Ross Geller vs Ted Mosby: Battle of the "Nice Guys"

Ross Geller vs. Ted Mosby Battle of the Nice Guys

Welcome to MsMojo, and in this installment of Versus, we’re comparing two ultimate sitcom “Nice Guys” — Ross Geller and Ted Mosby. The trope includes some positive attributes, but the “niceness” is also fake in several places. Because of this, we’re considering who measures up best to the archetype — for better or worse — for each round.

Round 1: Better Friend

The “Friends” fanbase tends to give Ross a lot of flak for being selfish. And while that’s true to an extent, he does exhibit caring qualities toward his friends. We’re still going ‘awe’ for the time when he gives Phoebe the pink bike. Ross isn’t as close to Joey as Chandler, but he’s the one who helps Joey after he loses his job at “Days of Our Lives.” He kisses Joey to help him with an audition. And despite being left behind for a ski trip, Ross drives all the way to the middle of nowhere to help his friends. He may butt heads with the group on occasion, but Ross does stick up for them whenever he can.

Although he’s sometimes estranged from them, Ted lives up to his reputation as everyone’s best friend within his group. When his friends need someone to talk to, Ted drops everything for them. He supports Robin and Lily during their crises with careers and relationships, even if they lash out at him. Ted sticks with Marshall through thick and thin, staying by his side when Lily leaves him and after his father’s death. Despite his reluctance, Ted goes with Barney’s antics, completing every requirement from the “The Bro Code” along the way. And if they’ve lost sight of what’s important, Ted gives them a reality check. With both Ross and Ted displaying positive attributes here, this round ends in a tie!

Winner: Ross 1/Ted 1

Round 2: Worse Character Development

We feel bad for Ross when we first meet him. He’s been dumped by his wife, has to fight to be in his child’s life, and has unrequited feelings for Rachel. However, Ross sheds his more sympathetic traits as the show progresses. Remember when he shamed Phoebe for believing her mother’s reincarnation? In earlier seasons, we have to believe Ross wouldn’t have behaved in such a cavalier manner, particularly since he said he found Phoebe’s quirks endearing. Ross also goes from a quieter person with occasional outbursts to someone prone to ranting about himself. This is a man who held his own memorial and complained when nobody showed. Compared to his origins, later seasons make Ross out to be an entitled know-it-all who’s unwilling to compromise.

Similar to Ross, Ted also goes from a general nice guy to just an obnoxious man. Initially looking for The One, he begins using his quest as a cover to date mean-spirited and strange women like Karen and Jeanette. It’s pretty telling that Future Ted calls himself a jerk. However, Ted’s development is stunted because he's obsessed with Robin. In the first episode, he meets and falls for her. In the finale, he’s still in love with her and has pined for her for 25 years. While this isn’t exactly an admirable quality, at least Ted doesn’t devolve the way Ross does. So, this round goes to the Divorce Force.

Winner: Ross 2/ Ted 1

Round 3: Neediness/Pushiness

Phoebe’s ex, Roger, had the right idea when he summed up the group Insert SB: “Define me. Love me I need love”. This describes Ross better than any of the others. Pretty much all he did during his relationship with Rachel was demand attention. After guilting her into spending time with him and bothering her at her job, Mark had the right idea about Ross Insert SB: “somebody wants people to know you have a boyfriend”. But far from just his romances, this is ingrained in Ross’s character. His insecurities manifest in the form of neediness, as he constantly seeks validation. On the off chance he’s called out, Ross annoys people around him for support. Whether it’s boosting his ego from being his parents’ favorite or finding someone to whine to, there’s a good chance Ross is going to make it about himself.

Ted isn’t too behind Ross when it comes to being pushy. You have to be really needy to pursue a love interest for a quarter of a century. He doesn’t back down on being with Robin when basically everyone advises him otherwise — not even after Robin rejects him several times. During their relationship, Ted continually tries to change Robin’s views on marriage and children despite knowing she isn’t comfortable with either. And it isn’t just Robin, as Ted’s relationships with Victoria, Natalie, Zoey, and Stella happen because he can’t take no for an answer. His predictable behavior, and subsequent meltdowns, garner him the “Classic Schmosby” tag. But while Ted’s neediness is restricted to romance, it’s Ross’ primary personality trait. So, the round goes to the Rossatron.

Winner: Ross 3/Ted 1

Round 4: Snobbiness

Part of Ross’s “nice guy” act is coming across as more mature than his friends. Over time, though, this devolves into being pretentious and snobby. His friends never ask him, but Ross is happy to dole out pointless trivia that occasionally serves as backhanded attempts to appear smarter. His tendency to correct people’s grammar is another aspect that his friends hate. Apart from wild claims like insisting he came up with “Jurassic Park,” he drags everyone along for things they don’t want to be a part of. Remember when he made the gang stay up at night to watch the Burger King Comet? Fortunately, his friends call him out on these issues just enough that Ross doesn’t truly get out of hand.

