Fictional Bad Boys: 3 Questions

Ciao, amici. Charles E. Yallowitz has been writing a series of posts on his site, Legends of Windemere, about bad boys in fiction. (You should have seen my links to the first two posts on Friday’s list of links.)

Today, he asked for reader interaction. I thought it would be fun to play along, answer his questions, and encourage you to do the same. All he asks is that you answer the questions in his comments section or create your own post and link back to him.

Here are his three questions plus my answers:

1. Who is your favorite ‘Bad Boy’ from fiction?
   Rick Blaine from Casablanca.
   He’s a rogue of sorts when the story begins, but his arc is one of my favorites. Ever.
2. If you had to design a ‘Bad Boy’, what would be a necessity?
   Intelligence.
   I think if a bad boy isn’t smart, he runs the risk as coming off as a thug. Maybe a thug with a hidden heart of gold, but still a thug. I think a smart bad boy elevates the character. (Then again, I’ve always found intelligence sexy, so I have to admit this is a strong personal bias.)
3. Why do you think the ‘Bad Boy’ is so appealing to audiences?
   Jealousy.
   This is probably very heavy in the personal bias range, too, but here goes. For those of us who follow every rule and strive to live up to everyone’s expectations, we envy the freedom with which bad boys live their lives. They don’t seem to worry about any of the stuff that bogs down the rest of us. To me, those rough edges add interest. And hold a certain appeal.

---

That’s my take. What about you? Answer Charles on his site or create a post and link back to him. I think we’re both interested in your thoughts.

Happy Saturday!