History Main / AllegedlyDateless

* ''Series/MalcolmInTheMiddle'': Despite being "[[CoolLoser losers]]" who are supposedly not well liked by anyone, Malcolm and Reese manage to have new short term girlfriends [[GirlOfTheWeek every other episode or so]] during later seasons.

** Rajesh gets laid more than once despite an inability to even ''talk'' to women, though his family being wealthy has been the reason for at least one of those relationships.

* ''WesternAnimation/AmericanDad'': Steve Smith much like his counterparts from ''Family Guy''. Despite constantly being described as a perpetually awkward virgin loser, Steve has had multiple hookups and opportunities to lose his virginity to very attractive girls, much more than most 14 year old boys in real life could ever hope to. For the record, according to the ''American Dad'' [[TheWikiRule wiki]], he has had ''17'' different love interests. His equally awkward best friend Snot qualifies as well.

* ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'': Harry Dresden. The man's friends, co-workers, and magical spirit servants mock his lackluster love life. His love life actually isn't all that great - the books, 11 so far, each take place about a year or so apart, so he's had two girlfriends in about 11 years - but it's not all ''that'' horrible. Over the course of the series he has been in two committed relationships so far ([[spoiler:one was TheMole, but it wasn't her fault and they're still friends]]) with very attractive women, plus one paper-thin {{Will They Or Wont They}}, one at least somewhat attractive lover in his backstory, and probably dozens of women who have thrown themselves at him only for him to turn them down. His love life isn't that great only because Harry has a DarkAndTroubledPast and a tendency to place HonorBeforeReason, not because he's really all that ugly or socially inept. In the books he's tall, dark, mysterious, probably relatively good-looking when he bothers to clean himself up, and has a sharp wit. In the TV series he was played by [[http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0085860/ this guy]]. There's ''no way'' he couldn't get a date if he actually wanted to. Though, it's less that he's mocked for being ''unable'' to get a date so much as being ''unwilling'' to.

* ''Film/IndecentProposal''. The viewer is expected to believe that handsome and wealthy John Gage, outright described by another character as "a major poon-hound", needs to pay a thoroughly uninterested woman $1 million to sleep with him, not to mention practically stalk this woman after their one night stand.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheCritic'': Jay Sherman, a balding, short, fat, apparently annoying and once divorced movie critic would probably do a lot worse in the real world. Although he still does manage to date a psycho fan and his near-mummified makeup artist, Jay doesn't seem to have problems scoring with beautiful women.

* ''Series/HowIMetYourMother'': Ted Mosby's love life is generally unsatisfactory to him, not because he can't get dates but because he's looking for true love. He is often teased by his friends for falling too quickly for women and trying to turn each new date into a potential wife. Still he has several hot women per season (minus season II when he's in a committed relationship with Robin). And apparently the characters in this show all think it's mind-boggling for someone to go more than a few months without getting laid.
* ''Series/{{iCarly}}'': Freddie averts this, in both ways. He is never considered to be completely inept, but neither is he constantly dating insanely hot girls. 1 date was a FemmeFatale who was using him to break up their webshow, a second was with a twin he only asked out to prove that it was a trick being played by the original twin, he went to a dance with a wizard that ended poorly, and finally a date with a girl he wasn't interested in due to being forced into a triple date. The only time he's been with a girl he ''really'' likes, it's Carly, but he had been recently hit by a truck and was stuck in bed and then hobbling around on crutches. He also ended their brief relationship because he was worried Carly only liked him because he saved her from the truck.

* Film/{{Clerks}}'' and ''Film/{{ClerksII}}'': Dante. The same CoolLoser having to choose between [[{{UglyGuyHotWife}} two different, noticeably attractive women]] in the first movie and then a ''second'' pair of attractive women in the sequel. Notice {{Lampshade Hanging}} by both Randal and Creator/KevinSmith himself in the credits.

** Rajesh gets laid more than once despite an inability to even ''talk'' to women.

* ''Series/CriminalMinds'': Spencer Reid. When the Maeve Donovan arc began in Season 8, the show's characters--most notably Derek Morgan--seem to make a big deal that he's managed to win a girl's heart, as if it's some kind of a shock for Reid to have a girlfriend. [[WordOfGod The writers]] didn't help much either, since "Reid gets a girlfriend" was a selling point for Season 8, [[ViewersAreMorons believing the audience would be surprised at this development too]]. This despite the fact that Reid, on screen, has been on more dates than [[UrbanLegendLoveLife Morgan]], has had two on-screen kisses and had been the subject of an early seasons RunningGag that Reid often mistakes the flirting of women to mean something else.

* ''Series/HowIMetYourMother'': Ted Mosby's love life is generally unsatisfactory to him, not because he can't get dates but because he's looking for true love. He is often teased by his friends for falling too quickly for women and trying to turn each new date into a potential wife. Still he has several hot women per season, (minus season II when he's in a committed relationship with Robin). And apparently the characters in this show all think it's mind-boggling for someone to go more than a few months without getting laid.

