Idiot Plot: Difference between revisions
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Popularized by film critic [[Roger Ebert]] during his review of the remake of ''Narrow Margin'', a term for a [[Plot]] that hangs together only because the main characters behave like idiots. [[Just Eat Gilligan|A single intelligent move or question by any of the characters, and all problems would be resolved]], which is especially prevalent when a [[Story-Breaker Power]] such as [[Make a Wish]] is involved. It's not so bad if the characters are ''supposed'' to be [[The Ditz|acting like idiots]], but it's ''very'' bad if the [[Idiot Plot]] depends on a character [[Plot Induced Stupidity|suddenly acting stupid enough]] for the Plot to work.
Even worse than that is "second-order idiot plot", in which the plot can only function if ''every'' character involved, including side characters, suddenly loses about 50 IQ points. In fact, author Damon Knight [[Turkey City Lexicon|originally coined the term]] "second-order idiot plot" to refer to a science fiction story that features a fictional society that can ''only'' exist if [[Planet of Hats|everyone living there]]
It is important to note that this [[Tropes Are Tools|not always a bad thing]], and is sometimes the ''entire point'' of the work. Part of what can make a drama dramatic is that the characters could truly have avoided it if they had acted rationally instead of irrationally. This is often what ''makes'' a comedy so funny in the first place.
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