pissed off and pedantic.
Are you someone who reads/looks at all ratings of slash, or only particular ones? If so, which?
I read 'em all. I also write them all, but only when it serves the story's plot or the character's development.
Hope that helped—good questions!