Killing Romance Tropes: The Warm and Loving Billionaire Hero

 

         Surely the desirable billionaire cliché has worn itself out by now, but why do people still cling to it? Let’s examine this trope.

 Our gorgeous, muscular, sexy, brilliant billionaire hero is (multiple choice):

a)    Bitter because women only love him for his money

b)    Still suffering because his super-rich parents were only interested in globe trotting

c)    Is a tough, hard self-made man who has had to claw his way up the ladder

d)    Has had someone he loved die and has never recovered from the loss

         And, although our hero seems to be cold, hard, and ruthless, deep inside, he’s a loving, caring, warm, considerate, generous, gentle soul with a marshmallow-soft heart. All he needs is the right (unselfish, loving) woman to bring him out of his shell.

 

         Ho hum.

 

         Reality check

 

         Believe me, no one becomes obscenely rich through hard work alone. The only way to do it is by stealing, lying, evading taxes, mistreating and exploiting employees, tricking consumers, employing child labor, underpaying workers and exposing them to horrific working conditions.

         And what do billionaires do with their cash? Destructive and selfish, they turn social media platforms into vehicles for hate speech and fake news, buy up land and expropriate people, kill protected species for sport, buy huge yachts, private jets and create satellites that will further damage our too fragile environment.

         And these people are heroes?

 

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