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A History Lesson in Hotness: A Blast of Bad Boys from the Past

Her Campus Placeholder Avatar Samantha Bergeson
Her Campus Placeholder Avatar Megan McCluskey
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Chapel Hill chapter.

You know Ryan Gosling. You’ve taped a picture of a shirtless Adam Levine to your dorm room wall. And please tell me you’re familiar with Zac Efron’s abs. But what about the original bad boys? It’s time to put down the textbooks for that history midterm and get tutored in past hunks.

1. James Dean

There’s a reason he’s a legend. James Dean defined a generation just with one brooding, knowing stare.
Movie to watch: “Rebel Without a Cause”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXRgAXU1-T4

2. Judd Nelson

This “Breakfast Club” babe is the definition of a sensitive bad boy. Call your mom and tell her you agree: you’d spend a Saturday in the library with this hottie any time.
Movie to watch: “The Breakfast Club”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfhIcgGpWhs

3. Mickey Rourke

Before drugs and an anxiety-driven retirement from acting, Mickey Rourke made women swoon. Watch “Diner” and you’ll understand. Or if you’re feeling really kinky, turn on “9 ½ Weeks,” the original 50 Shades of Grey. He knows what he’s doing and it feels so good.
Movie to watch: “Diner”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGZZ-CLphCI

4. Jared Leto

Before Zac Efron reached puberty, this blue-eyed stud came onto the scene. Actor, musician, foul-mouthed sex fiend….the ‘90s knew what was happening.
Song to hear: “Up in the Air” by Thirty Seconds to Mars
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9uSyICrtow

5. Jim Morrison

This musician frontman can open my Door any day. This photo hung in many 1970s girl’s rooms, lighting fires everywhere.
Song to hear: “Light My Fire” by the Doors
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJlXXgsGS5k

6. Johnny Depp

Before he was a pirate, Johnny Depp epitomized quiet dominance. Plus he drove a motorcycle. Ahh.
Movie to watch: “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape?”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6sLIP3908w

7. Jonathan Rhys Meyers

Woody Allen’s take on Crime and Punishment made Russian literature sexy, which is hard to do. Jonathan Rhys Meyer made it a whole lot easier. Oh, and did I mention that he has an accent?
Movie to watch: “Match Point”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gt8YarlEcwI

8. Robert Downey Jr.

We know him as Iron Man. Our moms knew him as that guy everyone wanted to date.
Movie to watch: “Only You”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLrqyfkXt_A

 

Alright now back to studying. Try to focus.

 
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Megan McCluskey

Chapel Hill

Megan McCluskey is a recent graduate from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a B.A. with Distinction in Journalism and Mass Communication, and a second major in French. She has experience as a Campus Correspondent and Contributing Writer for Her Campus, a Public Relations Consultant for The V Foundation, an Editorial Assistant for TV Guide Magazine and Carolina Woman magazine, a Researcher for MTV, and a Reporter and Webmaster for the Daily Tar Heel. She is an obsessive New England Patriots and Carolina basketball fan, and loves spending time with her friends and family (including her dogs), going to the beach, traveling, reading, online shopping and eating bad Mexican food.