The Writers' Lounge

Bonus points for quoting Hark! A Vagrant. ;D
Also, caffeine *is* a viable alternative to food... isn't it?

Seriously, I think it's a really interesting point about the difference in redeemable and irredeemable asshattery for male and female protagonists. Massive, massive debate, but very interesting. Society deems women 'bitches' in the same breath as marking men 'mavericks' or 'single-minded' for essentially the same behaviour, so I think it's a valid point about feminine 'flaws' in fiction frequently being to do with emotional screw-ups. I also think we all love characters - male or female - who have the ability or opportunity to say 'fuck you' to society in the way most of us can't. We all want the bad guy to win at least once in a while.

Also, I think it's important that even dyed-in-the-wool arseholes often act from 'pure' motives; things or causes they genuinely believe in. The male protagonist in my most recent - aside from being dead for most of the book (which didn't cramp his style) - was a manipulative, self-obsessed little sod, yet with some deep-seated and oddly traditional values. Whether you find that irritating or endearing... up to you.

Further to that, picking up on niniane's Mary Sue point - I think the writer always needs to leave interpretation open. Even if you love the character to bits, if they're ever going to feel 'real', they need the freedom for some people to dislike them.