Markup View

Author: WeAreAllKosh

May 4th 2013 at 9:20:59 AM

^^^^^I didn't get from the description of the trope AllGirlsWantBadBoys that it had to involve ''all'' or even a group of girls in a work wanting the same bad boy: the description described an individual character's feeling or choice, not that of a group, although you are right that in ''some'' works, competition among two or more girls for the bad boy does occur. I'm guessing the "all" in the title alludes to the often frustrated observations of "good boys" that the hot girl (or the girl they happen to want) is attracted to that {{Jerkass}} who treats her like crap, and wishing they had the chance to do better by her. They see bad boys getting more "action" than they do and start thinking most girls want that--and "all" is often used as an exaggeration or generalization of "most" (and when dealing with something as complex and diverse as human relationships, it pretty much has to be, can't be absolute). I don't actually think even most are like that, although most may have gone through such a phase (and some learn from that, some never do).

Similarly, I think some boys (maybe not as many as girls) go through a similar phase--where they're intrigued by a [[DarkChick dark]] or {{Badass}} girl, rebellious, defiant of social convention or even the law, something which makes them "different" and intriguing to a boy finding his wild side himself. Then there are other guys who--and this is very much a different thing--tolerate or become codependent with a "bad" girl as in one who will use them, possibly be openly contemptuous of them, or be irresponsible with the expectation that he will clean up their messes, even be very verbally or even physically abusive to them, etc.--the counterpart of girls who tolerate the same in their "bad boys". [[TwoAndAHalfMen Alan Harper]], whom I mentioned above, demonstrated a mild case of this--and he, like his female trope counterparts, probably thinks he can somehow "change" such women. Sadly, this for guys so afflicted is often not a phase but a chronic condition, like it often is for their female counterparts suffering destructive or abusive relationships.

Unlike AllGirlsWantBadBoys, though, that popular (possibly mis-) conception that most girls are inclined that way doesn't exist as far as guys go, and so a title mirroring that isn't going to resonate or make as much sense--and the relative dearth of examples (I know I've seen this in other works but can't remember, but I know it's not as common in media) reflects that. So ABoyIntoBadGirls may make more sense for the title. HotForTheBadGirl might work as well. The codependency version should probably be treated as a separate trope though, if we don't actually have such already.