The Bad Boy Hero Conundrum

Recognize young Johnny Depp?

Who hasn’t watched a movie with a bad boy hero in it They used to be anti-heroes because there was nothing traditionally heroic about them. Remember Rhett Butler from Gone with the Wind? He was so counter culture bad that my grandmother’s husband forbade her to see the movie. She snuck out, saw it, and loved it. Fell a little in love with Clark Gable’s portrayal of Rhett just like almost every other woman of that period. Why?

Despite his many movie roles, Gable will always be associated with Rhett Butler.

Rhett Butler never hid his motives. He believed in making money even if it was at the expense of warmongers. He also bucked the social norms of the day by refusing to marry a woman he took for a twilight buggy ride. He did things others wish they could, but dare not do, which made him a rebel. Of course, GWTW fans know Rhett redeemed himself by saving Scarlett, Melanie, and the baby. He joined the Confederate Army, and eventually married the strong willed Scarlett proving he was hero material.

James Dean in A Rebel Without a Cause is an iconic example of a Bad Boy

We see the bad boy in several iconic movie stars including James Dean, who epitomized the term.  The handsome star lived hard and fast similar to his trademark role in Rebel without a Cause.  It wasn’t too surprising he died in a car accident.  What was surprising was his real life kindness and consideration, which was a direct contrast to his image as a malcontent snarling at the world.

Bela Lugosi's name was synonymous for Dracula. He was even buried with his famous cape.

A bad boy shines in romantic fiction and movies because he’s the dangerous one, the dark one. Not only is he the one mama warned you about. There’s mystery, rumors, and second hand stories about the bad boy too. No matter how much people warn of a perilous outcome, he still draws women. Who is the ultimate fictional bad boy?  Dracula. The reader knows he’s no good and has dastardly plans. Still, the vampire weaves a mesmerizing blend of charm and audacity that lures Lucy. The pampered, aristocratic beauty has never taken a walk on the dark side until she meets The Count.  That’s the temptation of the bad boy hero knowing the danger, but embracing it anyhow.

Although most people would not think of Dracula as a hero, but many bad boy vampires have made the leap into the heroic halls. Vampires are the hero in Blade, Twilight, and a dozen more movies, and countless books. Makes you wonder if the vampire wasn’t more seductive when he was totally evil.

When a man is soulless, a woman has to give up a great deal to be with him, such as life itself. Sacrifice is part of the bad boy package. A woman or girl willingly leaves behind her old life.  That might mean family, a job, a house, or even walking in the sunlight. For no logical reason, women like the idea of chucking it all for that one super hot guy, at least in movies and book. Her love is so strong she doesn’t need anything like emotional support, money, or health insurance.  Our movie heroine isn’t thinking of any of those when she swings her leg over his bike in preparation of roaring down a new road. This would involve being traditional, normal. Bad boys are action, not contemplation.

Harrison Ford as Hans Solo made a memorable bad boy turned hero in Star Wars.

Bad boys heroes also shores up the myth that the right woman can change bad boy into a married man with a colorful past. Women want to believe that they can be so exceptional that an international spy who has traveled the world could be happy to settle down. The fictional heroine takes on their features in their fantasies.

Most of these media-driven stereotypes are harmless unless you fall into the trap of chasing after bad boys in the belief your life will morph into a romance novel or a romcom. It doesn’t work that way. Bad boys can and often do grow up and change their ways. Not because of the right woman, but because they chose too.

Even James Kirk wanted to believe Khan had redeeming traits.

On the other hand, women still chase after bad boys trying to catch the fantasy. It’s not real. Unfortunately, some people never discover this. This includes men convinced of their resemblance to James Dean, a young Brando, or Johnny Depp who often resort to Cosplay to act out their own fantasies.

Who’s your favorite bad boy?