* ''Series/CriminalMinds'': Spencer Reid. When the Maeve Donovan arc began in Season 8, the show's characters- most notably Derek Morgan- seem to make a big deal that he's managed to win a girl's heart, as if it's some kind of a shock for Reid to have a girlfriend. [[WordOfGod The writers]] didn't help much either, since "Reid gets a girlfriend" was a selling point for Season 8, [[ViewersAreMorons believing the audience would be surprised at this development too]]. This despite the fact that Reid, on screen, has been on more dates than [[UrbanLegendLoveLife Morgan]], has had two on-screen kisses and had been the subject of an early seasons RunningGag that Reid often mistakes the flirting of women to mean something else.

** Meg Griffin is very unpopular in the later seasons of the show, yet manages to hook up with/date at least: Doug (Prick Up Your Ears), the nudist neighbor she liked, Mayor Adam West, Kevin Swanson, Michael, a medical student, Anthony (Go, Stewie, Go) as well as being pursued by Neil Goldman and [[SexAsRiteofPassage losing her virginity]] on live national television to Jimmy Fallon during the opening of ''SaturdayNightLive''. And when a cute, popular lesbian thinks she has a chance with Meg, she's so excited she immediately strips. In-universe other characters react to Meg as if she were the elephant man with leprosy, but she looks pretty much exactly like a slightly shorter, brown-haired version of Lois, who in-universe is pretty much uniformly considered to be hot.

* {{Film/Clerks}}'' and ''{{Clerks II}}'': Dante. The same CoolLoser having to choose between [[{{UglyGuyHotWife}} two different, noticeably attractive women]] in the first movie and then a ''second'' pair of attractive women in the sequel. Notice {{Lampshade Hanging}} by both Randal and Creator/KevinSmith himself in the credits.

* ''Seies/TheGoldenGirls'': Dorothy Zbornak seems to be going out on dates every other week, and has dated doctors, teachers, business owners, even an Admiral (also admittedly a few losers, but even then that's hardly 'dateless'). To listen to the other girls, however, you'd think she had never had a single date. The other women make fun of her for it, though, ironically, she's the only one at the end of the show who isn't single.

* ''{{ComicStrip/Garfield}}'': Jon, the [[ThisLoserIsYou ultimate incompetent loser]] who continues to be the ButtMonkey of jokes about sucking at relationships, despite having had a steady girlfriend since 2006. Even before that, there seemed to be more jokes that featured him actually being on a date -- which inevitably went badly -- as ones that showcased his inability to ''get'' a date. Clearly the man had at least enough game to get through one conversation with a woman and ask her out, and do so on a pretty regular basis.

* ''{{WesternAnimation/Futurama}}'': Fry's been with: [[CuteClumsyGirl Amy Wong]], Chief of Police [[ReallyGetsAround Colleen]], former girlfriend [[NewOldFlame Michelle]], bureaucrat [[UptightLovesWild Morgan Proctor]], his [[StableTimeLoop own grandmother]] and, of course, [[ActionGirl Leela]], who he's now in a relationship with. But everyone still acts like he's the poster boy for loserdom.

* A minor RunningGag in ''Anime/AldnoahZero'', where [[TheCaptain Captain Magbaredge]] will criticize her XO Mizusaki's plans and actions - [[CasualDangerDialogue sometimes in the middle of a battle]] - with the CatchPhrase "Do you know why you can never get a date?" [[TheCavalryArrivesLate Punctuality]], BrutalHonesty and an unwillingness to take risks are among the flaws addressed.

* Peter Parker (a.k.a. Franchise/SpiderMan). He was married to one of the most beautiful women in the Marvel Universe (before ExecutiveMeddling kicked in). And before MJ, he had Betty Brant and Liz Allan fight over him and dated Gwen Stacy and the Black Cat. Even his least overtly attractive love interest, Debra Whitman, looked like a HotLibrarian. This despite him being being described as a poor nebbish nerd. His friend the Human Torch even called him on it, as did the Chameleon while impersonating him ("Does Parker know anyone who ''isn't'' a stunningly beautiful woman?").

* Dante from ''{{Film/Clerks}}'' and ''{{Clerks II}}''. The same {{Cool Loser}} having to choose between [[{{UglyGuyHotWife}} two different, noticeably attractive women]] in the first movie and then a ''second'' pair of attractive women in the sequel. Notice {{Lampshade Hanging}} by both Randal and Creator/KevinSmith himself in the credits.
* Jennifer Lopez' titular character in ''The Wedding Planner'', who is depicted as so lonely that she's willing to settle for marrying a man she doesn't love to save herself from [[ChristmasCake spinsterhood]]. This is ''JenniferLopez'' we're talking about. Hell, her fiance could count too. Sure, he's no MatthewMcConaughey, but he's hardly so ugly that ''he'' would need to settle for a woman who doesn't love him just so he won't be alone.
* Steve Carell's lead in ''Film/TheFortyYearOldVirgin'' has numerous awkward dates with very attractive women, but ultimately it's an aversion. The friends who view Andy as this all have love lives at least as screwed up as his, arguably more so, and he comes off as by far the most mature and level-headed in his attitude to sex; instead of {{Wangst}}ing about never getting laid, he's made his peace with bachelorhood and got on with his life.
* Tim from ''Film/AboutTime'' is handsome enough, but he is incredibly awkward. Luckily time-travelling fixes that, as with planning and forethought he can be pretty charming.

