Why people hate thugs or mafia in real life but when it comes to fiction story people love it?

In technical sense many gangs and mafias are actually badass in real life because obviously they do stuff we would never be able to do but since they do messed up shit its not cool for us.

Meanwhile in movies we know it isn't real so we may see it as a type of cool thing to do.

We have evil expectations from them and when they reach those expectations obviously we like it. And in any case when mafia bosses do something messed up in the movies people don't see it as cool in a positive sense but in a negative sense.

Plus movie mafias are much different than real ones.

Criminal people in fiction are much cooler. No real life person who lives a criminal life is actually anywhere near as smart or cool as Michael Corleone. Thugs don’t have an ounce of charm, especially compared to fictional thugs. They’re actually — shocker — despicable and unlikeable people. Writers just use the setting to impart messages about humanity in general, it’s not a statement of “wow look how cool the mafia is!”

Great discussion topic though.

The mafia and thugs in fiction have more sophistication.

The allure of taboo without forgetting that it's taboo.

Because mafia and thugs in fiction are nothing like mafia and thugs in real life.

mafia and thugs in fiction are often romanticized

This. Pop culture almost never gives us the complete picture of the ugly side of crime unless it's a plot point.

Japanese anime and manga romanticizes and fetishizes Nazis all the time, nobody cares.

I would question why would anyone care about thugs in fiction as opposed to their accuracy to real life.

Are you mentally challenged? Asking why people like villians in fiction and not in real life lool. This deserves no response

@the_hajduk: Since when does being being a criminal mean the person can't be smart or charming?Some psychopaths were known as being pretty charming.

@ironbart: I didn’t say certain extraordinary individuals can’t have individual traits. I was just speaking in general.

people hate pirates as well but now we got one piece

Because of the charismatic and romanticized characters that cinema and fiction have banked on.

Go watch Gomorra series if you want to see how thugs would be more like.

First there's a big difference between thugs and an actual mafia. A mafia has organization, power, and influence and is often lead buy a family or powerful and respected leader. A gang, made of thugs, often is smaller, less organized and doesn't have the power to make big moves.

Second, A mafia is cool because they have a smoothness to them. Although cold they are respectable and can help society in many ways. Gangs work only for their self interest and seek power.

The same reason most people who love playing GTA aren't actually going to go on a rampage.

People are hypocrites. All those movie criminals are based on real life criminals

Because the fictional character can't hurt or kill real, living human beings or cause major harm to a real community with real people with real lives that are really being ruined.

I like how their portrayed as badasses, but at the same time they're characters I love to hate.

I´m fairly certain that some people still love mafia in real life, see Pablo Escobar or El Chapo for example.

Personally, I hate crime, but what I wonder about the organized crime, is how an individual with low IQ besides Lucky Luciano and Meyer Lanski can achieve so much? well I know the organized crime's main tool is fear and violence, but it doesn't take one that really far.

For example, one of the so many things which highlight their limited IQ, is that between the 70's-80's, their casinos in Las Vegas were so poorly equipped, I mean, all the light decorations were in fact spectacular, but then when you entered in the casinos, the ambient was so monotonous, you could only witness gambling places, good food and hotel rooms, but there wasn't a proper ambient for children or minors like it's the case nowadays and other entertainment options, that's why the American Mafia couldn't keep up with such a responsibility and they were kicked away from Las Vegas and finally replaced by legit investors and business runners with a superior taste and visionary skills, that's why the Las Vegas from nowadays achieves a far superior earnings/profit than in the past.

I don't really think they are cool, but their naivety and stupidity are entertaining.

Some Sicilian people love the Sicilian mafia.

It's not real, that's why.

Because the human mind is collectively drawn to violence. Every single person is a bloodthirsty psychopath ready to be released from it's cage.