'The Chuck Bass Conundrum' : Romanticizing Abusers Onscreen

NOTE: SPOILER ALERT TW: Sexual assault, domestic violence

Chuck Bass is supposedly everything a girl could want – handsome, sexy, and rich. He has inspired such articles as the “8 Hottest Chuck Bass Moments from Gossip Girl That Made Us Want to Date Him” and the "21 Sexiest Chuck Bass Moments of All Time." He is notorious for performing elaborate acts of romance, dressing to kill, and marrying the intelligent, calculating Blair Waldorf. There’s just one problem.

He’s a sexual predator and abuser.

This leads to a question that I like to call “the Chuck Bass conundrum” -- if a man is sexually attractive and well dressed, and he occasionally performs a grand romantic gesture, is it okay to excuse that he is violent and misogynistic?

At first glance, “conundrum” may seem like a strange way to describe this puzzle. The Merriam Webster Dictionary defines a “conundrum” as “an intricate and difficult problem.” Considering the fact that Chuck Bass set up his girlfriend to be raped by his uncle in exchange for a hotel (Season 3, Episode 17) and almost punched her in the face, sending shards of glass into her cheek when she darted out of the way in utter terror (Season 4, Episode 20), it really shouldn’t be that “intricate” or “difficult” to discern that he is a despicable human being.

But somehow, in a society that glorifies toxic masculinity, Chuck Bass’s morality is still under debate. Interestingly, the first question that popped up when I did a simple Google search of “Chuck Bass” was: “Is Chuck Bass a good guy?” The response that Google provides is from the character’s Wikipedia article, where Chuck is described as “resident ‘bad boy’ of the Upper East Side.” The term ‘bad boy’ seems just a little bit tame for a man who is guilty of stalking, domestic violence, and sexual assault…but okay.

The truth is that Chuck Bass violates women serially. In fact, when we meet him in the Pilot episode, he attempts to rape his future wife’s best friend, Serena. First, when she is hesitant, he uses blackmail – “Well if you’re looking for a way to thank me, I’ve got a couple ideas.” When that doesn’t work, he resorts to physical force and restraint, assaulting Serena as she screams, “No, Chuck! Get off of me!” Later in the episode, at a party, he makes a comment about a woman passing by, remarking, “There’s something wrong with that level of perfection. It needs to be violated.”

On that same day, Chuck coerces Jenny, a girl who is much younger than him, by urging her to drink more alcohol, despite her being visibly uncomfortable. Trembling, she tries to pretend that she is not going to fight back, but she secretly begins texting a friend to come rescue her from the situation. As Chuck physically restrains Jenny despite protest and cries for help, he explains his lack of consent with, “It’s a party. Things happen,” and says to Serena, (the woman who he sexually assaulted earlier that day) “Your life is over, slut!”

Chuck’s disregard for consent is romanticized, encompassed by a token of advice he offers to his viewers in Season 1, Episode 18: “In the face of true love, you don’t just give up, even if the object of your affection is begging you to.” As stated in Elite Daily, “nothing made him more attractive than when he was at his most aggressive and intense.” Instead of being villainized for his predatory behavior, he is perceived by audiences as being sexy and romantic. In fact, the YouTube clip of Serena’s assault is captioned, “Chuck is disgusting. But I love him. Lol.”

Many argue that Chuck does have a softer side. For example, in Season 2, Episode 25, he flies to Europe to buy Blair her favorite macarons. However, grand gestures of this kind are actually just another manipulation strategy that abusers use to trap their victims, as detailed in “How To Tell if You’re in an Emotionally Abusive Relationship,” posted by the One Love Foundation. In fact, Chuck checks off all of these boxes. In Season 5, Episode 9, he gives Blair the “guilt trip,” claiming, “Your love kept me alive,” manipulating her into thinking that he will not survive if she does not stay.

In Season 2, Episode 1, he demonstrates “irrational jealousy,” hiring a private investigator to stalk Blair’s every move. In Season 1, Episode 13, he resorts to “put-downs,” telling her, “You held a certain fascination when you were beautiful, delicate, and untouched. But now you're like one of the Arabians my father used to own. Rode hard and put away wet. I don't want you anymore and I can't see why anyone else would.” The list just goes on and on.

So…what’s the big answer to the Chuck Bass conundrum? Is it okay to excuse a man for sexual and domestic violence because he is good-looking and “romantic?” The answer is a resounding no. Instead of wondering “Is Chuck Bass a good guy?” we should be wondering “Why was this ever a question?”

There is nothing sexy about toxic masculinity, and it’s time for abusers to be held accountable – not glamorized – on screen and off.