The Perennial Question of the Bad Boy Hero

Over the years, we’ve published many a piece about Bad Boys. I wrote one nine years ago about being over bad boys (this proved to be a lie), there’s one inspired by Chris Brown, one in which we swoon over Don Draper, and more. Their appeal and the problems they pose continue to inspire and irk readers.

One of the best columns I found about bad boys was written by Rachel Potter. In it she discusses a book I love–Nancy Werlin’s Impossible–as well as Companions of the Night by Vivian Vande Velde. Rachel ponders what it means to prefer the bad boy over the good. (As someone who finds Angelus more interesting than Angel, I so get that.) She also shares her theory for why love we men that seem invulnerable.

I’ve been floating the notion for awhile that the reason we have so many Navy SEAL heroes and vampire/werewolf love interests is because in a society where the rules shifted a generation ago and things still haven’t shaken down to ensure that woman are safe, economically secure, and equally respected, warrior characters represent a big buffer against all the insecurity women stare down every day.  A man who is invulnerable but powerfully influenced by a woman is basically a weapon, a big sexy weapon with a “free” will.  He will do anything to protect his love and will use all the tools at his disposal to make sure she is always safe and provided for.  This is a lot better than just being rich as so many romance heroes of yesteryear were.  His arms are a fortress, and nothing can get at our heroine as long as she has his heart.

I like the idea of warrior heroes offering women a buffer. A buffer isn’t a solution, it doesn’t make the challenges women face vanish, it just gives women space and protection. Invulnerability isn’t inherently a bad boy bug/feature, however. But if a hero will do anything, especially acts outside our espoused moral code, then we may label him a bad boy.

I struggle to love a bad boy who, more than once, treats the heroine poorly–and we can argue for the next millenia about what sort of behavior that implies. Old skool heroes like Brandon Birmingham or Steve Morgan are easy to dismiss. The endless parade of alphaholes in contemporary romance is depressing.

But I do like some bad boys–Anne Stuart’s Adrian Rohan and his like may be jerks but they’re the sort of jerks that once redeemed make wonderful husbands/boyfriends/friend with benefits. But my sense of what is and isn’t, really, who is or isn’t acceptable is my own and others may differ. Whatever one thinks–and I’d love to know your thoughts on the matter–I feel sure bad boy heroes aren’t going anywhere.

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