July 28, 2023
We all know someone who, when asked what their type is, would respond "Bad Boys". And the allure is obvious—they're unpredictable (read: exciting), mysterious and dark, and often come with a strand of hope that the right person can change them. Despite knowing in our heart of hearts that this macho, hyper-masculine archetype is setting us up for heartbreak, we go there anyway.
The Bad Boy trope is all over Wattpad, in every single genre and sub-genre. Romance stories like The Hitman's Mark follow a notorious hitman in New York City's underground mafia world, while Perfect Addiction (also a movie, BTW) sees boxer Sienna training Bad Boy Kayden to fight her cheating ex—different settings, both equally hot enough to fan the Bad-Boy-meets-girl flames. So, how does the Bad Boy trope work so well and why do we seemingly never tire of it?
1. It's forbidden and exciting
We all know falling for the Bad Boy rarely works out in reality (and often in literature, too), but it certainly makes for an exciting story. Do it for the plot, right? Bad Boys are characterized by their confident and mysterious nature; a vibe that we never fully know who they are, aside from the intermittent glimpses we get underneath the surface. It has the effect of making us insatiable for them, and constantly curious and looking for a glimmer of their true self. Bad Boys don't always do bad things, but they sometimes do (like notorious hitman Matteo in The Hitman's Mark) and almost always teeter on that line. A bit of danger is sexy—an escape from the mundane—and all of us harbor a desire to rebel a bit.
2. We secretly want to change them
Bad Boys more often than not come with a tragic backstory of some kind, garnering sympathy from the bleeding hearts (#us) and a deeper desire to change or soften them, or be the one who can do it. It's a have-our-cake-and-eat-it-too situation; we want the dark and brooding macho man, and to also be worthy enough to rehabilitate him, as Sienna does for Kayden in Perfect Addiction and Arianna does for elusive billionaire Zach in I Was Never Yours. In reality, we know that Bad Boys are full of red flags, but the hope of changing them for the better keeps us coming back for more—and stories in which this actually happens is a reprieve from, well, what actually happens in the real world. There's goodness inside of every Bad Boy, and we're the only ones who can see it (so we think).
3. It takes the pressure off of being a good girl
Being with a Bad Boy is almost like a get-out-of-jail-free card for being a good girl (a rule follower that lives up to societal understanding of what a "good" woman is). They help us feel free and unbounded by the expectations of others, just by being near them. In a world where womanhood is often so constrained by rules, being with a Bad Boy gives us a taste of true, unabashed personal freedom. Reading Bad Boy stories gives us a glimpse into, for some, an alternative universe—a life experience they could or could have had.
So, what's bad about the Bad Boy trope?
Well, it's not exactly progressive. Plenty of modern-day love stories pander to outdated gender beliefs that Bad Boys need someone to tame them, and being that someone (usually a cis-gender woman) is a huge accomplishment and signifier of worth. These stories, that go all the way back to the days of Greek mythology, sell women a false promise that working hard and sacrificing everything is what it takes to get the guy. These storylines can also glorify toxic dynamics, sometimes going as far as romanticizing (and often misconstruing) abuse and manipulation for an exhilarating up-and-down relationship. But upholding toxic masculinity doesn't have to be the singular trait of the Bad Boy trope. We can indulge in these stories while understanding that it doesn't need to play out the same in real life. Tropes like the Bad Boy can exist in the pages and in our minds as an outlet and escape without bleeding into or influencing our lived worlds.
And here's the thing: There's no Bad Boy without a spicy strong lead. This summer, we're flipping the script and celebrating the strong women leads that exist in every Bad Boy story in our Where Bad Boy x Bad Girl Stories Live Reading List. Because for every Bad Boy, there's a woman doing the work of keeping him where he belongs—in Wattpad stories, not on the streets.
So, tell us... Who is your favorite Wattpad spicy lead? 👀