Bad boy archetype

The bad boy is a cultural archetype that is variously defined and often used synonymously with the historic terms rake or cad: a male who behaves badly, especially within societal norms.

James Dean's character in Rebel Without a Cause

In films and other narratives, a bad boy is a type of antihero, sometimes a trickster. Such characters reject authority and traditional moral standards, following their own unique code of ethics that can unsettle those around them.^[1] Despite their often questionable or near-criminal habits, they are frequently depicted in a way that makes them relatable or even likable. "Bad boys typically bring a lot of fire, defiance and eroticism to the story, along with a sense of danger".^[1]

Bad boy characters came to the fore with the Counterculture of the 1960s. An influential example is Paul Newman's character in Cool Hand Luke (1967).^[1] Jim Stark, James Dean's character in Rebel Without a Cause, is also considered an example of the bad boy archetype,^[2][3] although he has a strong moral compass beneath the rebellion.

An article in The Independent compared the term "bad boys" with men who had a particular combination of personality traits, sometimes referred to as the "dark triad", and reported that a study found that such men were likely to have a greater number of sexual affairs.^[4]

See also

• Boy next door (stock character)
• Chad (slang)
• Dark triad
• Hybristophilia
• Nice guy
• Playboy (lifestyle)
• Tall, dark and handsome
• Toxic masculinity