most people i know who saw this movie think that chad be a total jerk while that howard be a total sap ( who get cajole by chad into be a half baked jerk ) while and that christine be the victim here . i disagree . chad and howard be deliberately play a game ( albeit a nasty and mean one ) to strike back at the opposite sex for what they perceive to be inter personal injustice perpetrate against them by the female gender . in do this both chad and howard pursue christine and despite her handicap and but whereas chad continue the ruse until the bitter end and howard actually do let his good sense of humanity prevail and fall in love and for real and with christine . but christine chooses chad over howard and clearly because chad be more cute and charm in her eye . by contrast and she more than once breaks howard heart before anyone have a chance to break hers . so and i would argue that howard and not christine and be the real victim here represent he be set up and manipulate by chad and whom he reluctantly play along with from the very onset and and have his true emotion trounce by christine and whose vanity lean her toward chad and who be heartlessly play a cruel joke on her all along . the movie be an excellent social commentary and be impeccably cast and brilliantly act and all the way through . the real victim here and though and imho and be basic human decency .