The Bad Boy!By: Katie Ray

The Bad Boy Archetype

The bad boy is the one

DANGEROUS to know! He walks on the “wild side” ;)He is the rebel, bitter, and volatile.

On the bright side, he’s charismatic and street smart.

Where is he seen?

• This archetype is usually seen in romance novels or situations where a rebel comes back to the good side.

• Once he walks into a room, it is impossible to ignore him.

• He is seen as the love interest, the hero, and sometimes even the villain.

5 Different Cultures of Bad Boys

1.As a HERO2.As a VILLAIN3.As a SIDEKICK4.As a LOVE INTEREST5.As a REBEL BROUGHT TO

THE GOOD SIDE

Culture #1: Bad Boy as a Hero

• He is reckless, fearless, and loves to be faced with danger.• He will walk into a room with pure

confidence. • Charming, street smart, and knows

that to get his way. • Smart, brave, clever, and is the

perfect hero because who can scare him??

CaPtAiN jAcK sPaRrOwCaptain Jack Sparrow is the ideal bad boy hero.

Johnny Depp played this character in 2010 when the 1st Pirates of the Caribbean came out in theaters.

He takes risks but still manages to get out alive some how.

He lives on the edge and pretends he doesn’t care about others, but through his actions you can tell that he does care about other and would sacrifice anything for their safety.

Culture #2: Bad Boy as a Villain

Not only is the bad boy seen as the hero, but he is also represented through villain.

He makes a perfect villain because his philosophy is that there are no laws and rules are meant to be broken.

He will lure characters into danger and thrive off of their pain and fear.

He is often a leader who everyone is afraid to disobey.

jAcK iN “lOrD oF tHe FlIeS”

The bad boy archetype is present in 1954, when the classic novel, “Lord of the Flies,” was published.

Sense the day the boys landed on the island, Jack has been a bad influence on them.

He does not follow any of the rules that Ralph establishes.

He scares the tribe into listening to him, and he even lets everyone get away with pure murder.

He finds comfort knowing that Samneric are threatened by him and knowing that he has complete control of everything, including Ralph’s life.

Culture #3: Bad Boy as a Sidekick

Most people imagine the bad boy as the main character or the star of the show.

However, the bad boy can play supporting roles as well.

The main character is not always wild, restless, or a rebel. This character just adds some extra thrill or excitement into the plot.

This archetype has been around for billions of years, as shown in the one of the oldest pieces of writing known to man, The Epic of Gilgamesh.

eNkIdU iN “ePiC oF gilGaMeSh”

Enkidu is the perfect example of a side-kick bad boy.

He is not the main character in the epic. However, he walks on the wild side and loves to take risks.

He is never beaten, is confident, and dominates with his best friend up until the day he was cursed.

Culture #4: Bad Boy as a Love Interest

Let’s face it…we all want what we can’t have. The bad boy lives independently and doesn’t need a girl to keep him satisfied. Or does he?

If he does, he never lets it show. Girls want him to want them, so they

chase after him, and he loves all the attention.

Deep down inside though, he wants to find that one girl that he should be with.

hEaTh LeDgEr iN 10 tHiNgS I hAtE aBoUt yOu.

In the 1999 film, Heath Ledger plays Patrick Verona: the typical bad boy who scares off the wimps and even the jokes.

When you first see him, you think, “There is no way he could ever fall in love.”

But by the end of the movie, the girl he likes, Kat, has him wrapped around her finger.

She finds him repulsive at first, but also interesting and it makes her want more.

Culture #5: Bad Boy as the Rebel brought back to the Good Side.

“I’ll change for you,” is in each line of a sappy romantic movie, especially when there is a bad boy involved.

When the bad boy is the main character, the main focus is how to bring him back to the “good side” again.

This is usually done by a girl or a group of friends throughout the story.

The perfect example of this transformation is in the 1998 film, Grease.

DaNnY zUkO iN gReAsE

Danny Zucco. I have not met one person who doesn’t know what that name means.

He is the definition of bad boy. Player, smokes, cars, popular, leather

jackets, you name itThroughout the film, you see his love

interest, Sandy, transform him into a “good boy” who follows all the rules.

SOURCES

http://suzannepitner.suite101.com/the-bad-boy-character-archetype-a66047

http://www.likesbooks.com/eight.htmlhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bad_boy_(archet

ype)

• http://www.thebooklantern.com/2011/03/sexing-down-bad-boy.html