Is it normal for boys to be all for the bad guys?

[MrsSnape]

Just looking at DS's heros which plaster his bedroom walls....

Joker from Batman...
Darth Vader from Star Wars...
Darth Maul from Star Wars...
Megatron from Transformers...

It's all the bad guys! If I were to ask him if he wanted a poster of Batman he'd probably look at me like I had two heads!

So why do they always go for the bad guys?

Well, have you asked him?

Bad guys can stay up late, and don't get grounded for vaporising people.
They get the best lines.
And they have impressive evil laughs.

As far as ds is concerned, I think there is a strong element of living vicariously. In RL he is a conscientious, sensible boy, so in his reading he can enjoy identifying with ruthless, callous types and get it out of his system
It's similar to what makes us cry in the cinema etc - catharsis, or getting rid of pent-up feelings
A lot of the time though, the authors/directors make the baddies more interesting. "The Devil has all the best tunes" etc. Their motivations are often less straightforward, and they are often actually more amusing.

x posted Bette

Yes I asked him why he loves the bad guys so much and he looked at me like I was daft and said....

"well....they're cool!!"

Must agree Batte....The Joker has a great laugh

Marina, you said it in a much more clever way, and made me a bit though.

Yes but you were much wittier Bette

Han Solo is cool!
(Though Luke Skywalker isn't admittedly.)

Growing up I don't remember anyone idolising Darth Vader.
After all, he dies in the end.

Of course his attitude is normal, there is no
'right' way of enjoying popular culture
but I do find it fascinating that he thinks baddies are cool.

DS1 (7) always wants to be the baddy when he is playing with friends. Not sure why he does, but at least it means there are no arguments over who will play the hero

I also agree with the comment about them being 'the cool ones'. DS1 thinks that too.

Dunno about boys, but dd went through a phase of this too. I was paranoid that I was having some ghastly influence on her, but eventually came to my senses and realised it's just that they're cool and can do all the things that most of us are discouraged doing. Fantasy land.