Lauren Smelcher

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After learning that my high school stint at McDonald’s wouldn’t get me a job at a mag, I worked as a freelance journalist for a few years. With much haggling and many annoying phone calls, I got a job at Cosmo! As web ed, no two days are the same – some days I’ll be at a video or photo shoot, others I’m interviewing celebs or updating myself on the latest goss (all for research purposes, obviously).

Apart from that, I have a healthy addiction to cupcakes, clutches and Christian Bale. I once watched a VH1 countdown of ‘The 50 Most Awesomely Bad Songs Ever’ and was proud to announce that I loved every last one of them. I’m very good at tripping over, talking too loud and saying the wrong thing at the wrong time. Oh … and in an acrostic poem that my friends wrote about me, the “e” in my name stood for “embarrassing.”

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Thu 19
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Bad boy fever

The rules of attraction explained

A few weeks ago, our intern, Michelle, blogged about the allure of the bad boy - specifically, her attraction to nightmare chef Gordon Ramsey.

Now, his appeal has been scientifically proven (good news for Michelle, who was worried she was going a little nuts)! This week's issue of New Scientist features two US studies showing that men with antisocial personality traits (like impulsiveness, narcissism, thrill-seeking and deceitfulness) are more likely to get lucky in the sack.

Of course, the scientists have also confirmed that bad boys are more likely to have brief sexual encounters - meaning your naughty man probably won't stick around for too long.

Like the scientists, I can see the appeal of the bad boy. They're a lot more fun than the do-gooders (until they run off with your best friend/mortgage repayment, of course), they're provocative, daring and they lure you in by pretending they don't even notice you. And of course, many women hold out hope that they can tame their bad boy - after all, you're the only one who can see his deep, sensitive and troubled soul, right?

All of this explains our attraction to bad boys like Jonathan Rhys-Meyers (recently arrested in a Dublin airport for drunkenly abusing a staff member), Jesse Metcalfe (fresh out of rehab), Colin Farrell (the ultimate womaniser) and Calum Best (snapped snorting cocaine with two prostitutes just days after he broke up with Lindsay Lohan). Even the Rat Pack - the original celebrity bad boys - still hold their appeal. And who doesn't hold a candle for 80s bad boys Lenny Kravitz, Robert Downey Jr. and Rob Lowe?

Let's face it, some of television's steamiest scenes feature its most villainous men. Who hasn't fallen in love with Entourage's Vinnie Chase? Sure, he's an obnoxious cad, but he's also fun, flirtatious and impossibly charming. Then there's Gossip Girl's resident evil Chuck Bass, Grey's Anatomy's Alex Karev and Dexter's Dexter Morgan.

For me, though, the consummate bad boy will always be 90210's Dylan McKay. The motorbike, the eyebrow scar and the gutteral drawl made Dylan the stuff of my seven-year-old dreams. Sixteen years later, my crush (which is now a little more appropriate, methinks) hasn't waned a bit. Bad boys rock.
Number of Comments(2) Add Comment
Posted 24 Jun 2008 by crusty oscar
bad boys suck why cant you women go for a nice good guy for once!!!  Report thisReport this

Posted 03 Jul 2008 by Amy
Stuff the bad boys. they think they are cool when really they are trying to hide their true selves in fear of not being accepted by society. e.g bad boys army TV show - the bad boys are wimps in disguise & ruining peoples lives due to their stupidity. cmon girls ignore the idiots and look for the 'real' guys. They will love you way longer then any bad boy will.  Report thisReport this


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