History Main / NiceGuysFinishLast

-->''Nice guys finish last, bad guys have a blast! take his money - grab his honey - dump that loser fast!''\\
-- '''Lyrics in Eugene, Eugene, Hey Arnold'''

-->''Nice guys finish last\\

treat you the way you want me to''\\
-- '''[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xfeys7Jfnx8 Nice]][[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Fz3zFqLc3E Guys]], by [[{{Nigahiga}} Ryan Higa]], Kevin "Kevjumba" Wu, and Chester See'''

* [[JimCarrey Stanley Ipkiss]] from ''TheMask''. He grows out of it by the end of the film, where he learns how to still be a nice guy without being a pushover.

* [[http://www.girlswithslingshots.com/comic/gws-1280/ Girls With Slingshots]] Jim whines that "nice guys never get laid" to four perfectly nice, normal guys who ''are'' getting laid. They are not amused.

* [[http://www.girlswithslingshots.com/comic/gws-1280/ Girls With Slingshots]] Jim whines that "nice guys never get laid" to four perfectly nice, normal guys who 'are' getting laid. They are not amused.

* ''CobraStarship'' has a song called "Nice Guys Finish Last", but it has a fairly tongue-in-cheek tone, and (given that it appears on the same album as "Pete Wentz Is the Only Reason We're Famous") ''really'' shouldn't be taken seriously.

Opposite of CheatersNeverProsper. Related to LoserGuy, RomanticRunnerUp, and {{The Social Darwinist}}. For characters who actually finish last because they're nice, see DoggedNiceGuy.

* The song "Mr. Cellophane" from ''{{Chicago}}''.

-- '''[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xfeys7Jfnx8 Nice Guys]], by [[{{Nigahiga}} Ryan Higa]], Kevin "Kevjumba" Wu, and Chester See'''

And no, it has [[FreudWasRight nothing to do]] with [[GoodPeopleHaveGoodSex nice guys making sure their girl]] [[IfYouKnowWhatIMean "finishes" first]].

* An episode of ''HeyArnold!'' dealt with this trope, in which a school play takes on this trope as its FamilyUnfriendlyAesop.

-->'''Spongebob:''' "Well, [[PlayingWithATrope what about]] [[TakeAThirdOption agressively nice people?]]"

->'''Plankton:''' Haven’t you figured it out, [=SpongeBob=]? Nice guys finish last. Only aggressive people conquer the world! ([[EvilLaugh laughs evilly]])
->'''Spongebob:''' "Well, [[PlayingWithATrope what about]] [[TakeAThirdOption agressively nice people?]]"

Opposite of CheatersNeverProsper. Related to LoserGuy, RomanticRunnerUp, and {{The Social Darwinist}}.

For characters who actually finish last because they're nice, see DoggedNiceGuy.

Opposite of CheatersNeverProsper. Related to LoserGuy, RomanticRunnerUp, and {{Darwinist}}.

Opposite of CheatersNeverProsper. Related to LoserGuy, RomanticRunnerUp.

Jerk Asses sometimes use this line as [[JerkJustifications a rationalization for being such tools]]. [[{{Realpolitik}} As do nations.]]

Jerk Asses sometimes use this line as [[JerkJustifications a rationalization for being such tools]].

{{Jerk Ass}}es sometimes use this line as [[JerkJustifications a rationalization for being such tools]].

The trope name is a misquote - there are several supposed sources and original quotes, but the fact that it's a misquote is the only certain thing.

[[AC:Film]]
* Stanley Ipkiss from ''TheMask''. He grows out of it by the end of the film, where he learns how to still be a nice guy without being a pushover.
* Implied throughout TheJaneAustenBookClub Lampshaded when Grigg has this conversation with Jocelyn.
->Grigg Harris: Women never go for the nice guys.
->Jocelyn: Please, men say that, but when you get to know some of these men who complain the most, you find out they're not as nice as they think they are.

[[AC:Literature]]

[[AC:Live Action TV]]

* ''{{iCarly}}'': Freddie invokes this by trying to prank order a ''fishy pizza'' to his teachers house in front of Carly. When the pizza place calls back, he panics and runs away.

[[AC:Music]]

* ''GreenDay'''s "Nice Guys Finish Last" predates the song above, though it's not a TropeNamer by any stretch.

[[AC:Theatre]]

[[AC:Webcomics]]
* SomethingPositive has Mike declare this, as he whines about acting like a girl's friend, only to have her fall for some better-looking guy who actually asked her out, rather than the creepy guy who was pretending friendship so he could get something out of it.

[[AC:Western Animation]]
* An episode of the ''BabyBlues'' AnimatedAdaptation focused on this. When Rodney asks Darryll for advice on women, he tells her he was a nice guy in high school, but if he could do it all over again he'd be the biggest {{jerkass}} ever because he never got the girl. Rodney takes this to heart and starts acting this way, and sure enough [[AllGirlsWantBadBoys girls fall all over him]]. At the end, Darryll finds out the bad boy who competed with him is now working as a janitor, and stops thinking this way.
** Subverted in that one of his coworkers who makes more money and works less then Rodney admits to being like the janitor.

* An episode of ''HeyArnold'' dealt with this trope, in which a school play takes on this trope as its [[FamilyUnfriendlyAesop Family Unfriendly Aesop]]
* [[SpongebobSquarepants Plankton]] said this to Spongebob.
->Plankton: Haven’t you figured it out, Spongebob? Nice guys finish last. Only aggressive people conquer the world! ([[EvilLaugh laughs evilly]])
----

* Cobra Starship has a song called "Nice Guys Finish Last", but it has a fairly tongue-in-cheek tone, and (given that it appears on the same album as "Pete Wentz Is the Only Reason We're Famous") ''really'' shouldn't be taken seriously.
* Green Day's "Nice Guys Finish Last" predates the song above, though it's not a TropeNamer by any stretch.

* Stanley Ipkiss from ''TheMask''. He grows out of it by the end of the film, where he learns out to still be a nice guy without being a pushover.

* Stanley Ipkiss from ''TheMask''.