Lovable loser

The lovable loser is a character archetype portrayed as a sympathetic, likable, or well-meaning person for whom bad luck continually prevents their various efforts from succeeding, and from obtaining the things they feel will bring them happiness,^[1] particularly an idealized true love.^[2]

Lovable losers are often defined by ambitions exceeding their capabilities, and by their over-zealous, and sometimes self-defeating, efforts to obtain their desires.^[1] They are prone to fall for get-rich-quick schemes, and advertised shortcuts to finding wealth, success, or love, and to act impulsively in the pursuit of these things,^[1] but at the same time may be prone to act ethically and selflessly, resisting efforts to lure them into behavior that would actually harm others.^[2] They are often depicted as falling into a dynamic where their friends are disdainful of their efforts, or offer bad advice or other counterproductive help.^[2]

Examples of lovable losers in media include Charlie Brown, the main character of the Peanuts comic strip by Charles M. Schulz,^[3] whose exploits in futility include an inability to fly a kite without getting it stuck in a tree, never receiving valentines from anyone in his school class, being the pitcher on a winless baseball team, and repeatedly being convinced by Lucy to try to kick a football, only for her to yank it away at the last second; Chandler Bing on Friends, who for most of the show's run was unable to find romance (in contrast with his roommate, Joey Tribbiani, who easily fell into meaningless relationships);^[1] and Andy, the main character in The 40-Year-Old Virgin, who must deal with overly forward efforts by his friends and coworkers who want to help him lose his virginity.^[2]

At one time it was noted that "[a]lmost every top-rated series has a regular, dependable loser; a patsy who always gets the short end of the stick, a fall guy who is left with egg on his face".^[4] It has been argued that "the lovable loser plays a big part in the American dream", because "the lovable loser--as long as he is on the side of the angels--rescues the country from its excesses, and thus represents an indispensable national trait".^[5]

In sports, the phrase specifically refers to athletes or sports teams that, despite their best efforts, are consistently unable to win.^[6] The term was particularly applied to the Chicago Cubs baseball team for a long stretch of their existence, during which a World Series championship eluded the team until 2016.^[7][8] A 1961 college football game preview predicting a loss for Indiana University described the team's head coach, Phil Dickens as a "big lovable loser".^[9] Golfer Sam Snead, who had close losses in a number of golf tournaments, was characterized as a lovable loser in 1963, although he was a winner of three of the four major golf tournaments, which included three PGA Championships.^[10] A 1963 Chicago Tribune headline named the New York Mets lovable losers.^[11] The Mets went on to win the World Series six years later. In cycling, French rider Raymond Poulidor has been described as a lovable loser: he earned the nickname "the eternal second" as never won the Tour de France or wore the yellow jersey, despite scoring three runner-up finishes and five third places, and was eclipsed by his rival and compatriot Jacques Anquetil. Nevertheless, he achieved great popularity with the French public.^[12]