Ted tries to come across as well-learned and cultured so many times that his friends come up with a way to shut him up.[insert SB “making fart noises when Ted speaks”] Much like Ross, Ted has a habit of correcting people, although it goes beyond just grammar. It seems like his friends can barely stand him when they realize how snobbish he behaves on a daily basis. Whether it’s droning on about the different flavors of wine or shaming people for not pronouncing “encyclopedia” accurately, Ted has an endless list of snooty moments. This aspect goes so far that Ted begins to hate his own voice the one time he gets to show off in a room of admirers. Since his pseudo-intellectualism is more irritating than funny, this round goes to Teddy Westside.

Winner: Ross 3/Ted 2

Round 5: More Fun

Ross doesn’t partake in crazy antics as much as Chandler and Joey do. Still, he does have a wild side that makes him a fun person to be around. Whether it’s partying with Gandalf or being down for a “Die Hard” marathon, he knows when to have a good time. However, the character does take a while to get in the mood, as his friends usually have to talk him into it. During the time he stays with Chandler and Joey, Ross’s more tame lifestyle interferes with the duo so much that they consider getting rid of him. He’s also reluctant to engage in lighthearted behavior like pranks until someone brings that side out of him.

Ted might think he’s different from Barney, but he indulges in much of the same silliness. After all, it takes two people to lick the Liberty Bell. And it takes even more dedication to complete a successful TP job at a laser tag place. Although he’d rather settle down, Ted enjoys his youth to the fullest. He’s more than happy to engage in Slap Bets, food-stuffing competitions, and Halloween-themed parties. Because of his love for grand gestures, Ted pulls off memorable events like arranging an entire light show for Robin and stealing an insanely expensive bottle of scotch for Barney. His spontaneity is an underrated quality that many overlook, but it’s good enough for this round to go to Schmosby.

Winner: Ted 3/Ross 3

Round 6: Funnier

Ross might not have sarcastic remarks like Chandler or adorably goofy things to say like Joey, but he’s always finds himself in funny situations. In each season of “Friends,” there's at least one episode where something hilarious or humiliating — or both — happens to the character. Falling into an open grave? Check. Oversleeping on a train and landing in Canada? Check. Getting stuck in his own leather pants? You know how it ends. Even Ross-haters have to admit he provides a ton of laughs. His dorkiness is charming in its own way. When paired with contrasting personalities like Joey or Phoebe, Ross is also responsible for some of the most memorable “Friends” episodes.

Like Ross, Ted’s comedic qualities usually play second fiddle to his friends. However, the character can get anyone laughing when he behaves out of character. Just like his friends, we love drunk Ted and his uninhibited mannerisms. He also tends to land in awkward circumstances that will always be funny to watch. Whether it’s getting stuck with a butterfly tattoo or teaching the wrong class without realizing it, Ted sure knows how to make a fool out of himself. At least he owns it — you can’t convince him he didn’t make it rain with his dance. But since his list of fails isn’t quite as long, it’s Red Ross who wins this round.

Winner: Ross 4/Ted 3

Round 7: Whininess

The very first time we ever see Ross, he delivers his trademark “Hi.” In retrospect, this was a warning for a whole lot of whining to come. In his defense, he does have a lot going against him. However, Ross’s refusal to take responsibility for his actions seeps away most of the sympathy we might feel for him. Even the people who take his side in the breakup with Rachel reach the end of their patience, mainly because he never lets anyone forget that they were on a break! His whininess increases each time he gets divorced, as Ross keeps making excuses for his misfortunes. Honestly, you know it’s bad when Janice thinks you’re annoying.

Ted’s list of complaints expands with every season as well. Initially restricting himself to his bad luck with meeting The One, Ted progresses to whining about his job, his failed business, his friendships within the group, and of course, his failure to be within Robin. Ted’s relentless second-guessing only makes things worse, consistently going back on his promises to move on and sulking about being alone. Near the end of the series, he drops any pretense and simply ruins happy occasions like other people’s weddings to cry about his own problems. He’s not called Schmosby for nothing. However, while Ted is a Grade-A whiner, he still doesn’t complain nearly as much as Ross on average. So, for better or for worse, Professor Geller ends up as our winner.

Winner: Ross 5/Ted 3

Do you think we got it right? Who do you think embodies the “Nice Guy” trope more? Let us know in the comments.