Bad boy archetype

Jim Stark, James Dean's character in Rebel Without a Cause, is considered an example of the bad boy archetype.^[1][2]

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.

Definitions

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.^[3]

See also

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

References

1. Jacobs, Laura (21 February 2013). "The Evolution of the Hollywood Bad Boy". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on 13 June 2021. Retrieved 16 October 2017.
2. Bell, Noel (18 April 2016). "Better understand your attraction to the bad boy". Counselling Directory. Archived from the original on 16 October 2017. Retrieved 16 October 2017.
3. Connor, Steve (June 19, 2008). "Why women really do love self-obsessed psychopaths". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on September 25, 2015. Retrieved April 26, 2010.