Oh, it's **definitely** machismo (to say nothing of masochismo)! I was in New Orleans for a conference last week, where they have entire shops devoted to many, many, many varieties of hot sauce, it's pretty diverting just to browse the labels. Some are funny (I particularly loved the Joan of Arc brand), but many are quite literally pornographic, with cartoons of guys with gigantic erections, etc...apparently a high tolerance for habaneros is to the insecure poor man what a Ferrari is to his more well-heeled analogue!

~D