Handsome but horrible! On-screen boyfriends who are walking red flags

New Delhi: Women being into ‘bad boys’ with anger problems and tattoos is a commonly used trope. While there is a large chunk of the population that has romanticised this genre, it should be obvious that women should not date such men in real life. It is totally possible to lose focus and confuse reality with fiction when the actors playing such characters are usually heartthrobs with massive sex appeal.

But, despite how tempting a life of danger and spontaneity might seem to you, trust us when we say this: it does not end well in real life. And romanticising such characters will only give men a reason to be and do terrible things.

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You should know that it is not just the leather jacket-wearing men you need to avoid in real life; it is also people who do not respect you, your profession, your family, or your future. Apart from the major red flags that should be avoided at all costs, we’re here to point out other seemingly “minor” red flags that you need to spot before you get obsessed with a man. And what better way to explain than to use on-screen boyfriends to make these flags clear? Let’s take a deep dive into the most popular movies and shows and take steps to avoid such men to protect your mental and emotional peace.

Let’s start with an obvious one, Warner Huntington from Legally Blonde. Warner was an insecure and jealous individual who not only put Elle down at every possible step but also projected his fears of not being good enough for Harvard into Elle’s mind. It was Elle’s super high confidence and will to prove herself that pushed her to crack Harvard Law and surpass Warner at his winning game. If it were someone with low self-esteem and confidence, Warner would have had her wrapped around her finger, disrespecting and making her beg for his attention.

Another pretty popular on-screen boyfriend, Ezra Miller from Pretty Little Liars, is a walking red flag. Yes, that’s right! Despite how handsome he is or how much he seems to love Aria, you cannot ignore the fact that he continued to pursue Aria after learning that she was underage. You could blame Aria for lying about her age, but being the adult in the situation, Ezra should have drawn boundaries and stayed away from his student! Not only this, but people always seem to forget that he stalked a bunch of high school students to get ahead in his career. He was handsome, but oh so creepy!

Rachel and Ross are one of the most beloved couples on TV; however, we don’t really think Ross is the green flag most people think he is. Ross harboured an obsession towards Rachel for years, sabotaged her relationships, never respected her career and had an overtly possessive demeanour. Some might call it love, but we call it a major red flag! Think about how easy it was for Ross to go back to Rachel the moment she showed any interest in him. He did not think twice about the consequences of breaking a wedding, ruining Emily’s life and so forth. Next, he slept with another woman mere hours after Rachel asked for some time away; that’s how much he “loved” her. His refusal to take Rachel’s career seriously and interrupting her work to make her good-looking boss ‘jealous’ at how well Rachel is treated by her man - projecting insecurities much?

The next not-so-surprising candidate for this list is none other than Edward Cullen. A beautiful and strong man who is obsessed with you? Sounds like every teenager’s dream. But, when you think about it, Edward’s creepy and predatory romance is far from okay. Watching Bella sleep, following her around, distancing her from her friends and family, bringing her into the world of vampires before leaving her to be hunted because he thinks being away would keep Bella safe, the list goes on and on. Whether Edward is a good movie boyfriend has always been up for debate, but we need to understand that if an average man were to follow you around and warn you that he is ‘dangerous’, you should probably stay away for good.

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There you have it! These are the most popular examples we could find to show you what to avoid. Do you agree with this list and the explanations provided? Let us know!

(This story was curated by Ishita Ranganath.)