In her essay [...] Ashleigh Taylor Sullivan considers [...] "alphahole" romantic "heroes" through the lens of #MeToo and other evolutions in cultural perception of gendered roles and asks why the trope of the Bad Boy remains popular in the genre, even among women who recognize its toxicity.
From the essay itself:
The Gothic villain, the Byronic hero, the rake, the antihero, the player, the alpha male, the bad boy, no matter his guise, this arsehole has long dominated the romance genre. Although he may have risen from the dubious depths of castle dungeons to plush penthouses overlooking the city he now owns, his behavior remains remarkably unchanged despite women calling Time's Up. If anything, his appeal has only grown, spawning a whole host of subgenres in which he reigns supreme, like enemies to lovers, Mafia or MC romances. There is no denying there has been a marked rise in the popularity of dark/taboo subgenres that exploit and eroticize patterns of abuse including, but not limited to, violence, manipulative and coercive behavior, dubious consent and abuses of power, with authors (and filmmakers) operating within a decidedly grey area. (31)
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The transgressive potential of the indie publishing market has [...] seen its outputs grow increasingly darker, featuring storylines with significant age gaps, borderline incest, contracted sex slaves, stalker/capture fantasies and rape play. The romance genre shows no signs of slowing or backing down, with these novels frequently ranking top ten on Amazon Kindle downloads and even reaching mainstream bestseller lists. (31-32)
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When I raised the question of why the bad boy/alpha male archetype is so popular to Alessandra Torre's writing group Inkers, the responses were varied. Many emphasized the safety of exploring fantasies through fiction and the thrill to be found in escapism. [...] The allure of "giving up control" was a recurring theme in my conversations surrounding the myth of the bad boy. (33)
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no matter how noble his intentions or the moral justifications for his actions, the bad boy's trauma is used to negate the pain he inflicts on others, especially the woman he loves. Yet in spite of this, the heroine continues to "prop up" the bad boy's character "where [she] sees damage" (Dyhouse 103). Her inherent goodness, innocence and apparent insignificance serve as the perfect foil to the bad boy's character. [....] In setting up a direct contrast between these characters, the reader is forced to see the couple as an oppositional pairing, somewhat typical of the traditional gender binary. (37)
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The bad boy's appeal may [...] lie in the freedom he grants women to explore their sexuality. (39)
From the Introduction:
From the essay itself:
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