* [[Literature/TheDresdenFiles Harry Dresden]]. The man's friends, co-workers, and magical spirit servants mock his lackluster love life. His love life actually isn't all that great - the books, 11 so far, each take place about a year or so apart, so he's had two girlfriends in about 11 years - but it's not all ''that'' horrible. Over the course of the series he has been in two committed relationships so far ([[spoiler:one was TheMole, but it wasn't her fault and they're still friends]]) with very attractive women, plus one paper-thin {{Will They Or Wont They}}, one at least somewhat attractive lover in his backstory, and probably dozens of women who have thrown themselves at him only for him to turn them down. His love life isn't that great only because Harry has a DarkAndTroubledPast and a tendency to place HonorBeforeReason, not because he's really all that ugly or socially inept. In the books he's tall, dark, mysterious, probably relatively good-looking when he bothers to clean himself up, and has a sharp wit. In the TV series he was played by [[http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0085860/ this guy]]. There's ''no way'' he couldn't get a date if he actually wanted to.
** Harry's situation is made somewhat worse when you realize that neither relationship lasted very long. And he appears to have had sex ''once'' in the ~7 years between ''Grave Peril'' and ''Small Favor.'' His problem may be just that he doesn't get out enough. Seriously, does the man have any friends he didn't meet through his working life?
** A large factor in this is that he's, by his own admission, a [[LonersAreFreaks loner]], very set in his ways, and a bit of a geek. He doesn't get out much, and when he does go out for a good time, it's usually to a bar where everyone there is either distantly respectful or outright afraid of him.
*** Harry ALSO has rather severe abandonment issues. He needs to know the relations will last. Without that, he won't dare to get into it.
** Really, it's less that he's mocked for being ''unable'' to get a date so much as being ''unwilling'' to.

* Jon of ''{{ComicStrip/Garfield}}'', the [[ThisLoserIsYou ultimate incompetent loser]] who continues to be the ButtMonkey of jokes about sucking at relationships, despite having had a steady girlfriend since 2006.
** Even before that, there seemed to be more jokes that featured him actually being on a date -- which inevitably went badly -- as ones that showcased his inability to ''get'' a date. Clearly the man had at least enough game to get through one conversation with a woman and ask her out, and do so on a pretty regular basis.

* Davan Macintire, main character of ''Webcomic/SomethingPositive''. Despite numerous characters, himself included, referring to him as ugly and a loser, a fair number of women have expressed interest him and he's had sex with more than a few of them. On the flip side, most of his relationships, potential and otherwise, tend to end badly.
** Indeed, near the beginning of the strip one ex is able to describe herself as "the one who didn't cheat on him" (she suddenly left town instead). To be fair, now she would have to share that title with Branwen.
* Marten of ''Webcomic/QuestionableContent'', a supposedly awkward music nerd who has had at least three attractive girlfriends. Something of a subversion in that he only acts this way because he's often oblivious of people's attraction to him.
* Torg from ''Webcomic/SluggyFreelance'' is, in Bun-Bun's words, a "nerd boy" who's supposed to be relatively unlucky with the ladies. Except, y'know, for Valerie, Angela, Oasis, Alt-Zoe, and (eventually) Prime-Zoe all falling for him. [[JustifiedTrope Justified]] since at least two ([[AlternateCharacterInterpretation possibly three]]) of those women were just using Torg as a stand-in for previous [[LoveInterest Love Interests]] who had died, and another is only in love with him because she's been {{Brainwashed}} to do so.
** Also tends to suffer from the CartwrightCurse.

* ''WesternAnimation/KimPossible'': Ron Stoppable who's overly concerned with social rankings and considered a loser by his school peers. Yet he seems insanely popular among girls - notably Yori and Kim (the latter of whom he later does date), along with Zita, and a crush by another cheerleader. Not to mention a handful of episodes where he gets involved with [[AlphaBitch Bonnie]]. Kim herself dates little, despite being a knockout, which she attributes to her crime-fighting lifestyle and type-A drive.

* On ''Series/{{Amen}}'', Thelma's constant whining about her lack of a social life and ChristmasCake status is undermined by the fact that she actually dates a decent amount of men, several of whom wanted to marry her, all before finally snagging the handsome Reverend that she's been pining after since the show's first episode.
* Leonard from ''Series/TheBigBangTheory'', though a lot of this comes from his experience before he became friends with the pretty GirlNextDoor who gave him a lot more confidence. It was said the only girl of real significance in his life (not counting minor flings) before Penny came around was Joyce Kim, later revealed to have been a North Korean spy pushing him for government secrets. The few times he is seen in a social situation he ''is'' shown to be shy and awkward, but starting in the second season he briefly dated Leslie Winkle and Stephanie Barrett, dated Penny for the majority of the third season and had a long term relationship with Priya Koothrapali that crossed the fourth and fifth seasons. In between those girls, though, it's clear that he doesn't have that great of a social life.

