Why We Love (or Love to Hate) the Bad Boy

as narrated by @SalonikaVale (andfrequently interrupted by her characters)

You pass them in the hallway. You see them leaning against lockers. They can be identified by their tight white tees and perfectly worn jackets - black, and leather, of course, because they would never be spotted wearing anything else. They look eerily similar to John Travolta (Travolta circa Grease, not Travolta now) and Smolderhalder.

What is the illogical attraction we have towards bad boys? What is the magical, intangible quality that makes us swoon for their dark little souls? Now, I'm not talking about one-dimensional Voldemort levels of evil. I'm talking about those bad boys (or girls) who frequently toe the line of good and bad with signature levels of smirks, snark, and sass.

Mayuri from Silver Stilettos: *tentatively raises hand* Um, I can definitively say falling for a bad boy is a bad idea.

Willa from Willa & the Extraordinary Internship: I didn't actually fall for a bad boy, but when I found my ex two-timing, his ass was grass. Should have done it sooner, really. Bad boy or not, respect is a must in any relationship.

Levi from Bitter Brews: I agree 100%. What's so sexy about an arrogant jerk who doesn't respect other people?

Okay, that's a pretty valid question. There's equal arguments both in favor of and against the bad boy trope in YA fiction. It ultimately boils down to a pretty little formula I like to call:

bad behavior + sweet words = true love 4eva

Bad behavior is usually defined as: gambling, drinking, smoking, fighting, being possessive, being rude/arrogant/broody af, stalking, and other shady, problematic, and lurky actions.

Sweet words: Intense declarations of love ("I need you like oxygen to breathe"), promises about how things will change, guilt/manipulation ("You know I love you, right?")

True love 4eva: HEA (Happily Ever After) that sometimes leaves readers scratching their heads and questioning the character's life choices.

Charlotte from All This Time: Well, hey now. That's a little simplistic, isn't it? Love is never that black and white. Maybe the bad boy (or girl) has a valid reason for being the way they are. Troubled childhood, crappy home life, not enough love and support in their life? Don't those deeply nuanced, emotionally complex characters deserve some recognition in fiction?

Dru from Cinder and the Stone Man: *nonchalantly throwing shade* Says the girl who fell in love with a bad boy...

Oh, burn, baby, burn. Charlotte's right, though. Not all bad boys have to be, you know, bad. I mean, Jace Wayland's impish humor and aloof sarcasm is pretty sexy.

Jace from Cassandra Clare's The Mortal Instruments series: I don't want to be a man. I want to be an angst-ridden teenager who can't confront his own inner demons and takes it out verbally on other people instead.

Wolf from All This Time: Get out of here, Shadowhunter! You're not even one of Salonika's characters, jeez.

Jace from TMI: *throws hands up* I'm going, I'm going...

Okay, so let's get back to Charlotte's point. Sure, there's plenty of characters whose bad behavior may be chalked up to tough backgrounds, personal tragedies, or other traumas. And we find ways to justify their behavior, even if they're semi-lousy book boyfriends, because of one of these reasons:

The Potential: We all want to think there's something salvageable in a bad boy, right? Some sliver of goodness that exists for us and us alone? Their bad behavior is a siren song to us, and, dare I say it, our maternal sides?

The Conflict: Because obviously, the bad boy rarely falls for a girl who is equally as bad. Instead, this animal of prey tries to get a doe-eyed good girl away from the rest of the herd...and when good and bad collide, there's bound to be Chernobyl-sized explosions.

The Chemistry: The sizzle between the love interests as they banter, taunt, and zing each other with carefully crafted witticisms. It helps that usually the bad boy (or girl) is drop dead gorgeous.

Babe from Bitter Brews: Right? I mean, what's with that unrealistic expectation? In real life, the boys are never that hot! I'd love to read a book about a character who's just average.

Mayuri from Silver Stilettos: Omg, same! All the baddies are gorgeous because if they were ugly, then it'd be easier to vilify them.

Babe from Bitter Brews: Look at all the bad boys who have made questionable decisions. Jess Mariano, Draco Malfoy, Anakin Skywalker—

Levi from Bitter Brews: *sourly* Are you done?

Babe from Bitter Brews: *cheerfully* Nope! Just getting started. Think about Tate Langdon, all sexy blond man bangs and haunted eyes. Slept with his girlfriend's mom. Is kind of dead.

Charlotte from All This Time: Ooh, I like this game. Do Damon Salvatore now!

Babe from Bitter Brews: ...also slept with his girlfriend's mom. Is undead. Does a sexy eye thing. Likes to bite necks.

Wolf from All This Time and Levi from Bitter Brews: *both sigh in unison*

I will be honest with you. I am not a fan of the bad boy trope, unless it's really, REALLY superbly executed. Sorry, Wolf. Don't give me that look. You were my attempt at writing a bad boy story and by the end of it, I was sure of only one thing. Bad boys are entertaining, they make for engaging characters, but I wouldn't want to marry them in real life. No offense, Charlotte. You do you.

Sugar from Spoonful of Sugar: I've never had a boyfriend, so maybe I'm not the best person to weigh in on this discussion, but...this isn't like being in kindergarten. The little boy who picks on the little girl and pulls her pigtails because he likes her. Isn't it dangerous to glorify these kinds of fictional relationships? I mean, in real life, things probably don't end well for people who fall in love with the baddies. Doesn't this just normalize crappy relationships? It's like if the bad boy (or girl) insults you mercilessly, breaks your heart, and steals your autonomy, we're supposed to fall for them anyway because they're hot and damaged and it's okay if they love us back?

Wolf from All This Time: Well, there's a difference between a bad boy and an abusive boy.

Charlotte from All This Time: Yeah. I mean some bad boys are just pampered rich boys with immense daddy issues.

Wolf from All This Time: ...

I hate to interrupt them because they're vastly more entertaining than me, but we don't really want to see a couple's spat, do we?

Levi from Bitter Brews: I dunno, I sort of want to...

MOVING ON. *clears throat* Teenage years are hard. Heck, being in your twenties is hard! It makes it a little easier when we get to read fiction where a protagonist who feels unsure and insecure and maybe even a little socially inept is seen as desirable, courageous, that one person in a million who can make a difference.

Or maybe the answer is more simple. Maybe the fun of a bad boy story can be explained like this: We all love a good fantasy. Even if it's unattainable. And now, it's time for me to exit stage left.

But I'd love to know where you guys fall on this issue! Bad boys - love 'em or hate 'em?

And don't forget to enter my giveaway! I'm offering up a chapter review to one lucky winner! Have an awesome Wattpad Block Party, everyone! Thanks for having me, Kelly.

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