At the same time, I wonder why it fascinates us so.

The topic of a straight woman 'queering' herself - or 'Othering' herself - by exhibiting desire outside mainstream gender codes is worth exploring, and Shiller's exegesis is a good one. 'The object she desires says something about her own sexual play and sexual orientation.' 'Juggling the object-of-desire's ambiguous sexuality is part of the straight fan's own gender performance,' she writes. She concedes that 'hot male bodies in action are a big part of the draw,' but maintains there's more to this 'female gaze' than meets the eye. What intrigues Shiller is the gender-bending identification that leads straight women to bond with the love lives of overtly gay male characters (some of whom are played by straight men, which adds yet another layer to the conundrum). It isn't news - at least in the circles I travel in - that men aren't the only ones who enjoy the visual aspects of the mating game.