* Spencer Reid from ''Series/CriminalMinds''. When the Maeve Donovan arc began in Season 8, the show's characters- most notably Derek Morgan- seem to make a big deal that he's managed to win a girl's heart, as if it's some kind of a shock for Reid to have a girlfriend. [[WordOfGod The writers]] didn't help much either, since "Reid gets a girlfriend" was a selling point for Season 8, [[ViewersAreMorons believing the audience would be surprised at this development too]]. This despite the fact that Reid, on screen, has been on more dates than [[UrbanLegendLoveLife Morgan]], has had two on-screen kisses and had been the subject of an early seasons RunningGag that Reid often mistakes the flirting of women to mean something else.

* Rachel Berry on ''Series/{{Glee}}''. It sort of makes sense at first since she's established as very obnoxious and the two guys she is romantically involved with in the first half of the season are in a LoveTriangle over a more popular girl. But by the second half she's in the center of her own BettyAndVeronica and throughout the entire series she's had a huge StalkerWithACrush in the form of a nerd who even at one point blackmails her for her panties.
* Dorothy Zbornak on ''TheGoldenGirls''. She seems to be going out on dates every other week, and has dated doctors, teachers, business owners, even an Admiral (also admittedly a few losers, but even then that's hardly 'dateless'). To listen to the other girls, however, you'd think she had never had a single date. The other women make fun of her for it, though, ironically, she's the only one at the end of the show who isn't single.
* Commandant Klink from ''Series/HogansHeroes''. The irony of it is that the women he has the most success with are actually enemy agents seeking to use him in some plot. Otherwise they would run a mile.
* Ted Mosby's love life in ''Series/HowIMetYourMother'' is generally unsatisfactory to him, not because he can't get dates but because he's looking for true love. He is often teased by his friends for falling too quickly for women and trying to turn each new date into a potential wife. Still he has several hot women per season, (minus season II when he's in a committed relationship with Robin). And apparently the characters in this show all think it's mind-boggling for someone to go more than a few months without getting laid.
* Freddie on ''Series/{{iCarly}}'' averts this, in both ways. He is never considered to be completely inept, but neither is he constantly dating insanely hot girls. 1 date was a FemmeFatale who was using him to break up their webshow, a second was with a twin he only asked out to prove that it was a trick being played by the original twin, he went to a dance with a wizard that ended poorly, and finally a date with a girl he wasn't interested in due to being forced into a triple date. The only time he's been with a girl he ''really'' likes, it's Carly, but he had been recently hit by a truck and was stuck in bed and then hobbling around on crutches. He also ended their brief relationship because he was worried Carly only liked him because he saved her from the truck.

* Timothy [=McGee=] from ''Series/{{NCIS}}'', who, while being a geek, manages to get quite a few dates, and still is told that he needs to get out more
* Christine of ''{{The New Adventures of Old Christine}}'' is perpetually lonely and treated like a loser, except that she's dated the likes of Tim DeKay, Eric McCormack and freakin' BLAIR UNDERWOOD.

* George Costanza, whose role in ''Series/{{Seinfeld}}'' is a slow-witted, self-centered, ugly failure who repulses women and can't get them to go out with him... except for, oh, the forty or fifty gorgeous women he dated over the course of the show. He even got a model whom he suspected was bulimic. He winds up getting engaged to the attractive daughter of a rich, Upper East Side, [=WASPy=], old money couple- Susan Ross. Even if they were evenly-matched looks-wise, it's completely far-fetched status, class and money-wise.
* Alex Reiger was {{Flanderized}} into this at the beginning of ''Series/{{Taxi}}'''s final season. The writers got back on the ball pretty quickly and Alex went back to being his normal self.
* Liz Lemon on ''Series/ThirtyRock''. She's dated Jon Hamm, for goodness' sake. The show does make it out to seem more like she doesn't have a problem finding men to date, but rather that everyone she does date turns out to be completely insane in the end so she's forced to end all her relationships.
* Alan on ''{{Two and a Half Men}}'' is often depicted as a pathetic loser yet he's dated a number of attractive women and was even married to a couple of them.
* Brian Hackett of ''Series/{{Wings}}'' dated many beautiful women over the course of the show's run. For most of the show, he was TheCasanova, but for some reason, the last couple of seasons seemed to have a lot of jokes about how he was having trouble scoring dates.
* {{Lampshaded}} on ''WizardsOfWaverlyPlace'' when HollywoodNerd Justin asks his brother "Why does everyone think I don't date; remember the centaur, the werewolf and the Goth Girl?" The "goth girl" was in fact his established girlfriend for a several-episode arc.

