Why do we sometimes understand, admire, or even cheer for the villain?

In Part One of this two-part episode of Why Make Music..., ThinkTimm and Willa May begin exploring the psychology behind our fascination with bad guys, antiheroes, rebels, masterminds, and characters who seem to understand the world differently than everyone around them.

The conversation begins by examining why the human mind is naturally drawn toward confidence, rebellion, revenge, intelligence, pain, charisma, and emotional complexity. From there, the discussion expands into mythology, folklore, religion, history, and storytelling, revealing why nearly every culture throughout history has needed a villain to define its heroes.

The episode also explores how writers, filmmakers, musicians ...