What exactly is a "Bad Boy"....?

What makes a boy “bad”?

How “bad” is still “good” and how “bad” borders on “irredeemable”?

What’s the appeal of this trope? Do you like it? Hate it? Why?

How would you tackle writing a “Bad Boy”, and what tropes would you avoid?

4 Likes

What makes a Boy “bad” is that they disrespect other or usually involve a gang or they tend to harm or kill others

9 Likes

Anytime I think of a bad boy, I think about John Travolta in the movie Grease. Or the character John Bender in The Breakfast Club. It’s just an old character trope, so old that it’s become a lot more specific than many other character tropes. They usually have black hair, tattoos, a devilish grin, wear leather jackets, ride motorcycles, they smoke, their overall personality consists of being a “rebel”, etc. It’s worth researching :rolls eyes while smiling:

The Episode bad boy is trash, plain and simple. But there are ways to make a bad boy likeable :wink: Example: Zigmund Ortega in The Freshman/The Sophomore/The Junior in the Choices app.

P.S: I wish there was an emoji for rolling your eyes while smiling. Why don’t any emoji packs ever have one? sigh

15 Likes

He does what he wants when he wants; he doesn’t follow trends, they follow him.

11 Likes

:joy::joy::joy:

1 Like

:joy:I think of grease and choices when I hear “Bad boy” to

1 Like

And he’s also arrogant and a general bellend :joy:

5 Likes

Oh, great! I’m not the only one :joy: The Choices bad boys are a real treat compared to the Episode ones. I was never a big fan of John Travolta’s character in Grease though. I guess bad boys really do come in all shapes, sizes, and rebellious personalities :rolls eyes while smiling:

7 Likes

Ikr Zig is like the major bad boy but then he turns good :frowning: :joy:

He always had a beautiful soul even as a “bad boy”. The Choices writers turned it all around and redeemed him in the best possible way, going against all the bad boy clichés :blush:

To stay on topic, I’d say that’s the biggest appeal to a bad boy: his good side that eventually surfaces. In Zig’s case, there was so much more good than bad, he just needed a little push (and not only by the girl, which is usually how these bad boy-good girl stories go).

If you can’t tell, I’m completely in love with Zig :joy:

3 Likes

I love that all the love interests in Choices books, bad boy or not, respect the MC and treat her/him like royalty. They’re so good with consent, and even the most sarcastic love interests don’t say anything that could be considered disrespectful (and if they do, they get called on it).
And yet their “bad boy” characters can still be classified as “bad boys”, even without treating the MC worse than a piece of rubbish.

Episode featured story writers should really take notes on how to do it. Choices knows how to do interesting relationships WITHOUT making them unhealthy.

12 Likes

There isn’t much I can add here, you’ve just read my mind! Choices writers know how to make the readers fall in love with their love interests, including bad boys, all while indirectly teaching them about respect and consent, it’s just amazing :blush: They’re capable of taking the “bad” from “bad boy” and turn it into a “best”. I really look up to those writers.

9 Likes

I am to :joy:

1 Like

Some guy that acts “tough” (in real life is usually not), does criminal activity, treats woman and people with comtempt, sleeps around, doesn’t do relationships, quick to violence and basically a loser.
And that’s what every girl wants, according to Episode!

3 Likes

To me there is a major difference between “bad boy” and “abusive asshole”.

A bad boy (to me) is more someone who does bad things, but isn’t necessary a bad person. So he might break the rules or even the law. Maybe he sells drugs or gets involved in fights to defend his friends. The difference between this and an “abusive asshole” in my opinion is that he would have a lot of respect for the people that “matter” to him like his family, close friends and significant other. He wouldn’t take an advantage of a female. Deep down he’d be a good person, he’d just do some bad/stupid things or maybe get involved in “bad” things.

“Irredeemable” to me would be the abusive asshole. Someone who disrespects women (both physically and emotionally). Someone who doesn’t give a sh*t about others. See a bad boy to me would still put the important people in his life first. An abusive asshole wouldn’t.

10 Likes

I automatically think of “Grease”, “West Side Story”, and “The Breakfast Club”.

2 Likes

To me someone who sells drugs isn’t a “bad boy.” That’s a flat out criminal.

Ikr

To me, a “bad boy” can be engaged in criminal activity. :woman_shrugging: He doesn’t necessarily need to be, but a bad boy and criminal aren’t necessarily mutually exclusive (based on my definition).

7 Likes

Drugs ruin people’s life’s and are dangerous. I wouldn’t even associate with someone who does that. He could get you hooked too.

1 Like