* John Dorian on ''Series/{{Scrubs}}''.
** Sometimes. JD's problem isn't really that he that he can't get a date, but more of him not being able to have a lasting relationship (he's even worse than Elliot in this regard) like everyone else because he keeps screwing them up and ends up having to go back to [[TheInternetIsForPorn "dating his laptop".]]
* Everyone in Series/{{Chuck}} Bartowski's life regularly acts like him getting a date of any kind, let alone one with a good-looking woman, is a minor miracle. This continues approximately through the end of the second season, despite the fact that in that space of time he dates two beautiful women and has a third one in love with him. For the most part the third season drops the [[HollywoodHomely facade]], though.

** Chandler is smart, good-looking, incredibly witty and has a very successful career. He is constantly knocked by himself and others for being terrible with women. While he does have commitment isues that prevent his relationships lasting long, he has no trouble getting women. Later in the show, once he's in a stable relationship with Monica, the show claims he's always been terrible with women, unable to even talk to them, despite the early seasons showing he successfully uses humour to smooth-talk and charm women without any problem at all and the later seasons having him and Monica being the only two in a [[HappilyMarried functional]] (rather than dysfunctional) relationship.
** Ross is variously described as being too geeky to attract women and unable to flirt with them, to the extent of women thinking he either has creepy rage issues or is an idiot loser. At other times, he's a smooth talker who has no trouble getting involved with women at all. The one "dry spell" he has in the show, which is played for drama and he panics for his health, consists of him not being able to get involved with a women for the truly horrendous period of... ''six months''.
** Gunther tends to be portrayed as a bit of a wet blanket who spends ten years of the show pathetically pining for Rachael, and never having a life outside the few occasions the gang invite him to one of their parties. This is despite him being genuinely good-looking (something even Rachael once acknowledges) and there being occasional hints that he's actually had an interesting life, including having once been an actor.
** Monica frequently used to complain that she couldn't find a boyfriend, despite her beauty. She never had trouble finding boyfriends, but committed relationships were another matter as she ended up with jerks on a number of occasions. Rachael once implies that Monica's had such bad luck with men that it was an act of desperation for her to "stumble across the hall and sleeps with the first guy she finds". That "guy" is Chandler, with whom Monica drunkenly hooks up at Ross's ill-fated wedding to Emily. Rachael's complaint occurs only after Chandler and Monica have been in a [[HappilyMarried successful and committed]] relationship for a while, and are, in fact, the only two of the gang in any kind of healthy relationship at all.

