I enjoy the pairing of charm and evil,
it's like pairing wine with...fuck. (The sound of a pen scratching.) LOGO. Hellooo everybody! Approximately 1 million
years ago, I made a video breaking down the tropes regarding men in fiction that
I absolutely despise. I suddenly realized I've never flipped the script, ‘cause I'm
stupid! Today, we're doing just that. I am breaking down the ten (10) male character
tropes that make my heart sing. These tropes give me life. They water my crops. They clear my skin. Before we get started, my good friends over at Skillshare have
sponsored today's video, so we gotta show ‘em our love! Skillshare is an online
learning community specifically for creators! It doesn't matter if you're a
TOTAL newbie at your craft or if you're a seasoned professional, Skillshare has
THOUSANDS of classes available at ALL skill levels! Skillshare has classes in
graphic design, web design, illustration, business, marketing, creative writing...I
could go on! No matter your creative path, Skillshare’s got you covered. I
personally enjoy the business and marketing classes available on
Skillshare. I think they're REALLY insightful.
I myself have two marketing classes available! One is all about how to build
an engaging author platform, the other is a step by step process for releasing
your novel with little to no assistance. Skillshare’s got something extra special
just for you guys! Stick around until the end of this video to find out exactly
what it is! But first, let's gush about how much we love men! Well, in fiction, at
least. And while you're here, be sure to subscribe to my channel and ring that
bell! I post new videos on Wednesdays! Sometimes I have bonus content! Sometimes
they're about tropes! Sometimes they're about writing! Sometimes they're about
publishing! Just ring the bell, subscribe, and get on it! You won't regret it! Number One (1):
But wait, he's got a dog! A MILLION bonus points if it's teeny tiny, and a
BAZILLION bonus points if it's a rescue! Put those two things together, and I'm
losing my goddamn mind! There are few things sexier than a man who loves dogs,
and the juxtaposition between a big strong hulking hunk of man meat and a
wee little bundle of cute is both hella adorable and
grade-A spank bank material. I wanna see this man walk his dog, scratch his
dog, let the dog give him all kinds of kisses. Did they fall asleep cuddling
together on the couch again? Of course, they did! Are my ovaries
exploding? Absolutely! Nicknack, paddywhack, give the man a dog,
damn it! Unless you plan to kill it later on in the book, in which case this entire
trope is ruined and I hate you. Number Two (2): The Underdog, not to be confused with
my last point, though an underdog who owns a dog sounds like a real winner to
me! There are lots of books where the main dude is the greatest detective in
the state, or the best knight in the kingdom, or the most handsome prince in
all the land, and that shit's boring! It's SO much more engaging to read about a
man who struggles, who makes sacrifices, who has the cards stacked against him.
Underdogs are likable! We can ALL relate to being in that position at SOME point
in our lives. And if we CAN’T relate... fuck you, you entitled dickwipe! I want
to see someone rise from zero to hero, otherwise, I'm not interested. Number
Three (3): Protective partners. I'm gonna be a basic bitch for a hot minute. It is
EVERYTHING when you're reading a book and the male MC or love interest does
that protective thing. You all know what I'm talking about!
Someone's trying to hurt his partner, and he takes a stand. Because he doesn't know
what he’d do with himself if something happened to them! Now, this is not to be
confused with stalking or dishonouring the partners wishes in the name of
protection, because that is inherently dangerous, which kind of defeats the
point. Besides, nobody likes a stage five clinger except for ANOTHER stage five
clinger, am I right? But when a man cares about his partner's well-being, and
FIGHTS to keep them safe, it melts my cold, frigid heart! Number Four (4): Men who
hate their fathers. I've talked about this in the past, but it's so, SO worth
repeating. I don't know why I love this trope so much, but I do and I can't stop!
The father in question is always some high-powered, no-good, rat bastard and the
son in question is usually the main character or the love interest and he
has had enough of this man's malarkey! Look, a man who defies his
piece-of-shit father is a man who could get it. He is willing to rebel against
THE most powerful man in his life and that says a lot about his character, and
possibly his genitals. I'm JUST sayin’! Number Five (5): The Grouch.
When written correctly, gotta admit, I sure do love a big, broody man baby. It's
gotta be done WELL. If the character broods, he has to have a good reason to
brood. Something dark and disturbing has happened to him, and it's turned him into
a pouty grump. Then, over the course of the novel, we see him open up like a
blooming flower and suddenly all that personality that was trapped away is
revealed, and that shit's cute! This is the appeal behind stories like Beauty
and the Beast. Provided we don't hop over into cruel or abusive territory, it's
really rewarding to watch the man behind the frown evolve. Plus, the process is
often romantic as fuck, and I live for a good love story, so keep ‘em coming!
