From a ‘This is why people like X or Y’ standpoint, not so much. Psychodynamic approaches can be helpful, and do hold some merit, certainly - But suggestions like that of the book in the title are rather far-fetched.

If you really want fun things to giggle at regarding other people, find someone to do a modern day Kinsey study. It’s been 50 years or so, we could use another of those to show how deviant everyone really is.

Ah, call me a Freud-lover, but 1) I’d say that’s a vast oversimplification, and 2) I think you’re right that psychology has moved beyond Freud, however what his work (and work inspired by his work) is useful for now is the analysis of art (like games) and its consumers, rather than serious psychological cases… Like what we’re doing here!

As for the “speaking with your dick” comment, I touched on that only in that paragraph in the example of when its not the character that you’re playing is the sub, but rather, your female opponent, which comes down to a question of power and dominance, and if history is of any indication, the phalus long stands as a symbol of power, whether its piercing the sky, or piercing a body. Of course, if I were to simply speak on “power,” and what that sort of sexual mentality entails, and if prison movies mean anything, its not just women who fall prey, so I suppose my stating of misogyny in that single paragraph alone was a misuse of the word.

And while Freud had some good ideas for his time, psychology today generally tends to not subscribe to the notion that everything we do or think has some secret significance that’s the modern equivalent of penis envy or an Oedipus complex.

That’s not to say childhood experience doesn’t lead to sexual fantasies later in life - However, this ‘Fantasy X signifies sexual hostility, while Y signifies wanting to be much buffer and so forth’ bit is much more sensationalistic pseudoscience than credible theory.

On the other hand, could there be an element of autogynephilia (Aka getting off by fantasizing having sex as a woman?) for these guys? Perhaps, but that doesn’t translate into wanting to actually do such - As I’m sure you know, there are tons of fantasies out there that a person wouldn’t actually wish to practice, but which are perfectly safe so long as they remain in the realm of imagination.

So, in that sense, while the theory may work in a slim number of cases, I think the traditional one is more apt - Most of all ye guys reading this simply like looking at attractive women. Especially in a game area - I have plenty of friends who play characters that are most attractive too them, not characters who are idealized versions of themselves; unless you’re Narcissus, you typically don’t fantasize about sex with self!

Fair enough, I should have said “personal experience” but I’ve taken a pretty hard look at my own psycho-sexual proclivities and I am definitely someone who enjoys a more dominant role…. but having it over males it completely uninteresting to me. I suppose the exception would be if–like in that Mountain Dew commercial with the remote–you could turn them into a girl.

Again it’s just MY experience, it could absolutely be different for the majority–but due to the outlet I use for the particular power fantasies, I’ve been analyzing my own desires for some time.