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Straw Loser: Difference between revisions
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See also: [[This Loser Is You]]. Just not you-you. As noted above about acceptable targets, often crosses over with [[Token White]]; contrast the [[Unfazed Everyman]].
{{examples
== Anime ==
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== Film ==
* Jason Biggs seems to have made a career out of playing this type of character, beginning with ''[[American Pie]]''. This can be seen as a form of [[This Loser Is You]] appeal to guys who see themselves as not too successful with women either.
* ''[[Meet the Robinsons]]'' - The Bowler Hat Guy is an [[Ineffectual Sympathetic Villain]] who lives in a run-down building, [[The Pig Pen|never showers]], never thinks his evil plots through, and [[Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking|still has the handwriting of a kid]]. {{spoiler|This is deliberately done to show that he has never mentally moved on from one traumatic incident in his childhood.}}
* [[Elvis]] was the King of Rock & Roll, and thus the coolest guy alive by default...so it seemed forced and counterproductive in his (post Army) movies to make him ''look'' cool by having ''every'' other guy around him be an ineffectual goofball.
* Quince from ''[[Meet Joe Black]]'' . He's also Bill's [[Hero Worshipper]].
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* ''[[The Fresh Prince of Bel Air]]'' - Carlton Banks was the [[Straw Loser]] to Will Smith. When the show started they had more of a friendly rivalry with Carlton's sheltered-but-intelligent booksmarts being pit against Will's experienced-yet-wild streetsmarts, but as the show progressed Carlton morphed into an immature dork who simply couldn't compete with Will.
* In general, [[Nerds]] in high school sitcoms fall under this. [[Saved By the Bell]] was a particular offender, where the nerds were treated as subhumans who existed to be mocked and provide entertainment for therein for the main cast.
* ''[[Degrassi the Next Generation]]'' - [[Hollywood Nerd|Wesley]] (who is definitely not [[
* Lt. Randy Disher on ''[[Monk]]''.
* Jerry on ''[[Parks and Recreation]]'' is a subversion of sorts. He's [[Butt Monkey|constantly abused]] by the rest of the cast, who see him as an overweight loser with no life. The joke, essentially, is their continual to failure to notice that he's actually a perfectly normal middle-aged guy who has his life more together than any of them.
* Cliff Clavin is an unpopular, put-upon, mama's boy mailman who's only really good for spouting dubious trivia at the ''[[Cheers]]'' bar. Cliff's [[Heterosexual Life Partners|best friend]], the fat, lazy Norm Peterson gets more respect than him.
* Trina Vega on ''[[Victorious]]''. Unattractive [[Hollywood Homely|despite being portrayed by]] [[Daniella Monet]]? [[Hollywood Tone Deaf|Horrible Singer]] <ref>Despite her actress providing backup vocals for a few songs</ref>? [[Small Name, Big Ego|Ego too big for her actual talent]]? [[The Friend Nobody Likes|Disliked by the main cast]]? [[Parental Favoritism|Her parents preferring]] [[The Hero|her sister]] [[The Unfavorite|over her]]? She practically exists just to show how better Tori is by comparison.
* [[Discussed Trope|Discussed]] in ''[[Black Adder]] II'':
{{quote| '''Blackadder:''' It is said, Percy, that the civilized man seeks out good and intelligent company so that by learned discourse he may rise above the savage and closer to God. <br />
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* ''[[Street Fighter]]'' - Dan. Nothing says ''loser'' more than a crybaby palette-swap in a pink gi who can only dish out wussy attacks and taunts. Compared to the other more notable fighters, he is the most likely to have his ass-kicked. Even when he wins he cries. Though those are obviously [[Manly Tears]].
** This is even worse in the [[Street Fighter (Comic Book)|UDON comics]], as anytime he appears its just to get a butt-kicking by his opponent and humiliated thoroughly.
** This element of Dan can also be used strategically to transform him into a [[Lethal Joke Character]], and later incarnations are [[Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass]].
*** Not to mention that he's still a highly trained martial artist who can shoot fire out of his hand and could likely kick the bejesus out of 99.9% of people who ever played a ''Street Fighter'' game without breaking a sweat.
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