Alpha Males
By definition, an Alpha Male is “the most successful and powerful male in any group” (Cambridge Dictionary), or “dominant man: a man who controls the activities of a group and to whom others defer” (Encarta).
In the world of romance, the alpha-male is our hero. The man who would risk everything, even life, to capture and hold what is his. He is by no means perfect, but he’s got the strength of character to learn from his mistakes. Is he sexy? Well, duh! This is romance after all!
I was picking up a background clearance at the police station for a teaching job last summer, and of course, I had to go to the police station to do it. When I walked in, the Constable behind the front desk stood up and asked if he could help me. No word of a lie ladies, he was so incredibly hunky gorgeous, I forgot everything. Including my name. I could pretty much just stand there like a fish and gape at the man. When he asked me a second time if he could help me, I managed to stutter out what it was I was looking for. He smiled and told me I had the wrong building. After I backed (yes backed) out of the doors, I grabbed my cell phone and called my girlfriend and told her to get her butt down to the station so we could go cause a disturbance and get arrested. Unfortunately (or fortunately) she declined. So no handcuffs for me.
Sigh.
My undoing is the rough and tumble bad-boy. Uniforms do me in. Especially uniforms that include weapons. And I don’t know what it is about form fitting leather and a powerful motorcycle, but a good looking guy on a bike most definitely turns my head. Add in a five o’clock shadow or a hint of a beard, physical strength, and eyes that see right through to your soul — and I’m a puddle of goo.
But the play maker is when he walks. An alpha-male doesn’t just walk. He strides. With purpose. It’s an I-don’t-care-what-you-think gait with a “move, or pay the consequences” attitude.
There’s a clip from the movie “Shooter” with Mark Wahlberg where he puts on his shades and walks out of the hangar. The walk alone nearly knocked me off my theatre seat. Even if you’re not a fan, you have to admire that gait. Whoo!
- Nika
My ultimate Alpha characteristic – inner strength. Good boy or Bad boy – there has to be a strength that makes the heroine and the reader want to be held safely in his arms. She knows on an instinctive level that he won’t allow her to be hurt.
Sigh…alpha males. A subject near and dear to my heart. *giggles*
Badass Biker dudes do me in everytime. Leather, long hair, whiskered, gruff and if he has a voice that sounds like he smokes 3 packs a day. Couple that with the rumble of a Harley and my knees collapse! lol
My sister and I was going to the store and saw this guy who was so fine that we went around the corner and back but we didn’t see him. We went into the store and he was in the store. We were acting like teenager and he just smile and said hi. On top of looking good he also had an accent. I just died.
OMG I’m a sucker for a Scottish accent! It might be my heritage calling, but give me a good looking guy in a kilt and I’m hearing ‘the pipes’.
Oh, yeah… that’s the walk…
I”m another sucker for the bad boys… there’s just something about them… bikes, weapons, kilts… you name it. My next alpha hero’s a highwayman…
Fiona Vance
Who likes ‘em hot, dark, and dangerous…
Oooh a highway man. Swords and dark capes. Drool!
Some days I think I was born in the wrong century.
I love the movie, Shooter. Mark is absolutely brilliant in this role.
The shades get me every time, along with a muscular body with 6 pack abs. It doesn’t hurt to have a little bit of the bad guy in there. Just add a uniform and I’m hooked. Oh, yeah, a suggestion of a beard.
Joan
Not a bad walk, but could we get it from the backside ?
hmm alpha males *yummie*
secure, strong, willfull and intelligent, with sculpted bodies and a twinkle in their eye… the kind that grab hold of you and push you up against the wall to kiss you until your legs give out and pick you up to carry you to [fill in your preferred spot here] to have their way with you.
Men like Booth (Bones), Ronon (SGA) or Mick St. John (Moonlight) give me memorable dreams *smiles like the chessire cat*
I miss Moonlight. I thought that show was awesome. I wish they’d kept it. Mick St. John was totally yummy! And of course I can’t argue with the Booth and Ronon choices either (snicker).
I couldn’t believe they quit Moonlight :/ but I had the same feeling when they stopped Men in Trees with James Tupper as Jack Slattery (another yummy alpha male)
Dunno what those execs were thinking… must’ve all been men