Abstract
The “bad boy” has been a recurring figure in popular culture for years. He’s the leather-jacketed brooding rebel, the dangerous lover, the tortured antihero that we have learned to romanticize. This archetype blends “juvenile masculinities (aggression, rebellion, hypersexuality)” with appealing qualities like “charisma, ruggedness, and sensitivity,” creating a moral ambiguity that captivates audiences (Gopaldas and Molander, 2019). This contradictory mix keeps him popular across movies, songs, and advertisements. But with this archetype being ‘a walking red flag,’ why are we still so bewitched by the bad boy, and should we be?
Recommended Citation
Sali, Erlinda
(2025)
"Red Flags are my Favorite Color: The Psychology of Falling For the 'Bad Boys',"
Osmosis Magazine: Vol. 2025:
Iss.
2, Article 8.
Available at:
https://scholarship.richmond.edu/osmosis/vol2025/iss2/8