Picspammy Challenge 20: All Girls Want Bad Boys
CHALLENGE 20 TROPES
All Girls Want Bad Boys
Possible spoilers: True Blood, Mass Effect 2, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The Breakfast Club, Wuthering Heights, Archer, The Vampire Diaries, Lust/Caution, Star Wars, Aeon Flux
made for picspammy
Lust Caution: Mr. Yee
Wong Chia Chi: What if I told you...I hate you.
Mr. Yee: I would believe you.
Wong Chia Chi: You've been gone with no word for four days. I hated you every minute.
Mr. Yee: Now that I'm back, do you still hate me?
Wong Chia Chi: No.
description: Ladies and gents, listen up: there are bad boys, and then there are the bad boys. Mr. Yee is an italicized bad boy to the 10,000th power -- actually, more of a Complete Monster. He's a government official in WWII-era China and not only is he obsessive, manipulative and emotionally abusive to his lover, Wong Chia Chi, he likes to torture people in jail cells. Nonetheless, he has women swarming all over him for the entire movie. His wife loves him. All of his wife's friends think he's hot. Even Wong Chia Chi, his enemy and a member of an underground resistance movement sent to kill him, falls in love with him. It probably helps that he's handsome and has a quietly electric and charismatic presence (you have to watch the movie to see what I mean, you just can't take your eyes off him). Evil is sexy, after all, especially if it looks like Mr. Yee.
Æon Flux: Trevor Goodchild
Interviewer: Many people hate you and would like to see you dead. How does that make you feel?
Trevor Goodchild: [chuckles] Those people should get to know me a little better. Then they'd know I don't indulge in feelings.
...
Æon Flux: Fine to play with my feelings, but you're involving innocent people, Trevor! What are you doing to that poor girl?
Trevor: Jealous?
description: Trevor Goodchild is as bad as a boy can get. An ego-maniacal, obsessive-compulsive, power-hungry mad scientist/tyrannical dictator, Trevor Goodchild is also a handsome blonde with a sexy voice and a wonderful sense of style. Even Æon Flux, his leather-clad arch nemesis, can't resist having sex with him all the time, sometimes even in the middle of a gunfight(!!). Though Æon has several other love interests to choose from, most considerably nicer and more "morally" good than Trevor Goodchild, she always keeps going back to Trevor.
Trevor is a notable example of this trope, also, because: if an episode features a female character besides Æon... It's a safe bet that she's somehow sexually involved with Trevor Goodchild. Trevor's belles du jour run the alignment gamut, from sweet and sad to downright evil -- thus, proving that ALL girls of ALL character alignments really do want bad boys.
True Blood: Eric Northman
Eric Northman: [to Sookie] Trust me.
description: Ah, Eric Northman. True Blood's resident 1,000 year old Nordic vampire hottie, Eric Northman is the ruthless, super manipulative sheriff of Area 9 in Louisiana. He's gorgeous, will RIP YOUR NECK OUT if you fuck with him and also, very charming. He's not above lying to get what he wants, and he also claims not to indulge in human feelings anymore. He sleeps around with...just about everyone. So why is Sookie Stackhouse, inaugural member of the "Eric Northman is a Dick" fanclub, having graphic sex dreams about him? Why is he the first person she turns to when she's in trouble?
The answer? So obvious. Even though he's mad, bad and dangerous to know: god, is he charismatic and hot. Electric presence with oozing sex appeal. It's like a moth to the flame and, despite the danger, it's no wonder Sookie just can't help herself.
The Breakfast Club: John Bender
Bender: Remember how you said your parents use you to get back at each other?
Claire Standish: [nods]
Bender: Wouldn't I be OUTSTANDING in that capacity?
description: John Bender. He loves smoking weed in the school library, making out with popular girl Claire and insulting his classmates. He's got a host of psychological problems, but he deals by busting out witty quips and pissing off authority figures. John Bender is the classic high school bad boy, the one you dreamed about being with but were terrified to take home to your parents -- mainly so because of his penchant for lighting things on fire and ending up in Saturday detention.
Though Claire, the popular cheerleader, could have paired off with the jock or the dweeb, she choose Bender to give her earring to. His sly, sexy teasing and his reckless love of danger were no doubt impossible for her to resist. ;)
Archer: Stirling Archer
Cheryl: (crying)
Archer: No, don’t, you’re so ugly when you cry.
Cheryl: Mister Archer...
Archer: No. I’m fine. Is Mother in, or is she out eating a baby?
Cheryl: You stood me up again last night!
Archer: Last... Oh, yeah. Oh, what happened was... Um... Did you see Brian’s
Song? Same thing, pretty much, happened. I helped a guy with cancer. Look, I’m really sorry, Carol, but I couldn’t...
Cheryl: It’s Cheryl.
Archer: I know Car... Cheryl. So, to make it up to you...
Cheryl: Okay. I’m ready.
Archer: Can you buzz me in Mother's office?
Cheryl: Uh... Is that all you’ve got to say?
Archer: Yes.
description: A complete asshat who is totally oblivious to his horrendous behavior, Stirling Archer's a badass, Jame Bond-esque spy and women throw themselves at him, even knowing what an awful person he is. Notable, also, because he does believe in fidelity---to a point. At least, he'll only cheat on you with "starlets, models and, once, two actual European princesses, they were sisters."
Sadly, despite his blatant womanizing and selfishness, Archer gets a significant amount of attention from women. One character notes that his "rippling, golden muscles" and "steely, blue eyes" turn women promiscuous. The same character also notes that he's a jerk, but women love him anyway. The story of bad boys everywhere, really.
