THE LOW DOWN ON BAD BOYS
copyright Mia Zachary 2004

Presented to the Toronto Romance Writers May 8, 2004

Who are these guys?

There’s just something about bad boys. Even as your head warns, “Don’t even think about it”; your heart says, “Come here, honey!”

He’s the guy with the knowing smile, the twinkle in his eyes behind a hooded squint, the natural swagger as he walks toward you, the look in his gaze that strips you naked even in public.

The bad boy is all Alpha male. He might be a pirate or a CEO, a knight errant or a cop, a soldier or a prince. No matter their job, you can sum them up in a single word and that word would be ‘sexy’.

The one thing they all have in common is the ability to attract and excite. He’s the kind that other guys think is cool, as well as the guy women think is hot. He the guy your mother warned you about, the one you can’t resist between the covers… of a book!

Bad Boys in real life- George Clooney, Russell Crowe, Colin Farrell, Ben Affleck, Mel Gibson

Bad Boys in fiction- Sean Connery’s “James Bond’, J.D. Robb’s ‘Roarke’; Pierce Brosnan’s ‘Thomas Crown’; any of Suz Brockmann’s Navy Seals

What defines them?

The triple crown- Attitude, Bravado and Confidence

They’ve got attitude with a capital A. Bad boys drink and/or smoke and misbehave without apology. They couldn’t care less about their image or reputation. Bad boys have an eye for the ladies and are charming flirts, whether the female is 8 or 80.

Bad boys are honest and they’re never hypocrites. They are men who take a stand, even if you don’t like what they stand for. They lay it all on the table and say ‘take it or leave it- I’m not changing for anyone’. They believe they’ll be forgiven anything so they get away with almost everything!

Bravado is daring, boldness, audacity and bad boys are full of it. They aren’t afraid to take chances, run risks or try something new. Bad boys are never boring. Strong willed, unpredictable and passionate, they shun convention and refuse to live a life of mediocrity.

Some bad boys have an element of danger, of underlying violence [though it will never be turned on anyone who doesn’t deserve it and they are never frightening to your heroine]. You know that in a crisis, he’ll rescue or fight for you, be in on the battlefield or in the boardroom.

The sexiest trait a bad boy can have is leashed power. And that power often manifests in their sexuality. You both know he could have you anytime he wanted, but bad boys don’t need to force your affection.

Bad boys are independent, assertive, determined, self-sufficient and self-confident. Bad boys are tough when they need to be, but unafraid to show a tender side. They know who they are and to me there is nothing sexier- no matter what a guy looks like- than a man with a strong sense of identity.