Dumb Is Good/Playing With

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.


Basic Trope: Smart people are mean, dumb people are nice.

  • Straight: The intelligent Smith is an Insufferable Genius who is quick to anger and has a permanent scowl on his face; Dunsworth is slow-witted but is a very nice and gentle person.
  • Exaggerated: Smith is an Evil Genius; Dunsworth is practically The Messiah.
  • Up to Eleven: What is considered good disappears at the moment one has an IQ higher than 100. Every single genius in the world is a Nietzsche Wannabe Complete Monster who is willing to exploit the inherent good of the dumb for their own nefarious purposes.
  • Downplayed: Both characters aren't outright good or evil. Smith just wears Jade-Colored Glasses while Dunsworth is a bit of a Wide-Eyed Idealist.
  • Justified:
    • Smith is unhappy because his intelligence allows him to perceive the half-empty reality. Dunsworth, being ignorant, has no reason to be anything but blissfully happy.
    • Smith and Dunsworth are in a Crapsack World, where being neutral or downright evil are expected. Dunsworth simply wasn't smart enough to understand said norm.
  • Inverted: Dunsworth is dumb but is incredibly rude; Smith is intelligent and incredibly nice to people.
  • Subverted: Smith seems to be a far better person than Dunsworth.
  • Double Subverted: ...But Smith is really a an Evil Genius and a Villain with Good Publicity, whereas Dunsworth is the hero who is trying to stop him, and has gained some undeserved bad publicity in the process, making him seem meaner.
  • Parodied: The two men are literally only defined by their intelligences.
  • Deconstructed: We get to see an inside look at both men; Smith is incredibly unhappy because everyone hates him for his intelligence; Dunsworth isn't particularly happy himself, because he'd much rather be smart like Smith.
  • Reconstructed: Both men realize that they've got to utilize their gifts. Dunsworth realizes that while he's not too bright, he enjoys being liked by people around him; and Smith realizes that while he's not the most popular guy on the face of the earth, he is incredibly intelligent and should value that.
  • Zig Zagged: Smith seems better than Dunsworth - but that's just because he's a Villain with Good Publicity. At least, that's the excuse that Dunsworth makes up...
  • Averted: Intelligence is not a determinant of kindness.
  • Enforced: "We need a comedy duo! The smart angry guy will smack around the dumb guy."
  • Lampshaded:
  • Invoked: Dunsworth hates Smith's guts, so he incites his bar buddies against Smith by saying how smart people keep normal Joe's down.
  • Defied: Smith decides to become a nicer person; or Dunsworth decides to become smarter.
  • Discussed: "Despite what the rumors may imply, intelligence has little to do with happiness and character."
  • Conversed: "I'd ask if the writers have self-esteem issues for hating on smart people, but that would imply they're smart."

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