Why do we like the bad guys?

When I’m teaching elements of storytelling, a discussion ensues regarding protagonists and antagonists. Usually, we think of them as the good guys and the bad guys in a story, pro- and anti- if you will. However, the true definition of a protagonist is the main character in a story; an antagonist is who or what the protagonist has conflict with.

 

We then read “The Tell-Tale Heart” by Edgar Allen Poe. The protagonist in this story is the caretaker for an old man. That caretaker also happens to be the person who murders his employer. The whole story is from the killer’s point of view. He’s the main character, even if he’s psychotic. 

 

Stories like this used to be the exception, not the rule. However, more and more, we see main characters who are not the nicest people you’ll ever meet.

 

I spent part of my summer finally getting around to watching the award-winning television series Breaking Bad. For those not familiar, Bryan Cranston stars as a 50-year-old science teacher who is diagnosed with cancer. He wants to leave his family in good financial shape when he’s gone, so he starts cooking and selling meth. 

 

Sounds reasonable, right? Here’s the deal. By the end of the first season, I found myself rooting for Walter White (Cranston’s character) to get out of the jams he found himself in. His partner, former student Jesse Pinkmon, also falls into this realm. You are really pulling for these two to be successful.

 

Then you remember they’re selling a highly addictive drug. And as the series goes on, Walt becomes much less of a sympathetic character. Still, there’s a part of you that wants him to see his journey through and leave his family in good shape. He’s the protagonist, after all. 

 

This is the perfect example of an anti-hero being the star. It’s Walter White’s story, no matter how many good or bad things he does. And while he devolves throughout the series, 

Jesse, while he faces a roller-coaster ride, does just the opposite. He started as a no-good druggie, someone you really have a hard time liking, even if you do pull for him.

 

It was a really good series, but questionable in why we “like” characters like Walt. But that’s only one example of this phenomenon.

 

Michelle and I went to the theater last month to see Deadpool and Wolverine, starring Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman as the title characters in the latest Marvel movie. If you like raunchy humor, violence, and cameos from many Marvel characters, this is the movie for you. (Or if you just like Ryan Reynolds, which is why Michelle was with me.)

 

Both of these characters are anti-heroes. They slash and stab and kill with little remorse.

 

They swear like drunken sailors. Are they heroes? Do they save the day? Well, sure, but not usually without wrecking other lives along the way.

 

Wolverine first appeared in comics in 1974 alongside the Hulk. He then joined the X-Men and vaulted in popularity. Along the way, he became one of the first anti-heroes in comics. He would kill someone if needed and not shed any tears over it.

 

Debuting the same year, though even earlier was a character called the Punisher. He really started as a bad guy who was hunting bad guys. His family had been killed by mobsters, and he vowed revenge on all criminals. He eventually became one of those characters you rooted for. Sometimes. 

 

Deadpool didn’t appear until 1990, but by that time, readers were clamoring for this type of character. The 90s were replete with dark heroes. And when something is hot, no matter the type of entertainment, you’re bound to see a ton of copycats. 

 

Maybe we like the bad guys because we know we’ll never be that way. (I hope.) We can watch Deadpool narrate his way through a killing field and laugh and groan and enjoy the show without feeling any moral compunction. It’s just a show!

 

For years, people would blame teenage violence on bad movies and video games. Seeing all those guns and all that death led them to do terrible things. While that might be true in some rare instances, most of us made it through watching and playing and never really thinking of doing anything like that.

 

But we enjoyed it.

 

Deadpool and Wolverine is setting new records every week for an R-rated movie. This fall, the sequel to The Joker will arrive in theaters. The first one, starring Joaquin Phoenix, was a well-done movie about a man who has a psychotic break. The Joker is probably the most famous of Batman’s villains, but that movie was the perfect example of a protagonist being not too nice. The sequel will likely feature even more badness, but in a good way. Will you feel for the Joker? Maybe not, but then again, who knows?

 

Something about these characters draws us to them. Maybe it’s just the exploration of the darker side of humanity, a side we hope never to see outside entertainment. I kept getting drawn further and further into Breaking Bad because of that journey.

 

One of the standout side characters of that series was Saul Goodman, played by Bob Odenkirk. Next up to watch? The series they made about that degenerate lawyer, Better Call Saul. Bad but good!

 

Word of the Week: This week’s word is immiseration, which means the act of making miserable, as in, “Walter White tried to do good for his family, but his immiseration was evident.” Impress your friends and confuse your enemies!