* In ''Series/{{Sabrina The Teenage Witch}}'' there is Miles who has continuously been referred to be beyond all hope when it came to make a positive impression on the other sex (or people in general), yet in the season 5 finale he scores with one of Josh's very attractive friends and ''he'' breaks it off with her at the end and then is seen going on a date with '''four''' Pop Stars at once.
* Perhaps the most notable example is George Costanza, whose role in ''Series/{{Seinfeld}}'' is a slow-witted, self-centered, ugly failure who repulses women and can't get them to go out with him... except for, oh, the forty or fifty gorgeous women he dated over the course of the show. He even got a model whom he suspected was bulimic. He winds up getting engaged to the attractive daughter of a rich, Upper East Side, [=WASPy=], old money couple- Susan Ross. Even if they were evenly-matched looks-wise, it's completely far-fetched status, class and money-wise.
** The worst episode for this is "The Strongbox" when George wants to break-up with a gorgeous woman because she talks to her food but she refuses to end the relationship. Finally, he sets it up so she'll catch him on a date with another gorgeous woman (who we learn had pursued George in the past but he had rejected for being "too tan") in the hopes that both women will dump him. However, they both take his infidelity in stride and announce that neither are ending their respective relationships with him and the episode ends with George having the "problem" of two hotties refusing to let him go no matter what.
*** Neither of whom he wants a relationship with and neither of whom will respect or accept that. It ''is'' a problem.
** George was also notoriously picky. When Elaine was setting him up on a blind date, he asked multiple shallow questions about her physical attractiveness. Another episode had him wanting to break up with a bald woman despite [[HypocriticalHumor wearing a toupée himself]]. All of these women were attractive.
*** He changes his mind and decides to continue seeing the bald woman, but she breaks up with ''him'' because "apparently ''Baldy'' likes a slimmer guy!"
** Then there are episodes that seem to go the other way. In one, George claims that all he has to do to get a woman to want to date him is to see her on three separate occasions. He compares it to the "By Mennen" advertising jingle (only in his case it's "Co-stanza"): annoying as hell the first time, but by the third time it's [[EarWorm stuck in your head]].
** Contrast Kramer, who in "The Conversion" is portrayed as being so devastatingly erotic it tempts a novice away from becoming a nun, and in "The Smelly Car", where he is able to get a lesbian to switch teams. As explanation for this, he merely says "I'm Kramer!" However, Kramer is almost never portrayed as being with women unless it's important for someone else's plot (like with Jerry's ex Gail Cunningham in "The Shoes"), and his only ongoing relationship is with Elaine's annoying roommate. George buys into it, too, describing Kramer's life thus: "Do nothing, fall ass-backwards into money, mooch food off your neighbors, and have sex without dating."
* Dorothy Zbornak on ''TheGoldenGirls''. She seems to be going out on dates every other week, and has dated doctors, teachers, business owners, even an Admiral (also admittedly a few losers, but even then that's hardly 'dateless'). To listen to the other girls, however, you'd think she had never had a single date. The other women make fun of her for it, though, ironically, she's the only one at the end of the show who isn't single.
* Bud Bundy, ''Series/MarriedWithChildren''.
** Worse than the George Costanza example, because Bud actually touches himself every single night out of his loneliness, always whines about being dateless, rejects girls at a higher standard than him, and still he scores repeatedly. Fail.
** But unlike the George case, there is certainly a high ratio of on-screen rejections to on-screen incidents when he does score. And when he does score with an attractive female, he quite obviously feels that he's "getting lucky" rather than "this is something that happens to him all the time." And George's women are [[GirlOfTheWeek (short-term)]] girlfriends, while with Bud there's usually a sense that he would have just as much trouble getting a second date as he does getting a first. As for the whining, Bud's real problem is that, when Kelly wants to insult him, she uses his involuntary celibacy as her go-to first talking point.
* ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'':
** Xander Harris, who spent most of the series in a long-term committed relationships with either Cordelia (early on) or Anya (Season 4 to the end). Also, he has a one night stand with Faith and Willow wanted him.
** In the first couple of seasons it's a running joke that he does get dates - but they're all with demons disguised as women.
** As of the Season 8 continuation-of-the-show comic series, Buffy confesses her love for Xander. He turns her down, since he's now in a relationship with Buffy's sister and he believes Buffy has just finally gotten to the settle-for-the-best-friend option (after "trying girls", mind you, so he might be right.) Earlier in the comic he was dating a Slayer named Renee, who [[spoiler:was killed during a mission in Japan]].
** In fact, ''everybody'' on the show qualifies. Not least of which Miss Maybelline herself.
* Despite the title of her show, ''UglyBetty'' manages to have plenty of cute guys pining after her. No, she's [[HollyWoodHomely not really ugly]], but she dresses like a clown on acid.
* Brian Hackett of ''Series/{{Wings}}'' dated many beautiful women over the course of the show's run. For most of the show, he was TheCasanova, but for some reason, the last couple of seasons seemed to have a lot of jokes about how he was having trouble scoring dates.
* {{Lampshaded}} on ''WizardsOfWaverlyPlace'' when HollywoodNerd Justin asks his brother "Why does everyone think I don't date; remember the centaur, the werewolf and the Goth Girl?" The "goth girl" was in fact his established girlfriend for a several-episode arc.
** This is actually creeping into UnwantedHarem territory.
** This is largely due to the [[RelationshipWritingFumble utter inability]] of the show's writers to convincingly ship Justin with [[BrotherSisterIncest anyone other than Alex]]. And the one time they DID manage it, they turned right around and [[PutOnABusToHell put her on a bus to Hell]] within five episodes.
* Liz Lemon on ''Series/ThirtyRock''. She's dated Jon Hamm, for goodness' sake.
** The show does make it out to seem more like she doesn't have a problem finding men to date, but rather that everyone she does date turns out to be completely insane in the end so she's forced to end all her relationships.
*** Also, Liz has plenty of her own problems to sort out so her trust issues/childhood trauma involving posters/etc. might have some effect.
*** Amanda Marcotte, of the feminist blog Pandagon, argues that Liz herself sabotages a lot of potential relationships because [[http://pandagon.net/index.php/site/comments/friday_genius_ten/ she's actually happy being single]].
* Alex Reiger was {{Flanderized}} into this at the beginning of ''Series/{{Taxi}}'''s final season. The writers got back on the ball pretty quickly and Alex went back to being his normal self.
* [[Series/{{Frasier}} Frasier Crane]], who despite having a [[GirlOfTheWeek seemingly endless supply of beautiful and sophisticated women going out with him]], is often said to be unable to get a date.
** Frasier's problem is generally that he usually has trouble holding onto a girlfriend, usually due to some [[NotWhatItLooksLike contrived circumstance]] he happens to fall into in her presence.

** Though this could have an in-universe explanation of Future!Ted exaggerating and or misremembering.
* Rachel Berry on ''Series/{{Glee}}''. It sort of makes sense at first since she's established as very obnoxious and the two guys she is romantically involved with in the first half of the season are in a LoveTriangle over a more popular girl. But by the second half she's in the center of her own BettyAndVeronica and throughout the entire series she's had a huge StalkerWithACrush in the form of a nerd who even at one point blackmails her for her panties.

