If this is BAD... Who the hell wants to be good?

Today’s blog includes a personal revelation of sorts. I may not be proud of this; it may be indecent to some, but I am sure that there are more than a few of you out there who share my secret shame.

It is…Well, I am not sure I just want to put it all out there without some form of explanation.

It seems that when I watch a movie, read a book or see a show on television there is usually one type of person who always stands out for me. This person stands out in a forbidden, evil, raunchy kind of way… I am sure you all know where I am going with this.

- Hello, my name is Emma and I have a secret passion for the villains of the entertainment world.

Yes, the villains. The wicked, evil, shadow lurking, cut throat, slimy, murderous, sneaky, underhanded, dangerous men of TV, movies and books.

Let me attempt to explain this a little bit. Many a lady has swooned for hero’s like Achilles (Brad Pitt) in the movie Troy. Maybe even Batman (Ben Affleck, Val Kilmer, George Clooney- take your pick) in his skin tight, muscle enhancing, bulletproof bat suit. It is easy to see why many a lass has watched Shakespeare In Love and hung on every word that Joseph Fiennes uttered from his delightful lips, wishing for just one moment that he would take you in his arms and whisper “You will never age for me, nor fade, nor die.” Perhaps, when Michael Dunne (Paul Gross) and Sarah Mann (Caroline Dhavernas) see each other again over the surgery table in a field hospital during the WWI movie Passchendaele, your knees got a little bit wobbly. (If this is the case, I suggest you sit down when you watch movies, why are you standing anyway you weirdo?)

Please don’t misunderstand me, all the above-mentioned scenes are romantic and wonderful and the people are magical and endearing BUT, and it is a big ol’ but, for some reason they do not hold the same level of allure.

I will give you some examples to help you understand the way my mind seems to tick. A popular show recently was Game of Thrones. Almost everyone watched it, almost everyone loved it (just forget season 8) and many people enjoyed the plethora of sexiness, both male and female, that show produced. Concentrating on the men for right now. John Snow turned heads from day one. His luscious curls, his can do attitude, his loyalty/bravery and the fact that he “knows nothing” made him a fan favourite. Also, Rob Stark received a lot of attention for his ability to work a tight pair of pants. When I watched Game of Thrones, I developed a big lady-crush on the one, the only… Ramsay Bolton.

Now wait, before you freak out, let me explain.

Sure, he had his dogs devour a few people, he cut off some body parts, shot some arrows a Stark teenager (should have zig-zagged, man), tortured a few other people but just imagine if he was on your side. If you, lucky girl, were the only thing that mattered to Ramsay Bolton. Imagine what he would do for you, to keep you safe. You are starting to see it aren’t you. Also, can we take a minute to appreciate those eyes?

I started with an extreme example. This one is for my literary fans. Before Outlander was a television show it was, and still is, an amazing series of novels by author Diana Gabaldon. She writes her villains well, if you have not read her books, I suggest you do. One villain in particular, stood out above the rest. In the novels, he stands out for his cunning, for his charisma and the unpredictable nature of his actions. I appreciated him while I was reading the books but then when the television series cast a total smoke show to portray his character, I was unrelentingly smitten. Anyone who has read the books, probably assumes I am talking about Black Jack Randall, well congratulations, you’re wrong. I am talking about Stephen Bonnet.

Everyone: “What?? Ew, he is the worst. He has no morals; he will stab you in the back as quickly as he is able!”

I hear you and I understand but I think you have forgotten. HE IS A PIRATE, a pirate! Of course, he is treacherous and untrustworthy. He takes what he wants and survives by deceit and thievery. Let me say it again for those in the back, p-i-r-a-t-e. How do you think he has managed to survive thus far? How did he become the Captain of his own ship? By taking what he wants by whatever means necessary. He’s ambitious, sly, and only slightly evil. His intellect, his tricorn hat and that Irish lilt draw me in, and I am not ashamed.

I don’t want everyone to assume that I see a miscreant or scoundrel on the screen and I am immediately attracted to them. This is far from the case, I need them to thirst for something, to be a strong character, to lure me into the darkness with them, in order for me to appreciate their provocative charms.

I have wondered from time to time whether it is the character themselves or the role that they play that attracts me. Sometimes, I fall for a character as I watch them progress. Sometimes it is just aspects of their personality that I find attractive and not others. A perfect example of this is Rollo from Vikings. Overall, Rollo is a very complex character. He longs to crawl out from his brother Ragnar’s shadow but in doing so makes himself a villain to many. In this case, it isn’t Rollo’s treachery that I find appealing, it’s his nature. When you see Rollo for who is truly is: raw, powerful and ruthless you will also have no choice but to love him.

The picture below is the Rollo that I can’t appreciate. He is repressed. Although, outwardly still attractive his savage instincts are held back.

Now this is the Rollo I could get behind… (or under) See what I did there? Haha. Sorry, not sorry.

Moving swiftly along, in the movie Dracula Untold the leading man Luke Evans (whom I think is fantastic in general) is a prince who becomes a monster to obtain the power to save his kingdom and the people he loves. NOW, I pose a question to you…because he becomes evil for a worthwhile cause is it easier for people to love this villain?

The answer is yes, by the way.

Why is that? In the end he is still a literal blood-sucking monster but because he doesn’t start off that way people tend to find it more acceptable to have him as your computer desktop background. I am sure that if we knew the backstories of most of my villainous hunks, we would find that there is something in their past that makes is more justifiable for us to love them. I am merely suggesting we just skip that step and love them anyway.

Anyone can be an antihero if you cast them in the right light. I will demonstrate this below by listing some common sexy hero’s and then unmasking their nefarious sides.

1.William Wallace (Braveheart played by Mel Gibson): Murderer, rebel, treasonous outlaw.

2. King Leonidas (300 played by Gerard Butler): Kicks messengers into death pits, also a murderer, leads his Spartan army to complete massacre where everyone is wiped out.

3. Mr. Rochester (Jane Eyre): Liar, adulterer, also keeps his mentally ill wife hidden and locked up and pretending she doesn’t exist.

4. Robin Hood (Robin Hood played by Russel Crowe): Murderer, thief, treasonous, outlaw.

5: John Rambo (Rambo (any of the them) played by Sylvester Stallone): Kills everyone, maims people with booby traps, destroys places with explosives, tortures people. (This one actually hurt me to do… #alwaysmyhero)

To conclude today’s blog, I want you to remember that just because some people, mainly me, lust after the bloodthirsty, bat-shit-crazy villains of the world, does not mean that they should be branded crazy villains themselves. I will leave you all with this image of Tom Hardy as the “bad guy” Bane in the movie The Dark Knight Rises, whose side are you really on now?

Welcome to the dark side. I'll see you next week.

~Em