Number Six (6): The Rebel WITH a cause. I talk a lot of shit about bad boys, but
that's because a lot of them are snot-nosed brats. They're bad for the
sake of being bad. That's not attractive. That's just my high school ex-boyfriend
fighting for his dad's attention. (Impersonating Bratty Voice) “Notice me, dad! I’m fragile!” (Normal Voice) However, I DO enjoy a
bad boy who's bad for a purpose. I LOVE a rebellious character! Someone who breaks
the rules, who battles against social expectations, all in the name for a goal
or objective they care DEEPLY about. Personally, I think rebellion for the
sake of your passion, especially if what you're rebelling for is inherently good,
is honestly just a sign of integrity. Doing what you believe is right
matters more to you than falling in line with social conventions, and I can get
behind that! Number Seven (7): The Charming Villain. You know when you're reading a
bad guy’s dialogue and you're laughing and smiling, even though you really,
REALLY shouldn't be? I live for that shit! We see the charming villain most often
with male villains. They are the characters that people LOVE to hate, and
I am NO different. I enjoy the pairing of charm and evil!
It's like pairing wine with poison. You know it's bad for you. In fact,
you'll probably die, but it sure do taste good! And even if you're rooting AGAINST the charming villain, there's always a LITTLE part of you that's really sad
when they're defeated. Rest in peace, you beautiful bastard! You're forever in the
darkest part of my heart! Number Eight (8): The Bromance.
A lot of readers have VERY strong opinions when it comes to friendship in
fiction, particularly how friendship revolves around gender. I personally
don't have too many strong opinions about friendship and gender. However, I do
love me a good bromance! I think it's because society often discourages men
from being affectionate and emotional with one another, which can't be healthy,
let's be real! So I think it's endearing when male characters become best buds
and support each other! It's just cute and nice. I like it! It also opens the
door up for LOTS of witty banter, which is MY jam. However, overall, I just love
seeing guys being goofy and sweet with one another. Number Nine (9): The Dandy. In a time
where seven feet tall, roided-out hairy cavemen are all the rage in fiction,
it's really refreshing to read about a good old-fashioned dandy. The guy values
style, neatness, and grace. He's dapper, he's darling, and I love him. This is the
man who appreciates a well tailored suit, who values grooming, and a good shave. He
probably smells AMAZING, and I appreciate that. You know all these mountain men
with their scraggle beards probably smell like piss and feet. They live in
the goddamn woods for cryin’ out loud! I'm just saying, a man with a great
wardrobe and personal hygiene is a WELCOME change of pace in fiction and
I'm a big fan! And Number Ten (10): Emotionally well-adjusted men. This isn't
exactly a trope, but it's MY channel, and I get to say whatever the hell I want!
Trixie and Katya, eat your heart out! I'm really tired of emotionless robot men
in fiction. They're not engaging to read, and they don't get my motor runnin’. The
character doesn't even have to be emotionally WELL-adjusted, he's just gotta show some emotion, for the love of God! And no, breaking out into a violent rage
every once in a while DOESN’T count. I'm talking about some vulnerabilities.
Some happiness, or sadness, or weakness. Literally ANYTHING. It's just nice to
read about men who are ACTUALLY written like human beings, as rare as it may be.
So that's all I got for you today! Thank you SO much to Skillshare for sponsoring
today's video, and always supporting my platform! I really, REALLY appreciate it!
If you want to take the next step in your creativity OR learn a brand new
skill, I cannot recommend Skillshare enough! Plus, their platform is SUPER
cheap! An annual subscription is less than ten bucks (< $10.00) a month. However, right now,
you can get two months of Skillshare Premium for FREE by clicking the link
below! That's two months of access to THOUSANDS of classes, including MY
classes, for free! Do it! I said so! I'm looking right at you! Click the link, go
for it! It's down below! Don't forget to subscribe to my channel! I post new
videos on Wednesdays, and if you want to be alerted as SOON as I upload, ring that
bell! The Savior's Champion is available in ebook, paperback, hardback, signed
hardback, as well as audiobook! If you are new to audiobooks, you can listen to TSC
on audible for free! I have all the links below! And be sure to follow me on social
media! I'm on Instagram, Tumblr, Facebook - and of course, you can Tweet me @JennaMoreci! Bye! (Rumbling Male Voice) This is Brontes. Why, THE FUCK, haven't you subscribed to Jenna's
channel? Do you REALLY want to face me? If you don't do it, you know what will
happen. I’ll rip out your tongue, torture you, then leave
your rotten corpse out for the birds to feast on it. Now press
the goddamn button, and the bell, too...