* Leonard from ''Series/TheBigBangTheory'', though a lot of this comes from his experience before he became friends with the pretty GirlNextDoor who gave him a lot more confidence. It was said the only girl of real significance in his life (not counting minor flings) before Penny came around was Joyce Kim, later revealed to have been a North Korean spy pushing him for government secrets. The few times he is seen in a social situation he ''is'' shown to be shy and awkward, but starting in the second season he briefly dated Leslie Winkle and Stephanie Barrett, dated Penny for the majority of the third season and had a long term relationship with Priya Koothrapali that crossed the fourth and fifth seasons. In between those girls, though, it's clear that he doesn't have that great of a social life.
** In a bit of character insight, Leonard has been consistently shown as very shy in public situations and on a friend date with Penny she suggested he talk to some girls and his response was "They're in a group, I'm scared..." Upon returning to the scene Leonard had actually started talking with one of the girls and if he didn't get into an argument with Penny (scaring her off with their LikeAnOldMarriedCouple fight) it seemed to be a pleasant conversation.
** Rajesh gets laid more than once despite an inability to even ''talk'' to women. If that isn't this trope, what is?
* Timothy [=McGee=] from ''Series/{{NCIS}}'', who, while being a geek, manages to get quite a few dates, and still is told that he needs to get out more.
* Alan on ''{{Two and a Half Men}}'' is often depicted as a pathetic loser yet he's dated a number of attractive women and was even married to a couple of them.

* On ''Series/{{Amen}}'', Thelma's constant whining about her lack of a social life and ChristmasCake status is undermined by the fact that she actually dates a decent amount of men, several of whom wanted to marry her, all before finally snagging the handsome Reverend that she's been pining after since the show's first episode.
* Spencer Reid from ''Series/CriminalMinds''. When the Maeve Donovan arc began in Season 8, the show's characters- most notably Derek Morgan- seem to make a big deal that he's managed to win a girl's heart, as if it's some kind of a shock for Reid to have a girlfriend. [[WordOfGod The writers]] didn't help much either, since "Reid gets a girlfriend" was a selling point for Season 8, [[ViewersAreMorons believing the audience would be surprised at this development too]]. This despite the fact that Reid, on screen, has been on more dates than [[UrbanLegendLoveLife Morgan]], has had two on-screen kisses and had been the subject of an early seasons RunningGag that Reid often mistakes the flirting of women to mean something else.

* To some extent, Fry, from ''{{WesternAnimation/Futurama}}''. To date, Fry's been with: [[CuteClumsyGirl Amy Wong]], Chief of Police [[ReallyGetsAround Colleen]], former girlfriend [[NewOldFlame Michelle]], bureaucrat [[UptightLovesWild Morgan Proctor]], his [[StableTimeLoop own grandmother]] and, of course, [[ActionGirl Leela]], who he's now in a relationship with. But everyone still acts like he's the poster boy for loserdom.
** Also something of a {{flanderized}} trait. Earlier in the series, Fry dates Amy and goes home with a woman from the 21st century after meeting her at a bar.
** And all those Amazonian women. Although admittedly he did end up with a slightly broken pelvis for his troubles.
** There was also [[InterspeciesRomance the hot mermaid]] from the lost city of Atlanta.
** Don't forget that radiator woman from the radiator planet.
*** Fry, that's a radiator.
*** ...is there a burn ward within ten feet of here?
* ''WesternAnimation/KimPossible'' has Ron Stoppable who's overly concerned with social rankings and considered a loser by his school peers. Yet he seems insanely popular among girls - notably Yori and Kim (the latter of whom he later does date), along with Zita, and a crush by another cheerleader. Not to mention a handful of episodes where he gets involved with [[AlphaBitch Bonnie]]. Kim herself dates little, despite being a knockout, which she attributes to her crime-fighting lifestyle and type-A drive.
** Kim: "I'm weirding guys out! They see me on TV, round housing some goon out a window... It's a vivid image."
* Moe Syzlak, Selma Bouvier, Comic Book Guy, Milhouse van Houten, and Principal Seymour Skinner on ''TheSimpsons''.
** Moe got 600 no's in 1.8 seconds. All the others except Skinner haven't had much better luck. Edna Crabapple used to be portrayed as unable to get a date, but now she's [[ReallyGetsAround promiscuous]].
*** Though it deserves saying that ''dating'' and having sex aren't mutually-inclusive.
** Bart has an amazing luck with girls, as he has dated and almost married at least a dozen girls. The trouble is he can't keep a steady relationship with any of them.
* Jay Sherman from ''WesternAnimation/TheCritic''- a balding, short, fat, apparently annoying and once divorced movie critic would probably do a lot worse in the real world. Although he still does manage to date a psycho fan and his near-mummified makeup artist, Jay doesn't seem to have problems scoring with beautiful women.
* Meg Griffin on ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy''. She's very unpopular in the later seasons of the show, yet manages to hook up with/date at least: Doug (Prick Up Your Ears), the nudist neighbor she liked, Mayor Adam West, Kevin Swanson, Michael, a medical student, Anthony (Go, Stewie, Go) as well as being pursued by Neil Goldman and [[SexAsRiteofPassage losing her virginity]] on live national television to Jimmy Fallon during the opening of ''SaturdayNightLive''. And when a cute, popular lesbian thinks she has a chance with Meg, she's so excited she immediately strips. In-universe other characters react to Meg as if she were the elephant man with leprosy, but she looks pretty much exactly like a slightly shorter, brown-haired version of Lois, who in-universe is pretty much uniformly considered to be hot.
** On that same note, Chris has also had a few attractive girlfriends, despite his less than flattering traits. He reasons if his dad could get his mom, there must be hope for him yet.
* Steve Smith from ''WesternAnimation/AmericanDad'', much like his counterparts from ''Family Guy''. Despite constantly being described as a perpetually awkward virgin loser, Steve has had multiple hookups and opportunities to lose his virginity to very attractive girls, much more than most 14 year old boys in real life could ever hope to. For the record, according to the ''American Dad'' [[TheWikiRule wiki]], he has had ''17'' different love interests. His equally awkward best friend Snot qualifies as well.