Star Wars: Han Solo and Lando Calrissian
Lando: [to Leia] You look absolutely beautiful. You truly belong here with us among the clouds.
Princess Leia: Thank you.
...
Princess Leia: It's not over yet.
Han Solo: It is for *me*, sister. Look, I ain't in this for your revolution, and I'm not in it for you, Princess. I expect to be well paid. *I'm* in it for the money.
Princess Leia: You needn't worry about your reward. If money is all that you love, then that's what you'll receive.
Princess Leia: [to Luke] Your friend is quite the mercenary. I wonder if he really cares about anything. Or anybody.
[she stalks out]
Luke: [calling after her] I care.
description: They may be Theme Park Bad Boys, but whatever. These two loveable rogues are the Bad Boys of choice for an entire generation of women of a certain age. I mean, Han Solo! Lando Calrissian! Let's face it: did anyone have a crush on good-guy Luke? NO. Did anyone care about Luke, maybe besides Mark Hamill? NO. Trust me, guys, it was ALL about Han Solo's roguish grin and the way that he won the heart of a princess. As for Lando, I mean, really? Did you see that cape? The way he twirled it majestically and expertly? Did you hear the badass way he sold out his BEST FRIEND to Darth Vader, like tone complete with a 'whatever' shrug? Lando was hot and cool and bad; he even tried hitting on Leia, but she was already with Han at that point. HOWEVER, had she not have been with Han, no doubts she would have been defenseless against Lando's smarmy, bad boy charm (and, of course, that glorious cape).
Mass Effect 2: Thane Krios
Thane Krios: One moment. Prayers for the wicked must not be forsaken.
Shepard: Do you really think she deserves it?
Thane Krios: Not for her. For me.
description: Thane Krios, Mass Effect 2's reptilian love interest, is a hardcore assassin on a mission of redemption. An elegant killer, with no doubt a long list of successful murders under his belt, he's one of the party members that Commander Shepard recruits to complete a suicide mission. He's poetic, thoughtful, sweet and has the facial structure of a Grecian statue (read: hot) and the build of some sort of demigod, all slender, lithe sexiness. And, you know, he's also a killer who sort of, maybe, abandoned his son and got his wife killed.
A notable example of the trope because Bioware specifically made him a bad boy assassin to appeal to the female demographic. By my estimation, he's one of the most popular LIs in the sequel -- time after time, we see: girls really do want bad boys.
Wuthering Heights: Heathcliff
Heathcliff: You said I killed you - haunt me, then! The murdered do haunt their murderers, I believe. I know that ghosts have wandered on earth. Be with me always - take any form - drive me mad! only do not leave me in this abyss, where I cannot find you!
...
Cathy: My love for Linton is like the foliage in the woods: time will change it, I'm well aware, as winter changes the trees. My love for Heathcliff resembles the eternal rocks beneath: a source of little visible delight, but necessary.
In the pantheon of British literature, no one is more of an irresistible bad boy than Heathcliff. I really don't even think anyone comes close. Don't even give me your John Thortons or Mr. Rochesters or Mr. Darcys! Heathcliff was not a fake-rake bad boy; he was the real deal. Cruel and cross and sexy-handsome, he made Cathy love him and then made her pay for not marrying him. And pay and pay and pay. He seduced Isabella Linton to get back at Cathy and, later, even used Cathy's own daughter in a nefarious scheme to exact revenge against Cathy's husband.
Yes, he was quite the bad boy. But he was also charming and seductive -- as well as, handsome, wealthy and suave with the ladies. Even after all this time, there's something undeniably dark and dangerous about Heathcliff. He loved Cathy to obsession and, ultimately, you gotta wounder what it would be like to be loved like that, with such single-minded, crazy devotion.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Spike
Spike: I know you'll never love me. I know that I'm a monster. But you treat me like a man, and that's...
description: What to say about Spike that hasn't already been said, over and over? Blonde, british and with a biting (haha) wit, Spike was the main villain on the tv show Buffy the Vampire Slayer from Seasons 2 - 5-ish. Then, he stopped being the villain, kind of, and fell into a relationship with Buffy. However, even in his relationship with Buffy, he was still a raging douchecanoe. But, a sexy, witty one and one that was super skilled in the bedroom.
Interestingly enough, I don't think Spike was ever sans a love interest on the show. Whether he was tied to crazy Drusilla, sweet Harmony or the resigned Buffy, he always had a bit on the side. Just goes to show you, no matter how bad a boy is -- if he's good-looking and has a British accent, there's always some woman dying (literally!) to be with him.
The Vampire Diaries: Stefan and Damon Salvatore
Damon: I'm not a hero, Elena. I don't do good. It's not in me.
...
Stefan: If I just give myself over to the blood, I can make that pain stop. Every day, I fight that.
description: More vampires! Stefan and Damon Salvatore are a pair of vampire brothers fighting over the very beautiful and human, Elena Gilbert. Both want her...and both are undead creatures of the night who suck blood from people's necks to survive. Damon is callous, cruel and selfish: he does what he wants and damn those pesky consequences. Stefan is more obviously moral, but even then he's shown that he can be ruthless and manipulative to protect what he loves. He's also almost killed people to feed. Both brothers have women dangling after them, ready and willing to spend eternity by their sides. Is it their handsomeness? Their charm and wit? The aura of danger and excitement that comes with being a vampire's girlfriend? Whatever the reason, Damon and Stefan have proved utterly fatal to the hearts of Mystic Fall's female population.