Popular cultures of the classic and modern literatures have always been fascinated with the characters that one could call “bad guys.” These characters captivated the attention and even attraction of women and men. In women, such “bad guys” enticed even romantic interest. The modern movies and film serials have continued this cultural tradition for years. Probably for some reason. The question remains, “why?”
Why do some women develop romantic interests in fictional “bad boys”? This is what Eric Dolan considers when talking about dark triads and parasocial relationships.
An Archetype of a “Bad Guy”
The answers might sound simple: because a “bad guy” is a cultural archetype; it is a type of antihero that is still quite popular among many women and men. “Bad boys typically bring a lot of fire, defiance, and eroticism to the story, along with a sense of danger” (Morrell, 2008).
James Dean’s 17-year-old character Jim Stark in Rebel Without a Cause is an example of an iconic bad boy archetype in the movies. Jason Statham’s character Detective Brant in Blitz is a modern version.
According to Carl Jung (1875–1961), a Swiss psychologist, an archetype is a primitive mental image inherited from our earliest human ancestors. Such an image is commonly present in the collective unconscious. Thus, Superman, like the “bad guy,” represents the archetype of a superhero.
The counterculture of the 1960s brought prominence to the bad boy characters. Paul Newman’s character in the drama film Cool Hand Luke (1967) was an influential example in this respect. Jim Stark, the character in the American drama film Rebel Without a Cause (1955), was also an example of the bad boy archetype, even though he had a strong moral compass beneath his rebellion (Morrell, 2008).
Modern Research Interest in the Stereotype of a Bad Guy
Researchers have well-documented the cultural phenomenon of a “bad guy” and showed the widespread fascination that men and women feel towards “bad boys” (Gopaldas & Molander, 2020; Morrell, 2008; Schramm & Sartorius, 2024).
In modern media, the “bad boy” often embodies stereotypical masculine traits such as dominance, aggression, and emotional stoicism. While these traits might seem off-putting, under certain circumstances, people may perceive them as attractive, particularly within the realm of fiction. This is why many popular movies and television shows continue to play this archetype of the “bad boy”—a rebellious, tough, and emotionally unavailable character who is often yet still captivating for the attentions of women and men.
Understanding this romantic attraction in the context of television and film piqued the interest of media psychology researchers. Media psychology researchers have been interested in discovering which characteristics of these “bad boy” figures might make women more likely to develop romantic parasocial relationships with them. These relationships are essentially one-sided and involve a person feeling emotionally connected to a fictional character.
Researchers have found that the term “bad boys” refers to the men who had a particular combination of personality traits, which sometimes refers to the “dark triad,” the personality traits of Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy (Boman, 2024).
A Recent Study of the Attractiveness of a Bad Guy’s Characters for Women
It is surprising these characters are especially romantically attractive for women. A recent study explored why some women fall in love with these types of media characters.
The surprising findings were that these one-sided romantic connections with fictional “bad boys” are more common among women who seek excitement in life and like playful, uncommitted relationships. These one-sided parasocial romantic relationships arouse feelings of power and creative engagement (Schramm & Sartorius, 2024).
Why Are the Bad Guy’s Characters So Appealing for Women?
Researchers found some interesting things that are quite contrary to their initial assumptions. They thought that narcissism and the desire to help would be the predicting factors of women’s romantic parasocial relationships with “bad boys.” However, actually, the ludus love style and sensation seeking turned out to be more significant factors predicting such romantic attraction. Researchers revealed that the women who are playful and not seriously committed in love and those who crave excitement and new experiences were more likely to experience romantic parasocial feelings toward “bad boy” characters in movies and TV shows.
The study also discovered that women who enjoyed watching “bad boy” characters experienced certain emotions associated with romantic parasocial relationships with “bad boys.” They experienced a stronger sense of authority and more imaginative engagement with the past. This suggests that after watching the films, women who experience these fictional romances with “bad boy” characters may feel more in control. They also have a tendency to mentally immerse themselves in the character’s story (Schramm & Sartorius, 2024).
These results provide some explanations for why some women may find “bad boys” in the media romantically attractive. The research findings imply that, at least in the safe realm of fiction, the attraction may stem from a need for thrills and a predilection for unconventional, possibly even slightly dangerous, romantic situations.
It’s also worthwhile to note that for women, the attractiveness of these parasocial relationships with bad guys is due to their sense of power. These parasocial relationships are immersive, extending beyond the viewing experience and becoming a part of a woman’s continuous mental landscape.
References
- Boman, B. (2024). The Gray Nine and Parallel Personality Patterns: Big Five, Dark Tetrad, and a “Well-Rounded Personality”. Integrative Psychological and Behavioral Science, 58(4), 1300-1316.
- Gopaldas, A., & Molander, S. (2020). The bad boy archetype as a morally ambiguous complex of juvenile masculinities: the conceptual anatomy of a marketplace icon. Consumption Markets & Culture, 23(1), 81-93.
- Morrell, J. P. (2008). Bullies, bastards and bitches: How to write the bad guys of fiction. Penguin.
- Schramm, H., & Sartorius, A. (2024). The attraction of evil. An investigation of factors explaining women’s romantic parasocial relationships with bad guys in movies and series. Frontiers in Psychology, 15, 1501809.