* Jon of ''{{ComicStrip/Garfield}}'', the [[ThisLoserIsYou ultimate incompetent loser]] who...actually has a steady girlfriend now. And continues to be the ButtMonkey of all the same old jokes about sucking at relationships.

* Jon of ''{{ComicStrip/Garfield}}'', the [[ThisLoserIsYou ultimate incompetent loser]] who...actually has a steady girlfriend now. And continues to be the ButtMonkey of all the same old jokes about sucking at relationships.

** Monica frequently used to complain that she couldn't find a boyfriend, despite [[http://images2.makefive.com/images/200833/4e58750211bd2c6a.jpg looking like this]]. She never had trouble finding boyfriends, but committed relationships were another matter as she ended up with jerks on a number of occasions. Rachael once implies that Monica's had such bad luck with men that it was an act of desperation for her to "stumble across the hall and sleeps with the first guy she finds". That "guy" is Chandler, with whom Monica drunkenly hooks up at Ross's ill-fated wedding to Emily. Rachael's complaint occurs only after Chandler and Monica have been in a [[HappilyMarried successful and committed]] relationship for a while, and are, in fact, the only two of the gang in any kind of healthy relationship at all.

** There's also the matter of Monica frequently vocalizing her aggravation earlier in the series over not being able to find a boyfriend. [[http://images2.makefive.com/images/200833/4e58750211bd2c6a.jpg She looked like this at the time]]. Admittedly it may be she's having trouble finding a ''committed'' relationship, as a lot of guys do hit on her (probably purely because she's so attractive) but often turn out to be jerks. Rachael once implies that Monica's had such bad luck with men that it was an act of desperation for her to "stumble across the hall and sleeps with the first guy she finds". The guy Rachael's referring to is Chandler and how the pair hooked up at Ross's ill-fated wedding to Emily because they were both drunk. Rachael's complaint only occurs after Chandler and Monica have been in a [[HappilyMarried successful and committed]] relationship for a while, and are, in fact, the only two of the gang in any kind of healthy relationship at all.

** Ross is variously described as being too geeky to attract women and unable to flirt with them, to the extent of women thinking he either has creepy rage issues or is an idiot loser. At other times, he's a smooth talker who has not trouble getting involved with women at all. The one "dry spell" he has in the show, which is played for drama and he panics for his health consists of him not being able to get involved with a women for the truly horrendous period of... ''six months''.

* Chandler Bing from ''Series/{{Friends}}'', despite being smart, good-looking and [[ToughRoom incredibly witty]], is constantly knocked by himself and others for having very little in the way of a love life. Gunther and Ross also count if you really get down to it. One episode, a while after he became engaged to Monica, involved him not even being able to TALK to a women because she was beautiful, only being able to bashfully mutter a few whispers, and the characters acting like this had always been the case with him. Over the course of the past six or so seasons, Chandler had been shown successfully making some of the boldest and most hilariously charming pick-ups anywhere on television, to complete, gorgeous strangers.
** There's also the matter of Monica frequently vocalizing her aggravation earlier in the series over not being able to find a boyfriend. [[http://images2.makefive.com/images/200833/4e58750211bd2c6a.jpg She looked like this at the time]]. Admittedly it may be she's having trouble finding a ''committed'' relationship, as a lot of guys do hit on her (probably purely because she's so attractive) but often turn out to be jerks.
** Another time, Rachel mentions that Monica "stumbles down the hall and sleeps with the first guy she finds." To be fair that was just in reference to the other holder of this Trope, Chandler, as their first night together was a drunken hook up.
** The comments towards both of them being bad at relationships get even more unbelievable later in the series, when they're HappilyMarried and the ones who have had any healthy relationship. One episode has Joey and Ross saying that Chandler's thing is being 'bad with women'. At this point, Ross has been divorced three times and Joey has never had a relationship longer than a week and is pining after one of their other friends, while Chandler is a wonderful husband to a stunningly attractive woman who adores him.